Students entering high school face many new academic challenges. One of the most important is their ability to read and understand more complex text in literature, mathematics, science, and social studies courses as they navigate through a rigorous high school curriculum. The Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northwest conducted a study to…

A study determined the effectiveness of the "Direct Instruction" program on the reading achievement of sixth-grade students. "Direct Instruction," known as "Distar" in the 1960s, is a phonic-based method that uses scripted lesson plans engaging students to learn by memory and classroom responses. Subjects were 30…

Investigates effects of the Success for All (SFA) program on elementary school students' reading achievement in 4 cities. Finds greater achievement for students in SFA classes at 3 sites, especially for students achieving below the 25th percentile, relative to students in control classrooms, but effects were not as strong and consistent as in the…

A study examined the effect of Direct Instruction (DI) on the reading achievement of sixth graders. Subjects were 72 Chicago Public School students, nearly 100% minority. In the school year of 1994-95 no students received DI. A sample of 30 students who performed poorly, with stanines of 1, 2, and 3 on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) were…

A study examined the effectiveness of the Reading Recovery program in the Irving, Texas, Independent School District. Subjects were students discontinued from the Reading Recovery program because they scored at or above the 40th national percentile, selected students from Chapter/Title I programs on campuses that did not implement Reading…

This study compares average SAT 9 reading scores of second through fifth grade English-only children in schools using "Open Court" (a program for teaching young children to read) with the scores of comparable schools using non-scripted programs in one very large urban school district in California. Findings show that schools using…

Evaluates the effectiveness of Reading Recovery (RR) in 10 schools in New South Wales. Finds that the RR group was superior to control students after 15 weeks, but that no differences were found after 30 weeks. Finds that 12 months after discontinuation, 35% of the students directly benefitted from the program, 35% had not been…

Examines the effectiveness of Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) for first-grade readers as a tool for enhancing reading achievement of different learner types, particularly low achievers. States that 10 teachers incorporated PALS into their reading program. Indicates all learner types were positively affected by participation in PALS, with…

A study evaluated the effect software for self-assessment and management of reading practice had on reading achievement and motivation in two primary schools in Aberdeen, Scotland. The program utilized was The Accelerated Reader (AR) which was designed to enable curriculum based assessment of reading comprehension within the classroom. Students…

A quasi-experimental study compared achievement effects of various configurations of the Success for All (SFA), schoolwide reform model for elementary schools serving many at-risk students, from full implementation (certified tutoring, full-time school-level facilitator, and the family support team) to implementations lacking some elements felt to…

A study examined the effect of the Reading Recovery program on the reading achievement of first-grade students. Subjects, 60 third-grade students in a Chicago public school with 97% Hispanic and 3% White student population, completed the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. Test scores for the 30 students who were tutored using Reading Recovery lessons in…

The Compensatory Language Experiences and Reading-Reading Recovery Program (CLEAR-RR) provided early intervention to 224 underachieving first grade pupils in Columbus, Ohio schools. The program's two major goals were to develop and provide CLEAR-RR for the first grade pupils and to adapt and apply the inservice program for teachers. Specially…

Research in school districts throughout the United States shows that children who use "Breakthrough to Literacy" achieve significant and lasting improvement in their reading skills. At virtually every site studied where implementation criteria were met, children who participated in "Breakthrough" demonstrated marked increases…

A quasi-experimental action research evaluated a program for computerized self-assessment of reading comprehension (The Accelerated Reader) in two schools in severely socio-economically disadvantaged areas. Finds the program, even when less than fully implemented, yielded gains in reading achievement superior to gains from regular classroom…

The objective of this study was to determine if the Accelerated Reader Program significantly improved reading skills of middle-school students. This computerized enrichment program combines over 750 classics with computers. Subjects for the study were college-prep freshmen from two junior high schools within the Gaston County (North Carolina)…