Abstract

“This study examined silent reading rates (SRRs) in relation to students’ estimated academic vocabulary grade levels (EVGLs) and comprehension accuracy (Comprehension Items Correct; compIC). Analyses were based on data from 288,934 students in grades 2-12 who completed an adaptive silent reading assessment that yielded measures of the three variables of interest. Silent reading rate was measured while students read five 150- to 300-word passages. Each student’s initial passage difficulty was aligned with their EVGL. Each passage was followed by five comprehension questions, such that in total, students could answer up to 25 comprehension items correctly. Two-level Multilevel Models (MLMs) were fitted to evaluate SRR in relation to EVGL, compIC, and their interactions. The final MLM included the random intercept and three random slopes for the two level-1 predictors (school-mean-centered EVGL as the focal predictor and school-mean-centered compIC as the moderator) and their interactions. Results indicated that: (a) the fixed effect of higher EVGL on SRR was positive and significant, (b) the fixed effect of higher compIC on SRR was negative and significant, and (c) there was a significant interaction indicating that the relationship between school-mean-centered EVGL and SRR grew stronger as school-mean-centered compIC increased. These results suggest that vocabulary knowledge and SRR increase in concert among students with good comprehension, whereas SRRs measured in the absence of good comprehension are less meaningful and may indicate inadequate skills or insufficient motivation to fully comprehend what is being read.”

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This report describes the progress achieved by Reading Plus students in grades 2 through 12 who received free or reduced-price meals at school through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) during the 2018-2019 school year. These are students from households with incomes at or below 18.5 percent of the poverty line. Data are reported for all students in this category who completed the InSight silent reading assessment on at least two occasions, once near the start of the school year and again during the spring, so that growth over the school year was measured.

Study Design:

These results show that students receiving free or reduced-price meals at school who engaged in Reading Plus instruction over the course of the 2018-2019 school year significantly increased their capacity to comprehend more complex texts, developed their capacity to understand higher levels of general academic vocabulary, and improved their reading efficiency. Students who completed more Reading Plus practice achieved larger gains than their peers who engaged in little or no Reading Plus instruction. These results replicate previous studies documenting the effectiveness of using Reading Plus with lower-income students. These results also show that students who engaged in more Reading Plus instruction generally increased their reading confidence and their interest in reading.

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Research has shown that students’ perceptions about themselves as readers can affect not only overall levels of reading effectiveness, but also the extent to which they engage in reading and use reading as a strategic learning tool. Relatedly, students with high intrinsic motivation are likely to read three times as many minutes per day as compared to those with low intrinsic motivation. The resulting differences in reading experience can amount to millions of words over the course of a single year and contribute to an ever-expanding gap in reading proficiency and academic success.

This study examined relationships between reading motivation and proficiency, and growth in these measures, in a large national sample of students who engaged in Reading Plus during the 2015-16 school year.

Study Design:

This study was based on a national sample of 142,223 elementary, middle, and high school students who completed two InSight assessments during the 2015-16 school year, 92% of whom also completed reading practice lessons in Reading Plus. The InSight assessment was used to measure motivation, with a focus on reading interest and confidence, as well as each student’s reading comprehension level, vocabulary level, and silent reading rate. The latter measures were also combined to yield an overall proficiency score (see InSight Technical Brief for more information)

For the analyses, students were divided into four groups in various ways; i.e., comprising those with increasing levels of reading interest, reading confidence, or those who achieved progressively larger gains in reading proficiency.

Key Results:

All analyses pointed to the same conclusion: Reading proficiency and reading motivation develop together.

Across all grade groups, students who reported higher levels of interest and confidence also demonstrated significantly higher levels of reading comprehension and reading efficiency. Further, increases in interest and confidence over the school year were significantly larger in students who increased their reading proficiency to a greater extent.

Students in all grade groups who engaged in at least 100 practice lessons in Reading Plus achieved significantly larger reading proficiency gains than students who did not complete lessons. Further, the amount of proficiency growth achieved by those who completed lessons was similar regardless of their initial levels of interest or confidence in reading. In other words, Reading Plus can help students become more proficient readers even if their reading motivation is low.

