Promoting reading achievement and countering the "Fourth-Grade Slump": The impact of Direct Instruction on reading achievement in fifth grade

Research areas:

• Elementary Reading

Year:

2010

Type of Publication:

Program Effectiveness

Subtype:

Article

Keywords:

Reading Mastery, Open Court

Authors:

Stockard, J.

Source:

Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk

Design type:

Longitudinal

Fidelity monitored:

No

Students included:

Elementary students, African-American Students, Low SES

Other tags:

Direct Instruction, Open Court, Reading, Language for Learning, Language for Thinking, Reasoning and Writing, CTBS/Terra Nova

Location/Setting:

South Atlantic/Elementary School

Abstract:

Previous research has documented a substantial decline of standardized test scores of children from low-income backgrounds relative to more advantaged peers in later elementary grades, the so-called “fourth-grade slump.” This paper examines changes in reading achievement from first to fifth grade for students in a large urban school system with a high proportion of students from economically deprived backgrounds. Students received first grade reading instruction from Direct Instruction (DI), Open Court, or a mixture of reading curricula. Results indicate that students in schools using DI had significantly greater gains in both reading vocabulary and comprehension than students in the two other settings and that their average levels of achievement in fifth grade were above the national norms, thus countering the fourth-grade slump. (Copyright © 2011, National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI). All rights reserved).

Comments:

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