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1 of 151
"Exploring the relative effectiveness of reading interventions for high school students"
| Author(s): | Lang, L., Torgesen, J., Vogel, W., Chanter, C., Lefsky, E., & Petscher, Y. |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Abstract: | This study compared the effect of four reading programs on the reading achievement of 1,265 struggling ninth grade students over one year. Moderate and high-risk students in 89 classes in seven schools were randomly assigned to either Read 180, REACH System 2002, Reading Intervention through Strategy Enhancement or School Offered Accelerated Reading (SOAR), which was the basal reading program used in previous years. The REACH program consisted of the three Direct Instruction programs, Corrective Reading, Reasoning and Writing, and Spelling Through Morphographs. The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) was administered for pre- and posttest measures. Results from the FCAT indicate that for all four groups, high-risk students demonstrated gains above the benchmark for expected annual growth, on average. For high-risk students, those in the SOAR group demonstrated the largest gains. For moderate-risk students, those in the READ 180 group demonstrated the largest gains. |
| Description of the Study: | This study compared the effect of four reading programs on the reading achievement of 1,265 struggling ninth grade students over one year. Moderate and high-risk students in 89 classes in seven schools were randomly assigned to either Read 180, REACH System 2002, Reading Intervention through Strategy Enhancement or School Offered Accelerated Reading (SOAR), which was the basal reading program used in previous years. The REACH program consisted of the three Direct Instruction programs, Corrective Reading, Reasoning and Writing, and Spelling Through Morphographs. The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) was administered for pre- and posttest measures. |
| Article Type: | Efficacy study |
| Journal/Source: | Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 2(2), 149–175 |
| Other Tags: | Corrective Reading, Reasoning and Writing, Spelling Through Morphographs, Read 180, REACH System 2002, Reading Intervention through Strategy Enhancement, School Offered Accelerated Reading, Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test |
| Affiliation: | Seminole County Public Schools, Scholastic Education, Florida Department of Education, Florida State University |
| Design Type: | Pretest posttest control group design with random assignment |
| Fidelity Data Reported: | Yes |
| Location/Setting: | Florida, high school |
| Participants: | |
| Results: | Results from the FCAT indicate that for all four groups, high-risk students demonstrated gains above the benchmark for expected annual growth, on average. For high-risk students, those in the SOAR group demonstrated the largest gains. For moderate-risk students, those in the READ 180 group demonstrated the largest gains. |
| Students Included: | High school students, at-risk students, low-performing students, Caucasian students, African American students, Hispanic students |
2 of 151
"Effects of a three-tier strategic model of intensifying instruction using a research-based core reading program in grades k–3"
| Author(s): | Marchand-Martella, N. E., Martella, R. C., Kolts, R. L., Mitchell, D., & Mitchell, C. |
| Year: | 2006 |
| Abstract: | This study examined the effect of a three-tier strategic model of intensifying instruction with Reading Mastery Plus with students in kindergarten through grade three at a Title I school. Typically achieving students and students who received special education or Title I/Learning Assistance Program (LAP) services participated in this study. The Diagnostic Indicators of Basic Skills (DIBELS) was used as a pre- and posttest for grades K-2. Students in grade three were administered the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) for their pre- and posttest measures. Additionally, teacher satisfaction with the program and its implementation was measured with a 10 question survey following the completion of the study. Results indicated statistically significant improvements in reading achievement across all grades. When comparing the differences between pretest to posttest results, students who had received special education or Title I/Learning Assistance Program (LAP) services recorded achievement gains equivalent to their typically achieving peers. All students recorded pretest to posttest improvements of more than half of a standard deviation on all subtests. Additionally, results indicated that there were few differences in the achievement between students who received Title I/LAP and special education services. Results from the teacher questionnaire reported teacher satisfaction with every aspect of the program. |
| Description of the Study: | This study examined the effect of a three-tier strategic model of intensifying instruction with Reading Mastery Plus with students in kindergarten through grade three at a Title I school. Typically achieving students and students who received special education or Title I/Learning Assistance Program (LAP) services participated in this study. The Diagnostic Indicators of Basic Skills (DIBELS) was used as a pre- and posttest for grades K-2. Students in grade three were administered the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) for their pre- and posttest measures. Additionally, teacher satisfaction with the program and its implementation was measured with a 10 question survey following the completion of the study. |
