Reading Outcomes of Pre-Literate 3rd-Grade Students after Two Years of Combined Reading Classroom Instruction and Individualized Intervention or Classroom Instruction

This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a combination regular classroom reading and reading reteaching approach to teaching reading to pre-literate 3rd-grade students who were determined to be below proficient readers (n = 14) compared to the effectiveness of regular classroom reading instruction alone provided to 3rd-grade readers ( n = 14) determined to have barely proficient pre-literate skills. Barely proficient and below proficient reading level designations were determined by psychometrically derived cutscores developed in order to minimize classification error. This study found that although students on both sides of the cutscore made achievement gains in reading, gains were not all statistically significant and the students determined to be barely proficient receiving regular classroom reading instruction alone experienced greater reading achievement progress than their peers who were determined to be below proficient and received reading reteaching in addition to regular classroom reading instruction. With additional research in effective reading strategies, evaluation of the effectiveness of building level programs, additional individualized reading instructional support, and one robust reading intervention, not two separate activities--regular classroom reading plus reading reteaching--for students correctly identified as below proficient, consistent gains should be expected