The Importance of Baseline Word Reading Skills in Examining Student Response to a Multicomponent Reading Intervention

Abstract

To address the needs of a diverse group of students with reading difficulties, a majority of researchers over the last decade have designed and implemented multicomponent reading interventions (MCRIs) that provide instruction in multiple areas of reading yielding mixed results. The current study evaluates whether students' baseline word reading skills predict their response to a MCRI. Data from a randomized controlled trial for third- and fourth-grade students with reading difficulties (N = 128) were analyzed. Results demonstrate that baseline word reading was a significant predictor of students' end-of-year reading comprehension performance. Treatment group students who had lower baseline word reading compared with those students with comparatively higher word reading scores performed significantly lower on posttest reading comprehension. Findings denote the importance of word reading instruction for upper elementary students who are below-average word readers and also indicate the need for tailoring reading intervention to align with individual reader needs.

Keywords: multicomponent reading intervention; reading difficulty; upper elementary; word reading comprehension.

Figure 1.

Standardized estimates for the structural equation model. Fit indices: comparative fit index = .997; Tucker–Lewis index = .995; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = .023; standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = .036; chi-square = 13.86 (df = 13, p = .383). Note. GMRT = Gates MacGinitie Reading Tests; KTEA-3 = Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement-3; TOSREC = Test of Silent Reading Efficiency and Comprehension; TOWRE = Test of Word Reading Efficiency; WJ = Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Achievement; LWID = letter–word identification; WA = word attack. *p < .05.