.png?width=350&height=60&name=Readable%20English%20Logo%20(1).png "Readable English")
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High School Reading Gains Using Readable English
Overview
This quasi-experimental study measured the effectiveness of Readable English, a structured literacy program that builds reading fluency, comprehension, and written expression for 25 students attending two alternative high schools in rural midAmerica. Using Readable English, teachers help students better understand text by explicit and systematic instruction of phonology (phonemic awareness, phonics, phonological awareness), decoding, spelling, vocabulary, syntax (grammar, sentence structure), and comprehension strategies.
METHODS
Students in grades 9-12 with reading disabilities who were using Plato Learning Solutions Credit Recovery either received individual tutoring (control group n = 11) in sight words and phonics instruction, or Readable English instruction (intervention group n = 14). Students received 47.5 hours of reading instruction and were pre- and post-tested with the Gray Oral Reading Tests, 4th edition (GORT-4).
Results
Students who received Readable English instruction gained 3.3 grade levels in reading accuracy, 2.4 grade levels in reading fluency, and 0.9 grade levels (9 months) in reading comprehension in 14 weeks of instruction. Big gains in reading skills corresponded to large effect sizes for reading accuracy (d = 1.6) and fluency (d = 1.5). Reading rate (d = 0.4) and comprehension (d = 0.6) showed moderate effect sizes. These impressive effect sizes are surprising given the small sample size, and provided enough evidence to proceed with additional, larger experimental studies to determine the efficacy Readable English for students with and without reading disabilities across many grade levels.
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Conclusions
Readable English’s asset-based reading instruction significantly helped students with a wide variety of reading deficits dramatically improve their reading fluency and comprehension. Anecdotally, the Readable English teacher reported that her students’ maladaptive behaviors improved dramatically as they became more competent readers. Study findings indicate that older readers with large reading deficits dramatically increased their reading fluency primarily through word reading accuracy. Reading comprehension likely improved because fewer cognitive resources were necessary for reading fluency and could be directed toward thinking about the meaning of the text. Many students reported feeling increasingly self-confident as they experienced increased reading and academic success.
Reference
Coggins, J., & Briggs, L. (2023). Reading on the Ropes: A Pilot Study of an Accelerated Remediation Program with Alternative High School Students. Language Arts Journal of Michigan, National Council of Teachers of English: 38(1), article 7. https://doi.org/10.9707/2168-149X.2352
Status: Peer-reviewed, published.
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