| Article Type: | Efficacy study |
| Journal/Source: | Journal of Direct Instruction, 6(1), 49–72 |
| Other Tags: | Reading Mastery Plus, Diagnostic Indicators of Basic Skills (DIBELS), Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI), teacher satisfaction, Title I, Learning Assistance Program (LAP), Corrective Reading, Spelling Mastery, nonsense word fluency, oral reading fluency |
| Affiliation: | Eastern Washington University |
| Design Type: | Pretest-Posttest Norm Comparison Design |
| Fidelity Data Reported: | Yes |
| Location/Setting: | Title I elementary school, Pacific Northwest, suburb, Washington State |
| Participants: | Elementary students, kindergarten students, at-risk students, special education students, students with learning disabilities, general education students |
| Results: | Results indicated statistically significant improvements in reading achievement across all grades. When comparing the differences between pretest to posttest results, students who had received special education or Title I/Learning Assistance Program (LAP) services recorded achievement gains equivalent to their typically achieving peers. All students recorded pretest to posttest improvements of more than half of a standard deviation on all subtests. Additionally, results indicated that there were few differences in the achievement between students who received Title I/LAP and special education services. Results from the teacher questionnaire reported teacher satisfaction with every aspect of the program. |
| Students Included: | Elementary students, kindergarten students, at-risk students, special education students, students with learning disabilities, general education students |
3 of 151
"A Systematic Review of Direct Instruction for Individuals with Acquired Brain Injuries and Chronic Brain Disorders"
| Author(s): | Barall, R. J.; Shillingsburg, M. A.; Lin, G.; Trapp, W. |
| Year: | 2026 |
| Abstract: | This systematic review synthesizes results of studies that used Direct Instruction curriculum for individuals with acquired brain injuries (e.g., traumatic and nontraumatic brain injuries) and chronic brain disorders (e.g., epilepsy, cerebral palsy). Participants ranged from age 6 to 24 years in age. The authors identified five peer-reviewed studies, published between 1980 and 2009, that evaluated DI across various academic domains. Results indicated that DI interventions consistently yielded measurable improvements in academic performance, with the strongest gains reported in reading, spelling, and mathematics. |
| Description of the Study: | |
| Article Type: | Program Effectiveness |
| Journal/Source: | Education and Treatment of Children |
| Other Tags: | Corrective Reading, Corrective Mathematics, DISTAR Language, Reading Mastery, Horizons, Connecting Math Concepts, Language for Learning, Spelling Mastery, Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), Test of Written Spelling, Peabody Individual Achievement Test |
| Affiliation: | |
| Design Type: | Systematic Review Fidelity Date Reported: Yes |
| Fidelity Data Reported: | |
| Location/Setting: | hospital, elementary school, university |
| Participants: | |
| Results: | |
| Students Included: | students with disabilities, students with brain injuries, elementary students, secondary students |
4 of 151
"The Influence of Fidelity of Implementation on the Reading Outcomes of Middle School Students Experiencing Reading Difficulties"
| Author(s): | Benner, G. J.; Nelson, J. R.; Stage, S. A.; Ralston, N. C. |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Abstract: | This article examined whether the fidelity of implementation of Corrective Reading Decoding influenced outcomes for middle school students with reading difficulties. Students receiving Corrective Reading demonstrated significant improvements in basic reading skills and passage comprehension, with implementation fidelity accounting for 22% and 18% of the variance in gains, respectively. Two teacher behaviors were especially important, and predicted gains in both basic reading skills and passage comprehension: following the lesson format as designed and reteaching lessons when needed. Findings from this study highlight the importance of delivering DI programs as designed, with stronger adherence to program procedures associated with greater student reading growth. |
| Description of the Study: | |
| Article Type: | Implementation Support |
| Journal/Source: | Remedial and Special Education |
| Other Tags: | Corrective Reading Decoding, secondary reading, Woodcock Johnson Achievement Test |
| Affiliation: | |
| Design Type: | One Group Pretest-Posttest Fidelity Date Reported: Yes |
| Fidelity Data Reported: | |
| Location/Setting: | Pacific Northwest, Washington, middle school |
| Participants: | |
| Results: | |
