Effectiveness of supplemental reading instruction for second-grade English language learners with reading difficulties

The effectiveness of an intervention that involved both English as a second language strategies and effective reading practices (based on research with monolingual English speakers) for English language (EL) learners at risk for reading problems and learning to read in English is described. 26 second-grade students who were both EL learners and at risk for reading difficulties were identified and provided an intensive reading intervention in English. Students received 13 weeks (58 sessions) of supplemental reading instruction daily for 30 minutes per day individually or in groups of 2 or 3. Students' oral reading fluency, phoneme segmentation fluency, nonsense word reading, and reading comprehension were assessed prior to, immediately after, and on 2 subsequent occasions following intervention (4 weeks and 4 months). Students made significant gains from pre- to posttest on the outcome measures: word attack, passage comprehension, phoneme segmentation fluency, and oral reading fluency. The largest standardized mean differences in scores at posttest were for passage comprehension and oral reading fluency. Scores at 4-week follow-up increased significantly for word attack, passage comprehension, and phoneme segmentation fluency. Long-term follow-up (over 4 months) indicated significant gains for oral reading fluency and significant losses for phoneme segmentation fluency.