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The present study measured the comprehension-based silent reading efficiency of U.S. students in grades 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. Students read standardized grade-level passages while an eye movement recording system was used to measure reading rate, fixations (eye stops) per word, fixation durations, and regressions (right-to-left eye movements) per word. Eye movement recordings were regarded as valid only if students demonstrated a comprehension level of at least 70% after reading a passage and answering a series of true/false questions. Reading rates increased over grades, with two exceptions: (a) between grades 6 and 8, growth in reading rate appeared to plateau; and (b) between grades 10 and 12, reading rate increases were seen only among students in the upper two quartiles. Changes in the other three efficiency measures reflected similar patterns of reading efficiency development over grades. The reading efficiency of students in this study was also compared with that of a sample of students from 1960, using norms reported by Taylor (1965) and validated by Carver (1989). Comprehension-based silent reading rates in grade 2 were comparable across the 50-year span, but the cross-grade growth trajectory was much shallower in the present study than it was in 1960. These results suggest that present-day students may not achieve the same level of word-reading automaticity as did their 1960 counterparts.

“The present research adds to an ample body of evidence suggesting that the reading proficiency of students in the U.S. is declining. The majority of our high school graduates lack adequate reading proficiency and have little experience with the sorts of challenging text they will face in postsecondary educational settings.”

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One fundamental goal of reading instruction is to develop the reading fluency, comprehension, and stamina required to use reading as a tool for learning. This goal is the same for all students, regardless of background or initial level of English proficiency. English language learners (ELLs) often require more reading practice than students learning to read in their first language. This article reviews research measuring the impact of structured silent reading instruction on the performance of ELLs on a state reading assessment. The results showed that ELL students who used Reading Plus with fidelity achieved gains 1.5 to 2 times as large as those achieved by students who did not use the program.

“These observations provide compelling evidence that structured silent reading practice is a highly effective educational support for developing reading proficiency in ELL students.”

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Reading Plus was widely used in Florida’s Miami-Dade County School District during the 2013-2014 school year. Among those using the program were many students designated as English Language Learners (ELLs) and receiving English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) services. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Reading Plus reading practice on the scores ELL students achieved on the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test 2.0 (FCAT). At the time, this was the standardized state test administered to all Florida public school students in grades three through ten.

Study Design:

Included in the study were ELL students for whom valid 2013 and 2014 FCAT scores were available (n = 46,171). Among these were 12,845 students who were on English Proficiency Levels 1-4 and receiving ESOL services. The remaining 33,326 ELL students had received ESOL services previously but no longer did so because they had attained English proficiency.

Changes in FCAT scores and levels over the course of one year were examined in relation to English Proficiency Levels and the amount of reading practice students engaged in. The latter was quantified in terms of the number of reading practice lessons completed.

Key Results:

At the elementary, middle, and high school levels, ELL students who engaged in more Reading Plus practice (e.g., 100 or more ~15-minute lessons) achieved significantly larger scale score gains on the reading portion of the FCAT and were significantly more likely to advance to a higher level on the FCAT; e.g., from below satisfactory to satisfactory or above. The largest FCAT score and level gains were seen among ELL students with lower initial levels of English proficiency.

Within the Reading Plus program, ELL students who engaged in more reading practice also achieved significantly larger reading rate gains and were more likely to advance to higher levels of text complexity while continuing to demonstrate good comprehension.

These results indicate that the Reading Plus program is an effective tool for developing reading proficiency in ELL students.

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This study evaluated changes in the reading proficiency of students who were eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunch under the National School Lunch Program, often used as a proxy for socioeconomic status, in relation to the amount of Reading Plus reading practice the students engaged in during the course of the 2013-14 school year. These results were also compared with the performance of students not eligible for subsidized lunch.

Scores and levels on the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test 2.0 (FCAT) were used as the measure of reading achievement. At the time, the FCAT was the standardized state test administered to all Florida public school students in grades three through ten.

Study Design:

Included in the study were students in grades 4-10 with valid 2013 and 2014 FCAT data (n = 104,475). Of these, 77% were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch and 63% completed reading practice lessons.

Changes in scores and levels between the spring 2013 and spring 2014 administrations of the FCAT were examined in relation to lunch status and the amount of reading practice students engaged in. The latter was quantified in terms of the number of reading practice lessons completed.

Key Results:

In all grade bands, a significant positive relationship was found between increasing amounts of Reading Plus practice and larger scale score gains on the FCAT. This was true for all student groups regardless of their subsidized lunch status.

