Elizabeth Stevens, Ph.D., published “Examining the Effects of Tier 2 Reading Comprehension Intervention Aligned to Tier 1 Instruction for Fourth-grade Struggling Readers” in Exceptional Children.
We asked her some questions about her work:
How does this publication help with your research goals and/or interests?
“My research examines ways to improve the reading outcomes for students with learning disabilities and learning difficulties. Many schools provide intensive interventions to students with reading difficulties, but the approach lacks cohesion across tiers of support (i.e., Tier 1 whole-class instruction and Tier 2 small group intervention). The reading instruction in Tier 1 and Tier 2 settings is often compartmentalized in that students learn different content and skills, and teachers may use different language or terms. In this study, I and a team of researchers at the University of Texas at Austin conducted a quasi-experimental study in which struggling readers in fourth grade learned the same reading comprehension and vocabulary practices in Tier 1 and Tier 2 settings, representing an aligned, coherent approach to applying reading comprehension practices across settings. This instruction was compared to Tier 2 intervention instruction without alignment to Tier 1 instruction. Students benefited significantly from receiving the aligned Tier 1 and Tier 2 instruction. I want to continue this line of research, further investigating ways to coordinate models of instructional delivery across Tiers 1 and 2 that might improve students’ reading outcomes.”
Article Abstract:
“This article presents findings from a quasi-experimental study examining the effects of a Tier 2 intervention aligned to Tier 1 instruction, a nonaligned Tier 2 intervention, and a business-as-usual (BAU) comparison on the content knowledge, vocabulary and reading outcomes of fourth-grade struggling readers. In the aligned condition, teachers were trained to provide content-area reading practices during social studies, and struggling readers from these classes received small-group intervention aligned to those practices, allowing for additional practice opportunities with feedback. Struggling readers in the nonaligned condition received the same small-group intervention, though they were not provided the comprehension practices during their Tier 1 social studies instruction. Students in the BAU received typical social studies instruction and typical intervention.”
Where can one view this article?
The abstract is on the website for Exceptional Children Volume 86, Issue 4.