Research Supporting Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 1–3

This review by Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast provides updated information on the evidence supporting the use of reading interventions for students who are at risk of reading difficulty in grades 1–3.

The review team identified 27 studies of 20 different interventions that they determined met What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards. All but one of the reading interventions had positive or potentially positive effects in at least one area of reading performance. Outcomes were strongest in decoding of words and pseudowords and were strong in passage reading fluency and reading comprehension. There were no effects found in vocabulary.

However, the conditions in most of the studies do not reflect common response to intervention (RTI) practice in schools. Most of the interventions included high levels of ongoing support and monitoring for the interventionists, much more than schools typically provide. Additionally, a slight majority involved one-on-one interventions, as opposed to small group interventions, which are used more often in schools.