Reading fluency intervention dosage: A novel meta-analysis and research synthesis

Area of Science:

• Education
• Psychology
• Special Education

Background:

• Reading fluency is crucial for reading proficiency but often a challenge for students with reading difficulties.
• Existing reading fluency interventions have been widely studied, yet optimal intervention dosage remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To meta-analyze and synthesize research on targeted reading fluency interventions for K-12 students.
• To examine the conceptualization and measurement of intervention dosage in these studies.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analysis of 33 articles meeting inclusion criteria for reading fluency interventions.
• Analysis of study design (group vs. single-case) and rigor as moderators of intervention effects.

Main Results:

• Overall moderate effect size (ES = 0.46) for reading fluency interventions.
• Study design and rigor significantly moderated intervention effects, with single-case designs showing larger effects.
• Intervention duration was a key factor in total intervention growth.

Conclusions:

• Reading fluency interventions yield moderate positive outcomes.
• Intervention dosage, particularly duration, is critical for reading fluency growth.
• Further research is needed on proximal measures of intervention dosage to understand practice impact.