A Phonologically Based Reading Intervention for Undergraduate English Learners At-Risk of Reading Difficulties: A Pilot Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58997/5.2fa1Keywords:
reading comprehension, ELs, undergraduate, phonologically based reading program, English language learnersAbstract
Researchers have reported that English language learners (ELLs) may be at risk of reading difficulties in the
postsecondary setting. Although some students may only require explicit content-related vocabulary instruction and
support with comprehension strategies in order to enhance comprehension, others may benefit from targeted shortterm intervention in foundational reading skills. In this study, we examined whether a phonologically based reading
intervention for undergraduate ELLs at-risk of reading difficulties would result in significant between-group differences
for the proximal variables of decoding and sight word recognition and the distal variable of reading comprehension.
This pilot quasi-experimental group design study involved 9 participants (treatment = 6/control = 3) from various
L1 backgrounds, including Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic. Effect sizes were calculated for the proximal variables using
measures of word attack and letter-word identification, and the distal variable based on a measure of passage
comprehension. Although a small and small-medium effect were calculated for the measures of word attack and letterword identification, respectively, no effect was found for the measure of passage comprehension. Implications related
to intervention dosage and additional intervention components are discussed.
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