| Students Included: | students with reading difficulties, remedial students, middle school students, fifth grade students, sixth grade students, seventh grade students, eighth grade students, special education students, Hispanic students, African American students, Alaskan/Native American students, at-risk students |
5 of 151
"Meaningful reading gains by adult literacy learners"
| Author(s): | Scarborough, H. S., Sabatini, J. P., Shore, J., Cutting, L. E., Pugh, K., & Katz, L. |
| Year: | 2013 |
| Abstract: | This study examined the effectiveness of three reading programs on the basic reading skills of 148 adult literacy learners. All students had word recognition skills between the second and seventh grade levels. Students were randomly assigned to Corrective Reading, RAVE-O, or Guided Repeated Reading (GRR) and received an average of 44 hours of instruction. A battery of tests were administered for pre- and posttest measures. Results indicated minimal differences between the gains of the three groups. Students in all three groups made significant gains with about half of the students demonstrating meaningful gains. Thirty-two percent of students demonstrated a gain of six months or more on one subtest. However, many students in each group demonstrated relatively no gains. |
| Description of the Study: | This study examined the effectiveness of three reading programs on the basic reading skills of 148 adult literacy learners. All students had word recognition skills between the second and seventh grade levels. Students were randomly assigned to Corrective Reading, RAVE-O, or Guided Repeated Reading (GRR) and received an average of 44 hours of instruction. A battery of tests were administered for pre- and posttest measures. |
| Article Type: | Efficacy study |
| Journal/Source: | Reading and Writing, 26, 593-613 |
| Other Tags: | Basic reading skills, Corrective Reading, RAVE-O, Guided Repeated Reading (GRR), decoding, fluency, word recognition, comprehension, Wide Range Achievement Test, Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement, word attack |
| Affiliation: | Educational Testing Service & Vanderbilt University |
| Design Type: | Pretest posttest control group design with random assignment |
| Fidelity Data Reported: | No |
| Location/Setting: | Adult education center, urban area |
| Participants: | |
| Results: | Results indicated minimal differences between the gains of the three groups. Students in all three groups made significant gains with about half of the students demonstrating meaningful gains. Thirty-two percent of students demonstrated a gain of six months or more on one subtest. However, many students in each group demonstrated relatively no gains. |
| Students Included: | Adults, adult literacy learners, African American students, Hispanic students, Caucasian students, special education students |
6 of 151
"Direct Instruction In An Urban School System"
| Author(s): | Di Obilda, Nicholas, Brent, George |
| Year: | 1986 |
| Abstract: | This study examined the effect of implementing the Direct Instruction program, Reading Mastery, in an urban school system. In each school, two teachers were randomly assigned to teach either Reading Mastery or the previously used basal reading program. Each class consisted of 25 second grade students who were randomly assigned to the classrooms. At the conclusion of grade 2, the students were administered the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, Form S, Level C. Results indicated that the only significant difference between the two groups was on the vocabulary subtest scores with students in the Reading Mastery group scoring significantly higher than students in the control group. On average, the Reading Mastery group scored at or above the national average on each measurement of the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills while the control group scored below the national average. Additionally, the authors concluded that Reading Mastery was clearly superior in developing vocabulary skills. |
| Description of the Study: | This study examined the effect of implementing the Direct Instruction program, Reading Mastery, in an urban school system. In each school, two teachers were randomly assigned to teach either Reading Mastery or the previously used basal reading program. Each class consisted of 25 second grade students who were randomly assigned to the classrooms. At the conclusion of grade 2, the students were administered the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, Form S, Level C. |
| Article Type: | Efficacy study |
| Journal/Source: | The Reading Instruction Journal, 29, pp. 2-5 |
| Other Tags: | Direct Instruction, Reading Mastery, DISTAR Language, Mathematics Modules, Corrective Mathematics, Corrective Reading, Expressive Writing, Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, Form S, Level C, Vocabulary, Sentence Comprehension, Passage Comprehension, Total Reading |
| Affiliation: | Glassboro State College |
| Design Type: | Posttest only control group design with random assignment |
| Fidelity Data Reported: | Yes |
| Location/Setting: | Urban school, southern New Jersey |
| Participants: | |
