Effects of Varying Levels of Data Use to Intensify a Multisyllabic Word Reading Intervention for Upper Elementary Students With or At Risk for Reading Disabilities

For students who show inadequate response to research-based intervention, intensification of intervention using data-based decision making (DBDM) is recommended. There is a paucity of research on upper elementary students related to the efficacy of (a) word reading interventions and (b) DBDM procedures. This randomized controlled trial examined the differential effects of data use at two timepoints to intensify a multisyllabic word reading intervention for Grade 4 and 5 students with or at risk for reading disabilities (RD). Eighty-eight students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: initial customization of the intervention (IC-only), initial customization with DBDM (IC + DBDM), or a business-as-usual comparison condition. Results indicated that (a) students in both treatment conditions outperformed the comparison condition on multisyllabic word reading and (b) students in the IC + DBDM condition also outperformed comparison students on decoding. Implications, including the use of DBDM in addition to IC-only as well as methods for decision-making within a small-group context, are discussed.

A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Reading Comprehension Interventions on the Reading Comprehension Outcomes of Struggling Readers in Third Through 12th Grades

Informed by theories of reading comprehension and prior reviews of reading comprehension intervention, this meta-analysis uniquely contributes to the literature because it describes the relative effects of various approaches to comprehension intervention for struggling readers in Grades 3 through 12. Findings from 64 studies demonstrate significant positive effects of reading comprehension intervention on comprehension outcomes ( g = .59, p < .001, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.47, 0.74], τ2 = .31). A metaregression model indicated significantly higher effects associated with researcher-developed measures, background knowledge instruction, and strategy instruction, and significantly lower effects associated with instructional enhancements. Grade level, metacognitive approaches, and study quality did not moderate effects. Findings support the use of background knowledge instruction and strategy instruction to support comprehension of struggling readers in upper elementary and beyond.

Montessori Education: Teacher Perceptions of Challenges in Transitioning to Virtual Instruction

In 2020, Montessori teachers and families across the world had to adjust as schools were closed because of the rapid onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those working in the Montessori classroom, which typically favors a hands-on approach and limited use of technology, had to devise new ways to engage with students in the virtuallearning environment. How do teachers perceive that the transition to online learning affected their instruction? This descriptive case study examined the ways in which a school’s Lower and Upper Elementary Montessori teachers adjusted their instruction to meet student needs online, as well as the benefits and challenges that the teachers felt they and the students experienced as a result.

Differences in achievement on tests of perceptual abilities in lower and upper elementary school grade students involved in the process of determining the psychophysical state

This paper investigates whether there are differences in the results achieved during the assessment of visual and auditory perceptual abilities in students (N = 166) of upper and lower elementary school grades who are involved in the process of determining the psychophysical condition. Adequate assessment is important not only because of the prediction of students’ academic success, but also as a basis for the development of individualized curricula that will enable the selection of adequate forms and content of educational support for each student. The Acadia developmental ability test was used to assess students’ perceptual abilities. In data processing, in addition to calculating frequencies and arithmetic means by groups, in order to determine the deviation of the observed frequencies from the expected frequencies, the χ2-test was used. The results indicate the existence of significant differences in student achievement on the subtests of visual and auditory memory and visual differentiation. It turned out that lower results in all three tests were achieved by lower elementary school grade students. The pedagogical implications of this study indicate the need for more intensive educational monitoring of students from the beginning of their education.

Summer STEM Camp Goes Virtual

Due to the global pandemic of COVID-19, camp and program directors raced to make decisions about summer programming. Traditionally, GSI Summer Camp is a day camp held on a local university campus for four weeks. Despite the disruption caused by the pandemic, the program staff decided to move forward with a seven-week virtual experience for 45 upper elementary, middle, and high school participants. This article presents a description of the implementation of an infectious disease module during a virtual STEM camp.

Using a Simultaneous Prompting Procedure to Improve the Quality of the Writing of Three Students with Learning Disabilities

The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effects of a simultaneous prompting procedure on the writing performance of three upper-elementary-level students diagnosed with learning disabilities (LD). Interventionists gave task directions followed by model prompts with a 0-s time delay to teach students composition. Non-targeted information related to the writing process was embedded in the form of progress monitoring. A multiple-baseline design across participants (AB) was used to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. Results indicate that the simultaneous prompting procedure positively affected the overall quality of writing of students with LD. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.