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.”

The post The Interaction of Silent Reading Rate, Academic Vocabulary, and Comprehension Among Students in Grades 2–12 appeared first on Reading Plus.

Across all tier groups, students who completed the recommended amount of Reading Plus instruction during the school year achieved significantly larger proficiency gains than students who did not engage in Reading Plus instruction.

These results show that students in all tier groups who engaged in the recommended amount of Reading Plus instruction over the course of the 2019-2020 school year significantly increased their capacity to comprehend increasingly complex texts, developed their capacity to understand higher levels of general academic vocabulary, and improved their reading efficiency. Students who completed more Reading Plus lessons achieved significantly larger gains than their peers who engaged in little or no Reading Plus practice. The results also showed that students who engaged in more Reading Plus instruction developed more reading confidence and increased their interest in reading. This in turn increases the likelihood that they will continue to use reading as a means to expand their knowledge, to be entertained, and to seek inspiration.

Study Design:

This report describes the progress achieved by Reading Plus students who were enrolled in grades 9 through 12 during the 2019-2020 school year. The focus is on students 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. Students were divided into three tier groups based on their performance on the initial assessment (see sidebar).

Students Excluded

Students for whom valid reading rates could not be calculated.

Analyses assumed 2.5 SeeReader lessons per hour.

Key Results:

Across all tier groups, high school students who engaged in the recommended amount of Reading Plus instruction during the school year increased their reading proficiency levels to a significantly greater extent than did students who completed fewer or no lessons. Research has shown that students who increase their reading proficiency using Reading Plus also report increased levels of reading interest and confidence, a finding that was replicated in this study.

The post High School National Results 2019-2020 School Year appeared first on Reading Plus.

Across all tier groups, students who completed the recommended amount of Reading Plus instruction during the school year achieved significantly larger proficiency gains than students who did not engage in Reading Plus instruction.

These results show that students in all tier groups who engaged in the recommended amount of Reading Plus instruction over the course of the 2019-2020 school year significantly increased their capacity to comprehend increasingly complex texts, developed their capacity to understand higher levels of general academic vocabulary, and improved their reading efficiency. Students who completed more Reading Plus lessons achieved significantly larger gains than their peers who engaged in little or no Reading Plus practice. The results also show that students who were below grade level and engaged in more Reading Plus instruction increased their reading confidence and interest in reading. This in turn increases the likelihood that they will continue to use reading as a means to expand their knowledge, to be entertained, and to seek inspiration.

Study Design:

This report describes the progress achieved by Reading Plus students who were enrolled in grades 6 through 8 during the 2019-2020 school year. The focus is on students 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. Students were divided into three tier groups based on their performance on the initial assessment (refer to “Tier Groups”).

Students Excluded

Students for whom valid reading rates could not be calculated.

Analyses assumed 2.5 SeeReader lessons per hour.

Key Results:

Across all tier groups, middle school students who engaged in the recommended amount of Reading Plus instruction during the school year increased their reading proficiency levels to a significantly greater extent than did students who completed fewer or no lessons. Research has shown that students who increase their reading proficiency using Reading Plus also report increased levels of reading interest and confidence, a finding that was replicated in this study.

The post Middle School National Results 2019-2020 School Year appeared first on Reading Plus.

Across all tier groups, students who completed the recommended amount of Reading Plus instruction during the school year achieved significantly larger proficiency gains than students who did not engage in Reading Plus instruction.

These results show that students in all tier groups who engaged in the recommended amount of Reading Plus instruction over the course of the 2019-2020 school year significantly increased their capacity to comprehend increasingly complex texts, developed their capacity to understand higher levels of general academic vocabulary, and improved their reading efficiency. Students who completed more Reading Plus lessons achieved significantly larger gains than their peers who engaged in little or no Reading Plus practice. The results also showed that students who engaged in more Reading Plus instruction developed more reading confidence and increased their interest in reading. This in turn increases the likelihood that they will continue to use reading as a means to expand their knowledge, to be entertained, and to seek inspiration.

Study Design:

This report describes the progress achieved by Reading Plus students who were enrolled in grades 2 through 5 during the 2019-2020 school year. The focus is on students 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. Students were divided into three tier groups based on their performance on the initial assessment.

Students Excluded

Students for whom valid reading rates could not be calculated.

