Learning together, but differently: understanding the impact and implications of a whole group reading intervention

Abstract

Leaders and teachers working in schools and school districts make numerous decisions about what instructional materials or strategies to use. Often these decisions are made without collecting or examining evidence regarding the appropriateness or effectiveness of the instructional decisions. This project focuses on the REWARDS (Reading Excellence: Word Attack & Rate Development Strategies) Intermediate multisyllabic word reading strategies curriculum (2005) and investigates the effects of its application when taught whole class to a heterogeneous group of fourth grade students with a range of reading levels. I will be studying changes in multisyllabic word decoding accuracy and oral reading rates in all fourth grade classrooms in the district.The increased demand for school district systems to make instructional decisions using scientifically-based practices, on-going assessment of progress and Response to Intervention (RTI) has heightened school districts' interest in assessing the growth of individual students and the rate of improvement of groups of students. Monitoring the progress of groups of students helps school teams determine not only if the intervention is effective overall, but also if the intervention is accelerating the learning rate of under performing subgroups and closing the achievement gap. The study attempts to provide a practical means for assessing student and group performance using the resources commonly available in schools and districts.The results of this study indicate that the REWARDS Intermediate reading program is effective when implemented in large group, heterogeneous fourth grade classrooms. Low performing students made substantial gains in accuracy, while high performing students dramatically increased their reading rate. Middle range students made large gains in both areas.