The Importance of Baseline Word Reading Skills in Examining Student Response to a Multicomponent Reading Intervention. (July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Daniel, Johny; Vaughn, Sharon; Roberts, Gregory; Grills, Amie
• Is Part Of: Journal of learning disabilities. Volume 55:Number 4(2022)
• Page Start: 259
• Page End: 271
• Publication Date: 2022-07
• Subjects: word reading comprehension -- reading difficulty -- upper elementary -- multicomponent reading intervention; Learning disabilities -- Periodicals; 371.905
• DOI: 10.1177/00222194211010349
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-2194

Abstract

To address the needs of a diverse group of students with reading difficulties, a majority of researchers over the last decade have designed and implemented multicomponent reading interventions (MCRIs) that provide instruction in multiple areas of reading yielding mixed results. The current study evaluates whether students' baseline word reading skills predict their response to a MCRI. Data from a randomized controlled trial for third- and fourth-grade students with reading difficulties ( N = 128) were analyzed. Results demonstrate that baseline word reading was a significant predictor of students' end-of-year reading comprehension performance. Treatment group students who had lower baseline word reading compared with those students with comparatively higher word reading scores performed significantly lower on posttest reading comprehension. Findings denote the importance of word reading instruction for upper elementary students who are below-average word readers and also indicate the need for tailoring reading intervention to align with individual reader needs.