Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Reading Interventions for Students in the Primary Grades

A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effectiveness of reading interventions on primary grade students (Grades 1-3) at risk for reading difficulties. The study specifically examined impacts on word and pseudoword reading, reading comprehension, and passage fluency. It also investigated how intervention and study variables might moderate these impacts.

The researchers employed random-effects meta-regression models with robust variance estimates. The analysis included 33 robust experimental and quasi-experimental studies, published between 2002 and 2017, that met WWC evidence standards. Sensitivity analyses were also performed to ensure the robustness of the findings.

The meta-analysis revealed a significant positive effect of reading interventions on reading outcomes, with a mean effect size of 0.39 (SE = .04, p < .001, 95% CI [0.32, 0.46]). Moderator analyses indicated that the mean effects varied depending on the outcome domains and specific areas of instruction targeted by the interventions. Due to the limited number of studies, a meta-analysis could not be conducted for outcomes in the vocabulary domain.