Using Readable English leads to reading gains for rural elementary students: An experimental study

OBJECTIVES: This study measured whether and to what degree Readable English effectively improves reading fluency and comprehension skills of adolescent learners. METHODS: This experimental study (N = 855) measured the efficacy of two different multiple component reading programs for students in grades three, four, and five. Students were pre-and post-tested using EasyCBM Grade Level Reading Benchmarks. Students scoring at/below the 30(th) percentile on either benchmark were also assessed with the WRMT-3 Passage Reading Comprehension and Oral Reading Fluency measures. Students received 45–60 instructional hours in either Readable English or Amplify CKLA during their regular ELA class. RESULTS: Students who received Readable English instruction significantly outperformed students in the typical practice condition on all measures of reading fluency and comprehension. The intervention condition’s EasyCBM benchmark reading rate (m = 29.6 WCPM), reading accuracy (m = 3.1%), and comprehension (m = 1.9) surpassed the control group’s reading rate (m = 17.4 WCPM), accuracy (m = 0.7%), and comprehension (m = 0.7) WRMT-3 ORF showed students in the Readable English intervention condition (m = 13.4 growth scale values [GSV] and m = 1.0 grade equivalency) outscored students in the control condition (m = 7.8 GSV and m = 0.5 grade equivalency). WRMT-3 Passage Comprehension showed Readable English students (m = 11.0 GSV and m = 0.9 grade equivalency) outgrew control condition students (m = 4.4 GSV and m = 0.3 grade equivalency). CONCLUSIONS: In a school year fraught with pandemic instructional interruptions and learning loss, students in grades 3–5 who received Readable English instruction closed reading gaps. The meaningful gains in reading rate and accuracy experienced by students in the intervention group will give exponential word reading volume dividends to students able to read text faster and more accurately going forward, helping them become more skilled readers.