Exploring Intensity in Reading Interventions for Upper Elementary Students

Abstract

Upper elementary students with reading disabilities (RD) require intensive interventions to accelerate their reading achievement, as they often demonstrate deficits in basic reading skills and comprehension strategies. This paper reviews a series of three studies examining reading interventions of varying intensities for students with RD. Study 1 investigated a less intensive intervention with fourth-grade students, which resulted in moderate gains in reading comprehension. Study 2 examined a more intensive intervention for students with more significant difficulties, leading to gains in word reading accuracy and fluency, though not in reading comprehension. Study 3 explored combining intensive reading instruction with a growth mindset intervention. It revealed small effects on non-word reading but no significant differences between study groups in reading comprehension or mindset development. Across the studies, results highlight the need for increasing intensity of intervention for students with RD and further exploration of interventions that combine academic and psychosocial components to enhance reading outcomes for students with RD.