Fluent oral reading is essential for success in elementary school. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of enhanced reading fluency instruction for struggling readers. In a response-to-intervention context, the effort represented a primary intervention available to all students but provided only to those judged likely to need…

The present study examined the amount, type, and quality of Tier 1 and supplemental reading instruction provided to 4th-grade struggling readers and whether specific elements of instruction predicted growth in reading skills. In all, 110 students identified as having reading difficulty who were receiving school-based reading instruction in 22…

The present study examined the amount, type, and quality of Tier 1 and supplemental reading instruction provided to fourth-grade struggling readers and whether specific elements of instruction predicted growth in reading skills. 110 students identified as having reading difficulty, receiving school-based reading instruction in 22 classrooms…

Students who receive English Learner (EL) services at Forest Oak Elementary School in Newark, Delaware, do so through a pull-out model of instruction. They meet with an EL coach in a separate setting for instruction on reading, writing, speaking, and listening in English. A first-grade teacher at Forest Oak Elementary School participated in this…

Teachers' implementation of differentiated supplemental instruction is critical to help students with or at risk for reading-related disabilities acquire early reading and vocabulary skills. This study represents an initial investigation of whether classroom teachers' intervention fidelity (exposure, adherence, and quality) of targeted reading…

This action research study describes a problem of practice derived from the identification of students in fifth-grade that lack reading skills to be classified fluent readers as identified by Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills-Next Edition Oral Reading Fluency (DIBELS Next ORF). This problem of practice led to the development of an…

Due to barriers to kindergarten readiness, many kindergarten students do not enter kindergarten with the prerequisite skills needed for reading. A number of students do not leave kindergarten with adequate reading skills needed for future success. As a result, students are ill-prepared for first grade and are at risk for future reading failure.…

This study examined the effects of a novel computer software program, Reading RACES (Relevant and Culturally Engaging Stories), on the oral reading fluency and comprehension of three urban first graders who were English language learners (ELLs) and showed reading/special education risk. The individually administered intervention consisted of…

There is a critical need, according to national policy statements in the United States, to integrate information and communication technologies into instruction, and yet research about the effect of such integration on the literacy learning of at-risk populations is scant. In addition, barriers exist that prevent teachers from realizing the goal…

School districts are struggling with how to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional (CLDE) students. Research has correlated improvement in core language learning--writing, reading decoding, reading comprehension, and listening--with the use of iPods. This dissertation therefore examines the ability of current, portable…

The process of learning to read is difficult for many children, and this is especially true for students with learning disabilities (LD). Reading in English becomes even more difficult when a student's home language is not English. For English language learner (ELL) students with LD, acquiring the necessary skills to read fluently is an even…

Numerous studies have identified isolated elements for successfully teaching early reading. However, very few studies have examined the effect of early reading programs that use a combination of multiple research-based practices. A 4-year longitudinal study starting with 243 students was conducted to determine the effects of the "Reading in…

We used a multiple baseline across word lists design nested within a multiple baseline across participants design to examine the effects of instruction delivered using an iPad® app on sight word fluency and oral reading fluency of six first graders identified as at risk for reading failure. In Study 1, three students participated in…

The current study investigated the effects of a repeated reading intervention on the oral reading fluency (ORF) and comprehension on generalization passages for eight, first-grade students with reading risk. The intervention involved a commercial computerized program (Read Naturally Software Edition [RNSE], 2009) and a generalization principle…

Although coaching is used in many schools to facilitate teachers' professional learning, few studies look closely at coaching discourse. Exploring how coaching facilitates teachers' professional development, this study used tape-recorded coaching sessions and individual post-interviews to examine the one-on-one coaching interactions of 4…