| Results: | Results indicated that the only significant difference between the two groups was on the vocabulary subtest scores with students in the Reading Mastery group scoring significantly higher than students in the control group. On average, the Reading Mastery group scored at or above the national average on each measurement of the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills while the control group scored below the national average. Additionally, the authors concluded that Reading Mastery was clearly superior in developing vocabulary skills. |
| Students Included: | African American students, Hispanic students, second grade students, elementary school students |
7 of 151
"Direct instruction of decoding skills: Effects on fluency rate of two learning disabled students"
| Author(s): | Ruchti, K. R. |
| Year: | 2005 |
| Abstract: | This study examined the effect of the Corrective Reading program on the decoding skills and reading rate of two secondary students with learning disabilities. Student ages were 13 and 15, but both read at a third grade level. Curriculum based lesson checkouts were administered for pre- and posttest measures. Student interviews were conducted before and after the intervention to determine students’ opinions on reading. Results indicated that both students increased their fluency rate over the six-week intervention period. Student A increased the number of words read per minute from 85 to 112 while student B recorded an increase from 51 to 140. Student interviews indicated that both students had a more positive relationship towards reading following the intervention and were reading more inside and outside of school. |
| Description of the Study: | This study examined the effect of the Corrective Reading program on the decoding skills and reading rate of two secondary students with learning disabilities. Student ages were 13 and 15, but both read at a third grade level. Curriculum based lesson checkouts were administered for pre- and posttest measures. Student interviews were conducted before and after the intervention to determine students’ opinions on reading. |
| Article Type: | Efficacy study |
| Journal/Source: | Master's thesis, Southwest Minnesota State University. Masters Abstracts International, 44(04), 44-1590 |
| Other Tags: | Corrective Reading, decoding, fluency, reading rate, student questionnaire |
| Affiliation: | Southwest Minnesota State University |
| Design Type: | Pretest posttest gain scores |
| Fidelity Data Reported: | No |
| Location/Setting: | Alaska, rural area, elementary school |
| Participants: | |
| Results: | Results indicated that both students increased their fluency rate over the six-week intervention period. Student A increased the number of words read per minute from 85 to 112 while student B recorded an increase from 51 to 140. Student interviews indicated that both students had a more positive relationship towards reading following the intervention and were reading more inside and outside of school. |
| Students Included: | Elementary students, students with learning disabilities, special education, Native Alaskan students, low-SES students |
8 of 151
"A study to determine the effectiveness of Corrective Reading programs on nineteen students identified as mildly handicapped"
| Author(s): | Figueredo, A. |
| Year: | 1989 |
| Abstract: | This study examines the effect of Corrective Reading (CR) on the reading achievement of 19 fourth and fifth grade students with learning disabilities over nine months of instruction. The Woodcock Johnson Psychoeducational Battery (WJSB) was administered for pre- and posttest measures. Results from the letter-word identification, word attack, and passage comprehension subtests were analyzed. Results indicate statistically significant mean gains on all three subtests of the WJSB. The average gain in word attack skills from pretest to posttest was 3.3 years. Students gained almost 4 months of word attack skills for every month of instruction. Students also gained 1.6 months of passage comprehension skills for every month of instruction. On the letter-word identification subtest, the mean gain was 1.4 years over eight months. |
| Description of the Study: | This study examines the effect of Corrective Reading (CR) on the reading achievement of 19 fourth and fifth grade students with learning disabilities over nine months of instruction. The Woodcock Johnson Psychoeducational Battery (WJSB) was administered for pre- and posttest measures. Results from the letter-word identification, word attack, and passage comprehension subtests were analyzed. |
| Article Type: | Efficacy study |
| Journal/Source: | Unpublished master's thesis. Boise State University, ID |
| Other Tags: | Corrective Reading, decoding, reading comprehension, letter word identification, word attack, passage comprehension |
| Affiliation: | Boise State University |
| Design Type: | Pretest posttest gain scores |
| Fidelity Data Reported: | No |
| Location/Setting: | Elementary school |
| Participants: | |
| Results: | Results indicate statistically significant mean gains on all three subtests of the WJSB. The average gain in word attack skills from pretest to posttest was 3.3 years. Students gained almost 4 months of word attack skills for every month of instruction. Students also gained 1.6 months of passage comprehension skills for every month of instruction. On the letter-word identification subtest, the mean gain was 1.4 years over eight months. |