As well, students who completed at least 100 Reading Plus lessons (~30 hours) were significantly more likely to advance from below satisfactory to satisfactory or higher levels on the reading portion of the FCAT. This also was true regardless of a student’s subsidized lunch status.

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This study focused on Special Education students identified by their schools as having specific learning disabilities (LD). Changes in the reading proficiency of these students were measured in relation to the amount of Reading Plus reading practice the students engaged in during the course of the 2013-14 school year. These outcomes were also compared with those of general education students.

Scores and levels on the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test 2.0 (FCAT) were used as the measure of reading achievement. At the time of the study, the FCAT was the standardized state test administered to all Florida public school students in grades three through ten.

Study Design:

Included in the study were students in grades 4-10 with valid 2013 and 2014 FCAT data (n = 111,881). Of these, 7,406 (6.6%) were classified as having specific learning disability.

Changes in scores and levels between the spring 2013 and spring 2014 administrations of the FCAT were examined in relation to LD status and the amount of reading practice students engaged in. The latter was quantified in terms of the number of reading practice lessons completed.

Key Results:

In all grade bands, a significant positive relationship was found between increasing amounts of Reading Plus practice and larger scale score gains on the FCAT (p < .001). This was true for all student groups regardless of their LD status.

As well, students who completed at least 100 Reading Plus lessons (~30 hours) were significantly more likely to advance from below satisfactory to satisfactory (FCAT level 3) or higher on the reading portion of the FCAT. This also was true regardless of a student’s LD status.

The post Raising the Reading Achievement of Students with Learning Disabilities appeared first on Reading Plus.

Students with low comprehension, slow silent reading rates, and/or an impoverished vocabulary may not be ready for efficiency building in Reading Plus. Nevertheless, the program includes a wealth of texts that offer these challenged readers the critical practice they need to improve their comprehension, vocabulary, and stamina.

This study looks at how these low-performing students, deemed “Borderline” or “Not Ready,” progressed in Reading Plus during the first two months of the 2013-14 school year. We were especially interested in how the Borderline and Not Ready groups of students advanced when they were exposed to substantial amounts of text on a consistent basis, and how this progress compared to students who were deemed “Ready.”

Study Design:

We tracked the progress of more than 30,000 students in grades 2 through 12 who completed InSight, the Reading Plus reading assessment, and completed 40 or more reading practice lessons (about 10 hours) during the first two months of the school year. Of special interest was growth in comprehension level and efficiency in the Not Ready (n = 1,621), Borderline (n = 6,987), and Ready (n = 21,702) students.

Key Results:

All students increased their comprehension levels, with the largest increases measured in Not Ready and Borderline students (average comprehension gains of 17.8% and 9.6% respectively). All students also increased their reading efficiency, with the largest increases measured in the Borderline and Ready students (average silent reading rate gains of 30 and 44 words per minute respectively).

These encouraging results indicate that even low-performing readers can benefit from Reading Plus practice. Students in all three groups increased capacity to read more complex text efficiently. Further, these gains were made in a short period of time (approximately 10 hours). All this suggests that closing the gap between where students are in their reading development and where they are expected to be (according to Common Core standards) is an achievable goal when they are provided with consistent and well-designed opportunities to read.

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Miami-Dade County Public Schools conducted an independent analysis of interventions used within their district. The analysis examined students in grades 3 through 10 who were at different levels of ability. The analysis was conducted to determine the effectiveness of programs in improving students’ reading and/or math FCAT scores.

The results showed that Reading Plus had a significant positive effect for students of all ability levels and at all grade levels. This report was also conducted for the 2010-2011 school year with nearly identical results, leading Miami-Dade Public Schools to state that Reading Plus was found to have a consistent beneficial impact on the achievement of the students who used the program.

“The application was found to have a consistent beneficial impact on the achievement of the students who used it.”

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This paper reviews research on the development of silent reading habits and examines instructional practices that can lead to good reading efficiency and strong comprehension. The authors argue that what can be accomplished in digital contexts, such as instantaneously adjusting scaffolds and text difficulty in response to student performance, allows for “precision in scaffolding that is difficult to achieve in a classroom setting or even a tutoring one.”

“The fact that the yearlong gains made by the primarily low achieving students in this silent reading intervention were substantially larger than the mean overall gains at the state and district levels is noteworthy.”

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