The Third Wave Project: Report of a project to investigate effective ‘Third Wave’ intervention strategies for students with learning difficulties who are in mainstream schools in years 4, 5 and 6

K., Rowe; K., Stephanou; K., Hoad

Abstract:

This study examined “Third Wave” intervention strategies for fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students with learning disabilities in mainstream schools. Fifty six schools participated in the study with 35 designated as intervention schools and 21 as reference schools. Teachers in intervention schools received professional development training in effective, evidence-based strategies for “Third Wave” students with learning disabilities in reading and mathematics. Teachers in the reference schools received this training one year later. Training included lessons in Direct Instruction and Strategy Instruction. Results indicate a significant improvement in the reading and mathematics skills of intervention students in comparison to reference students at each grade level. Additionally, intervention students demonstrated significantly more positive classroom behaviors than the reference students, especially students’ attentive behaviors. (Copyright © 2011, National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI). All rights reserved).

Research areas:

• Project Follow Through

Year:

2007

Main publication type:

Program Effectiveness

Subtype:

Article

Keywords:

Reading; math; Corrective Reading; Elementary Math Mastery; Third Wave Intervention; How Children Best Learn; Auditory Processing Capacity; student behavior; teacher survey; student survey

Source:

Australian Council for Educational Research

Design type:

Pretest posttest control group design

Fidelity monitored:

No

Students included:

Elementary students, students with learning disabilities, at-risk students

Location/Setting:

Australia, state school, Catholic school, independent school, elementary school

Note:

Note that ‘first-wave’ teaching refers to regular classroom instruction, ‘second-wave’ refers to initial intervention for students experiencing learning difficulties, and ‘third-wave’ refers to intervention strategies for students continuing to under-achieve and/or experience learning difficulties during the middle years of schooling.