Analyses assume 2.5 SeeReader lessons per hour

Key Results:

Across all tier groups, Reading Plus practice had a significantly positive effect on students’ self-reported reading interest. Differences in reading self-confidence (self-efficacy) were not significant, most likely because most elementary school students were near the top of the confidence scale to being with. Previous research has shown that reading motivation and reading success are closely linked.

The post Elementary School National Results 2019-2020 School Year appeared first on Reading Plus.

Reading Plus Students Achieved Significantly Larger Gains Across all tier groups, students who completed the recommended amount of Reading Plus instruction during the school year achieved significantly larger proficiency gains than students who did not engage in Reading Plus instruction.

These results show that students in all tier groups who engaged in the recommended amount of Reading Plus instruction over the course of the 2018-2019 school year significantly increased their capacity to comprehend increasingly complex texts, developed their capacity to understand higher levels of general academic vocabulary, and improved their reading efficiency. Students who completed more Reading Plus lessons achieved significantly larger gains than their peers who engaged in little or no Reading Plus practice. The results also showed that students who engaged in more Reading Plus instruction developed more reading confidence and increased their interest in reading. This in turn increases the likelihood that they will continue to use reading as a means to expand their knowledge, to be entertained, and to seek inspiration.

Study Design:

This report describes the progress achieved by Reading Plus students who were enrolled in grades 2 through 5 during the 2018-2019 school year. The focus is on students who completed the Reading Plus 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. Students were divided into three tier groups based on their performance on the initial assessment.

Students Excluded

Students for whom valid reading rates could not be calculated.

Key Results:

Across all tier groups, Reading Plus practice had a significantly positive effect on students’ self-reported reading interest. Differences in reading self-confidence (self-efficacy) were not significant, most likely because most elementary school students were near the top of the confidence scale to begin with. Changes in reading motivation are shown in Figure 5. Previous research has shown that reading motivation and reading success are closely linked.

The post Elementary School National Results 2018-2019 School Year appeared first on Reading Plus.

This report describes the progress achieved by English language learners who used Reading Plus while enrolled in grades 2 through 12 during the 2018-2019 school year. Data are reported for all English language learners who completed the Reading Plus 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.

Key Results:

These results show that English language learners who engaged in Reading Plus instruction over the course of the 2018-2019 school year significantly increased their capacity to comprehend increasingly 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 significantly 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 English language learners. These results also show that students who engaged in Reading Plus instruction generally developed more reading confidence and increased their interest in reading. This in turn increases the likelihood that they will continue to use reading as a means to expand their knowledge, to be entertained, and to seek inspiration.

The post ELL National Results 2018-2019 School Year appeared first on Reading Plus.

This report describes the progress achieved by Reading Plus students who were enrolled in grades 9 through 12 during the 2018-2019 school year. The focus is on students who completed the Reading Plus 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. Students were divided into three tier groups based on their performance on the initial assessment (see full report for more details).

Key Results:

These results show that students in all tier groups who engaged in the recommended amount of Reading Plus instruction over the course of the 2018- 2019 school year significantly increased their capacity to comprehend increasingly complex texts, developed their capacity to understand higher levels of general academic vocabulary, and improved their reading efficiency. Students who completed more Reading Plus lessons achieved significantly larger gains than their peers who engaged in little or no Reading Plus practice. The results also showed that students who engaged in more Reading Plus instruction developed more reading confidence and increased their interest in reading. This in turn increases the likelihood that they will continue to use reading as a means to expand their knowledge, to be entertained, and to seek inspiration.

The post High School National Results 2018-2019 School Year appeared first on Reading Plus.

This report describes the reading progress achieved by Reading Plus students who were enrolled in grades 2 through 12 during the 2018-2019 school year. The focus of the report is on students who completed the Reading Plus 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 could be measured.

Key Results:

The results of this study show that students in all grade levels who engaged in Reading Plus instruction over the course of the 2018-2019 school year significantly increased their capacity to comprehend increasingly complex texts, developed their capacity to understand higher levels of general academic vocabulary, and improved their reading efficiency. Students who completed more Reading Plus lessons achieved significantly larger gains than their peers who engaged in little or no Reading Plus practice. The results also show that the students who engaged in more Reading Plus instruction developed more reading confidence and increased their interest in reading. This in turn increases the likelihood that they will continue to use reading as a means to expand their knowledge, to be entertained, and to seek inspiration.

