ERIC Number: EJ1456820
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-0671
EISSN: EISSN-1940-0675
Complex Text and Fluency: Evaluating the Read Like Us Protocol with Third and Fourth Grade Students
Journal of Educational Research, v118 n1 p51-62 2025
This matched-sample study investigates the use of a wide range of texts of varying--and often challenging--complexity to promote fluency for students experiencing below grade level achievement. We designed a repeated-reading protocol called 'Read Like Us', and performed a pilot implementation in small groups with third- and fourth-grade students (n = 174) who ranked 'Below Benchmark' or 'Well Below Benchmark' on the Acadience Reading assessment. Students engaged in the Read Like Us protocol with 50 texts over 50 instructional sessions with texts that averaged fifth grade complexity. Students in an active control group participated (n = 194) in the partnering school district's typical intervention curriculum for students below benchmark in fluency. Propensity score matching, multilevel modeling, and effect sizes were used to determine the performance of the Read Like Us cohort relative to the active control condition. Outcomes revealed the Read Like Us condition experienced greater gains in words read per minute and passage reading accuracy than the active control. However, null results were found on standardized vocabulary and comprehension measures. These results suggest that a wide range of texts of varying complexity can be used to promote oral reading fluency.
Descriptors: Difficulty Level, Reading Fluency, Reading Instruction, Grade 3, Grade 4, Elementary School Students, Low Achievement, Intervention, Reading Achievement, Instructional Effectiveness, Reading Rate, Accuracy, Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Oral Reading, Instructional Program Divisions, Individual Differences, Gender Differences, English Language Learners
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Grade 3; Primary Education; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A