Lesson talk as the work of reading groups: the effectiveness of two interventions

This study compares the effectiveness of two interventions that differed in the nature of dialogic interactions among teachers and students in the reading group. One hundred nine children with mild disabilities were instructed by 35 teacher-interns in special education resource rooms. Sixty-three and 46 students, respectively, participated in the two instruction interventions. The analyses indicated that the intervention that produced the greatest effects was the one in which dialogue, social interactions, and scaffolded instruction figured prominently. Limitations and implications of the study are discussed.