The post All Tier National Results: 2018-2019 School Year appeared first on Reading Plus.

Across all tier groups, students who completed the recommended amount of Reading Plus instruction during the school year achieved significantly larger proficiency gains than students who did not engage in Reading Plus instruction.

These results show that students in all tier groups who engaged in the recommended amount of Reading Plus instruction over the course of the 2018-2019 school year significantly increased their capacity to comprehend increasingly complex texts, developed their capacity to understand higher levels of general academic vocabulary, and improved their reading efficiency. Students who completed more Reading Plus lessons achieved significantly larger gains than their peers who engaged in little or no Reading Plus practice. The results also showed that students who engaged in more Reading Plus instruction developed more reading confidence and increased their interest in reading. This in turn increases the likelihood that they will continue to use reading as a means to expand their knowledge, to be entertained, and to seek inspiration.

Study Design:

This report describes the progress achieved by Reading Plus students who were enrolled in grades 6 through 8 during the 2018-2019 school year. The focus is on students who completed the Reading Plus 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. Students were divided into three tier groups based on their performance on the initial assessment.

Students Excluded

Students for whom valid reading rates could not be calculated.

Key Results:

Among students with below grade level reading proficiency, Reading Plus practice had a significantly positive effect on middle school students’ self-reported reading interest and reading confidence (self-efficacy). Previous research has shown that reading motivation and reading success are closely linked.

The post Middle School National Results 2018-2019 School Year appeared first on Reading Plus.

Across all grade groups, students in special education who completed 120+ Reading Plus lessons (about 50+ hours) during the school year achieved significantly larger reading proficiency gains than students who did not engage in Reading Plus instruction.

These results show that students in all tier groups who engaged in the recommended amount of Reading Plus instruction over the course of the 2018-2019 school year significantly increased their capacity to comprehend increasingly complex texts, developed their capacity to understand higher levels of general academic vocabulary, and improved their reading efficiency. Students who completed more Reading Plus lessons achieved significantly larger gains than their peers who engaged in little or no Reading Plus practice. The results also showed that students who engaged in more Reading Plus instruction developed more reading confidence and increased their interest in reading. This in turn increases the likelihood that they will continue to use reading as a means to expand their knowledge, to be entertained, and to seek inspiration.

Study Design:

This report describes the progress achieved by Reading Plus students who received special education services while enrolled in grades 2 through 12 during the 2018-2019 school year. Data are reported for all students who completed the Reading Plus 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.

Students Excluded
Students for whom valid reading rates could not be calculated.

Distribution of Students

• Elementary School (ES, Grades 2 through 5) n=899
• Middle School (MS, Grades 6 through 8) n=3,274
• High School (HS, Grades 9 through 12) n=3,655

Key Results:

Among students enrolled in special education, Reading Plus instruction generally had a positive effect on students’ self-reported reading interest and reading confidence (self-efficacy). Previous research has found that reading motivation and reading success are closely linked.

The post SPED National Results 2018-2019 School Year appeared first on Reading Plus.

Less efficient readers achieved larger reading efficiency growth. More efficient readers achieved larger reading achievement gains.

The post Randomized Trial: Students Achieved Significantly Larger Gains appeared first on Reading Plus.

When students must devote much of their attention to the process of reading, e.g., laboriously decoding words and deciphering word meanings, they are likely to have difficulty sustaining the level of attention that reading with good comprehension requires. These students are also likely to miss out on what motivates readers—being entertained, inspired and/or learning from what they read.

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

Study Design:

Students were divided into reading rate quartile groups based on their reading rate as measured by the InSight assessment, and using reading rate norms established for each grade in a national study of U.S. students (Spichtig et al., 2016). Students’ reading comprehension grade levels and reading motivation were also measured by the InSight assessment (see InSight Technical Brief for more information).

Key Results:

Comprehension grade levels varied significantly across reading rate quartiles. In all grade groups, students in higher quartiles (who read more efficiently) achieved significantly higher comprehension grade levels.

Reading interest also varied significantly across reading rate quartiles. In all grade groups, students who read more efficiently reported significantly higher levels of reading interest.

Reading self-efficacy (i.e. self-perceived reading competence) followed the same pattern as above. In all grade groups, more efficient readers reported higher levels of reading self-efficacy.

The post Reading Efficiency: The Gateway to Comprehension & Motivation appeared first on Reading Plus.