| Students Included: | Elementary students, students with learning disabilities, remedial students, low-performing students, students with mild handicaps |
9 of 151
"Exceptional education and regular education students excel with Direct Instruction"
| Author(s): | SRA/McGraw-Hill |
| Year: | 2006 |
| Abstract: | This study examined the effect of Direct Instruction (DI) reading programs on the reading achievement of students with disabilities. In response to the growing achievement gap between students with disabilities and general education students, Reading Mastery and Corrective Reading were implemented in grades K-12 at all Iredell Statesville Schools in 2003. Due to the success of the program, DI was administered to at-risk students the following school year. Following the implementation of DI, the percentage of special education students attaining yearly adequate progress increased from 53 percent in the 2003-2004 school year to 66 percent in the 2005-2006 school year. Additionally, more special education students transitioned into general education classrooms after receiving instruction with DI than before its implementation. During the first year of implementation, the school district ranked 56 out of 116 school districts in the state for reading progress. Two years later they were number 19, and one year later they rose to number 16. |
| Description of the Study: | This study examined the effect of Direct Instruction (DI) reading programs on the reading achievement of students with disabilities. In response to the growing achievement gap between students with disabilities and general education students, Reading Mastery and Corrective Reading were implemented in grades K-12 at all Iredell Statesville Schools in 2003. Due to the success of the program, DI was administered to at-risk students the following school year. |
| Article Type: | Efficacy study |
| Journal/Source: | SRA/McGraw-Hill |
| Other Tags: | Reading Mastery, Corrective Reading, implementation |
| Affiliation: | SRA/McGraw-Hill |
| Design Type: | Cohort Control Group Historical Comparison Design |
| Fidelity Data Reported: | No |
| Location/Setting: | Statesville, North Carolina, elementary school, middle school, high school |
| Participants: | Elementary students, secondary students, students with disabilities, students with learning disabilities, African American students, Caucasian students, Hispanic students, low-SES students, at-risk students, special education students, general education students |
| Results: | Following the implementation of DI, the percentage of special education students attaining yearly adequate progress increased from 53 percent in the 2003-2004 school year to 66 percent in the 2005-2006 school year. Additionally, more special education students transitioned into general education classrooms after receiving instruction with DI than before its implementation. During the first year of implementation, the school district ranked 56 out of 116 school districts in the state for reading progress. Two years later they were number 19, and one year later they rose to number 16. |
| Students Included: | Elementary students, secondary students, students with disabilities, students with learning disabilities, African American students, Caucasian students, Hispanic students, low-SES students, at-risk students, special education students |
10 of 151
"Accelerating Reading and Thinking Skills of Low-achieving Elementary Students: Implications for Curricular Change"
| Author(s): | Vitale, Michael R., Medland, Michael B., Romance, Nancy & Helen Parke Weaver |
| Year: | 1993 |
| Abstract: | This article examines a study of low-achieving Chapter 1students in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade who were enrolled in a direct instruction remedial reading program, Corrective Reading, which emphasizes higher-order thinking skills along with decoding strategies. Following an 85 day trial period the students showed significant achievement acceleration when compared to the Chapter 1 comparison students. The students demonstrated growth in reading and vocabulary skills on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). Students also showed decreased errors on the program criterion-referenced decoding and thinking performance tests. Additionally the student’s post-test performance on the thinking skills test surpassed the Chapter 1 control group and the average students. By the end of the program the students’ thinking skills had reached the same level of the gifted students according to the ITBS. |
| Description of the Study: | |
| Article Type: | Efficacy study |
| Journal/Source: | Effective School Practices, Winter, 1993, pp. 26-31 |
| Other Tags: | Direct instruction, Corrective Reading, decoding, higher-order thinking skills, remedial students, Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) Chapter 1 students |
| Affiliation: | |
| Design Type: | Pretest Posttest Control Group Design |
| Fidelity Data Reported: | Yes |
| Location/Setting: | K-6 elementary school in a large urban school district in the Southwest |
| Participants: | |
| Results: | |
| Students Included: | Students in grades 4, students in grade 5, students in grade 6, African-American students, Caucasian student, Chapter 1 students, and remedial students |