Despite an abundance of research centered on reading and applied behavior analysis, minimal literature exists on the use of applied behavior analysis methodologies to treat reading disabilities. This dissertation-in-practice action research study examined the extent to which a behavior-analytic intervention infused with the science of reading…

District leaders in a large urban school district in central Florida wanted to examine the efficacy of a new curriculum designed to enhance the word knowledge of grade 5 students so as to improve reading achievement. The new curriculum, called Word Knowledge Instruction (WKI), consists of 15-minute lessons 4 days a week for 20 weeks. The lessons…

This randomized controlled trial in 55 low-performing schools across Florida compared 2 early literacy interventions--1 using stand-alone materials and 1 using materials embedded in the existing core reading/language arts program. A total of 3,447 students who were below the 30th percentile in vocabulary and reading-related skills participated in…

Understanding written language is crucial to academic success in all content areas. Ensuring a strong foundation in the components of written language--that is, the literacy skills of reading, writing, and oral language--is essential if students are to read with understanding and, thus, is a primary goal of early literacy instruction and of the…

This randomized controlled trial in 55 low-performing schools across Florida implemented two literacy interventions--one using a standalone intervention and one using materials embedded in the core reading program. The interventions were delivered daily for 45 minutes for 27 weeks in 2013/14 and 2014/15 in small groups of K-2 students at risk of…

This randomized controlled trial in 55 low-performing schools across Florida compared 2 early literacy interventions--1 using stand-alone materials and 1 using materials embedded in the existing core reading/language arts program. A total of 3,447 students who were below the 30th percentile in vocabulary and reading-related skills participated in…

Many students lose knowledge and skills over the long summer break, and research suggests that low-income students fall further behind over the summer than their higher-income peers. Voluntary summer learning programs may provide an opportunity to stem summer learning loss and give struggling students additional learning opportunities. The Wallace…

Prior research has determined that low-income students lose more ground over the summer than their higher-income peers. Prior research has also shown that some summer learning programs can stem this loss, but we do not know whether large, district-run, voluntary programs can improve students' outcomes. To fill this gap, The Wallace Foundation…

Prior research has determined that low-income students lose more ground over the summer than their higher-income peers. Prior research has also shown that some summer learning programs can stem this loss, but we do not know whether large, district-run, voluntary programs can improve students' outcomes. To fill this gap, The Wallace Foundation…

This was a quantitative study utilized to determine the effect of the Physio-Cat Program on improving reading-comprehension scores in reading for students in kindergarten through Grade 5 at an elementary school in Dade County Florida. The Physio-Cat Program, designed by this researcher, was developed to provide an innovative approach to improve…

Reading fluency has been identified as a key component in effective literacy instruction (National Reading Panel, 2000). Instruction in reading fluency has been shown to lead to improvements in reading achievement. Reading fluency instruction is most commonly associated with guided repeated oral reading instruction. In the present retrospective…

The purpose of this study was to assess the reading growth of pupils in the Pinellas County (Florida) Reading System (PCRS) as compared with pupils in other types of reading programs. Data on 757 children in the target schools and 768 children in the comparison schools was analyzed. The conclusions reached in this evaluation were: that this study…

This bulletin describes Mobile Reading Centers which serve students with reading disabilities in grades 3 through 6 in Dade County, Florida schools. The centers consist of 5 buses which were formerly staffed by 3 remedial reading specialists (1965-1968) but, due to cutback in funds, are presently staffed with one specialist (1968-1969). The mobile…

The improvement of reading comprehension skills in a target group of at-risk students in the second grade of a North Florida school was achieved through the implementation strategies of parental involvement and collaborative learning. At-home parent-child literacy interactions increased and parents became active role models in a Parent as Readers…