Efficacy of the RtI Model in the Treatment of Reading Learning Disabilities

Moving beyond our borders to inspire education change

PURPOSE

This paper contextualises a keynote address delivered at the 2022 Speech Pathology Australia National Conference in Melbourne, Australia. The paper aligns with the conference theme of Beyond Borders from the perspective of moving beyond borders of regular practice to develop strong partnerships and networks within our communities to advocate and support necessary change.

METHOD

Change or enhancement to current practice is necessary if we are to reduce current inequities in education experienced by many children in our communities, including those with communication challenges. Strengths-based and culturally responsive literacy approaches to supporting children within the context of their family and community are increasingly gaining support as we address this challenge. The Better Start Literacy Approach (Te Ara Reo Matatini), currently being implemented in junior school classrooms across New Zealand is described. It is one example of large-scale implementation of a strengths-based and culturally responsive early literacy approach, based on the science of reading.

RESULT

Data support the effectiveness of the Better Start Literacy Approach in significantly enhancing the foundational literacy skills of 5- and 6-year-old children, including those who commence school with lower levels of oral language ability.

CONCLUSION

Through establishing strong partnerships within communities, speech pathologists have much to offer in motivating systems level change to enhance early literacy success for all learners.

Continuous norming in learning progress monitoring-An example for a test in spelling from grade 2-4

One of the main goals of the teacher and the school system as a whole is to close learning gaps and support children with difficulties in learning. The identification of those children as well as the monitoring of their progress in learning is crucial for this task. The derivation of comparative standards that can be applied well in practice is a relevant quality criterion in this context. Continuous normalization is particularly useful for progress monitoring tests that can be conducted at different points in time. Areas that were not available in the normalization sample are extrapolated, closing gaps in applicability due to discontinuity. In Germany, teachers participated in a state-funded research project to formatively measure their children's spelling performance in primary school. Data (N = 3000) from grade two to four were scaled, linked and translated into comparative values that can be used in classrooms independently from specific times. The tests meet the requirements of item response models and can be transferred well to continuous norms. However, we recommend using the 10th or 20th percentile as cut-off points for educational measures, as the 5th percentile is not discriminating enough.

A better start literacy approach: effectiveness of Tier 1 and Tier 2 support within a response to teaching framework

The Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA) is a strengths-based approach to supporting children's literacy learning in their first year of school. Previous research has shown the approach is effective at accelerating foundational literacy knowledge in children with lower levels of oral language. This study examined the impact of the BSLA for children with varied language profiles and across schools from diverse socioeconomic communities. Additionally, a controlled analysis of the impact of Tier 2 teaching within a response to teaching framework was undertaken. Participants included 402 five-year-old children from 14 schools in New Zealand. A randomised delayed treatment design was utilised to establish the effect of Tier 1 teaching. Analyses showed a significant Tier 1 intervention effect for phoneme awareness, letter-sound knowledge, non-word reading and non-word spelling. There was no difference in intervention effects across socioeconomic groupings. Children were identified for Tier 2 teaching after 10 weeks of Tier 1 implementation. The progress of 98 children in response to Tier 2 teaching was compared to 26 children who met Tier 2 criteria but received only Tier 1 teaching within this study. Children in the Tier 2 group scored significantly higher on phonological awareness, non-word reading, and spelling than the control group at the post-Tier 2 assessment point, after controlling for pre-Tier 2 scores. The results suggest that a proactive strengths-based approach to supporting foundational literacy learning in children's first year of school benefits all learners. The findings have important implications for early provision of literacy learning support in order to reduce current inequities in literacy outcomes.

An Intervention in Reading Disabilities Using a Digital Tool During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the last decade, ICT-based interventions for developing reading skills in children with reading disabilities have become increasingly popular. This study had three goals: (a) to assess the existence of gains in word reading, oral reading fluency and listening comprehension after a Tier 2 intervention using the digital tool “I’m still learning,” which was delivered partially in a remote modality during the COVID-19 pandemic; (b) to investigate whether the gains depended on the students’ gender, the number of sessions attended and the interventionist; and (c) to investigate parents’ perceptions about the suitability and perceived effects of the intervention. A single group design with pre-test and post-test was used. The intervention was delivered to second graders (N = 81) flagged as being at-risk for reading disabilities in a universal screening. The analyses showed significant gains in all three outcome variables after the intervention. The gains did not depend on students’ gender, number of intervention sessions attended or interventionist. Parents’ perceptions of the remote intervention were positive. The study findings highlight the potentialities of using technology-based interventions to foster reading skills and suggest that these may be especially useful during lockdowns.