The reading skills of children in the Netherlands have been significantly declining since 2015. Reading skills are fundamental for successful participation in society. The reading enjoyment of...Show moreThe reading skills of children in the Netherlands have been significantly declining since 2015. Reading skills are fundamental for successful participation in society. The reading enjoyment of children is also declining and reading enjoyment is associated with reading skills. Research has shown that struggling readers need individualized intensive multicomponent reading interventions to improve their reading skills. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two online reading interventions on reading skills and reading enjoyment of struggling readers in grades 4 and 5. The first reading intervention, the ‘Universele Interventie voor Lezen’ (UIL), is individualized and intensive and uses direct and explicit instruction. The second reading intervention, the ‘Meelees Interventie’ (MLI), is individualized, but less intensive and makes less use of direct and explicit instruction. Both interventions cover multiple components of reading. The interventions were compared to a wait-list control group (CG) in which children received the UIL at the end of the study. Reading skills were divided in word reading, reading fluency and reading comprehension and were measured using CBM word reading, CBM reading aloud, and CBM maze-selection. Reading enjoyment was measured using the Reading and Me Survey. Results revealed that struggling readers in the intervention conditions (UIL and MLI) made significantly greater pre-posttest gains in word reading than did struggling readers in the control group. No significant effects were found for reading fluency, reading comprehension or reading enjoyment. The results suggest that providing extra, intensive individualized multicomponent reading interventions to struggling 4th- and 5th-grade readers over a period of 4 weeks with 8 sessions may increase their word reading skills, but not their reading fluency skills, their reading comprehension skills or their reading enjoyment. In addition, the results suggest that interventions with more and less direct and explicit instruction were equally effective.Show less
This research explored the effect of the Universal Instruction for Literacy (UIL) on the reading performance of struggling readers in grade 4 and 5 of elementary school. This study was motivated in...Show moreThis research explored the effect of the Universal Instruction for Literacy (UIL) on the reading performance of struggling readers in grade 4 and 5 of elementary school. This study was motivated in part by the decreasing reading level seen in the population of school children in The Netherlands, as evidenced by national and international research. It was hypothesised that tutoring would help to improve students’ performance more than typical instruction alone, and that the UIL tutoring intervention, which is based on evidence-based reading interventions, would improve student’s reading performance more than a simpler read-along method. Fifty-two students from elementary schools were randomly assigned to two tutoring groups and one control group. Reading performance was measured before and after the tutoring instruction with measures based on the Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM). Three CBM measures were used: Word Reading, Silent Reading and Read Aloud. Analysis was conducted via repeated measures ANOVA. The results indicated both the UIL and read-along tutoring methods results in better performance in Word Reading than the standard instruction; however, they did not differ from each other. Regarding Silent Reading and Read Aloud, no differences between the UIL, read-along and standard instructional conditions were found. These outcomes only partially supported the hypotheses. Future implications include adjustment of the instruction to fit more to personal needs of future participating students.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
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Good reading skills are essential to be successful in life, yet many students struggle with reading fluency, comprehension, and motivation. These students need additional instruction to improve in...Show moreGood reading skills are essential to be successful in life, yet many students struggle with reading fluency, comprehension, and motivation. These students need additional instruction to improve in reading. The Universal Instruction in Literacy (UIL) was developed to provide intensive, individualized instruction in multiple areas of reading to students with reading difficulties. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of the UIL on the reading performance and motivation of struggling readers. The study employed an experimental design in which the effects of the UIL were compared to the effects of a simpler read-along (RA) intervention where students read along with a tutor, and a no-tutoring business-as-usual (BAU) control condition. A total of 86 students in Grades 4 to 6 were randomly assigned within grade to the intervention conditions (UIL, RA, or BAU). Students in the UIL and RA conditions received 25 to 30 minutes of online reading tutoring for two days a week over a period of four to five weeks. (Students in the BAU condition received tutoring after the study was concluded.) Results revealed that the reading performance of all students significantly improved from pretest to posttest, but that the amount of improvement differed significantly for students in the instructional (UIL and RA) vs. control (BAU) conditions. Further analyses revealed that the relative effects of the UIL and RA intervention methods differed across reading skill (i.e., sight-word reading, reading aloud, and silent reading), and type of text (i.e., instructional and transfer texts). Regarding reading motivation, results revealed that all students significantly improved in reading motivation from pretest to posttest, with no significant differences found across conditions. Students rated the tutoring interventions positively. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.Show less
The reading level of Dutch primary school pupils is declining (Inspectie van het onderwijs, 2022; Swart et al., 2022). Students with reading difficulties are in need of extra reading interventions...Show moreThe reading level of Dutch primary school pupils is declining (Inspectie van het onderwijs, 2022; Swart et al., 2022). Students with reading difficulties are in need of extra reading interventions in order to improve their reading, but finding the time and resources needed to provide these interventions is challenging for schools. The current study investigated the effect of online reading interventions on students’ word reading and reading aloud skills. The study examined improvements in reading skills for two online reading interventions provided to 52 students in the fourth and fifth grade. The two interventions were the Universal Intervention for Reading (UIL), a multicomponent instructional reading intervention, and the Read Along (MLM). Both were compared to a business-as-usual control group. The study consisted of a pretest, four intervention weeks and a posttest. A Repeated Measures ANOVA was used to investigate whether the reading performances differed between the intervention groups. There was a significant difference between the intervention groups for reading aloud from instructional texts. Students in the UIL-group improved significantly more than students in the control group. No significant group differences were found for reading aloud from transfer texts. For word reading, both the UIL-group and Read Along group improved significantly more than te control group. All results should be interpreted with caution due to the small group sizes and associated unequal variance within the groups.Show less
Reading skills are fundamental for success in school and society. Research has shown that struggling readers need intensive interventions to improve their reading skills. The purpose of this study...Show moreReading skills are fundamental for success in school and society. Research has shown that struggling readers need intensive interventions to improve their reading skills. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two individualized online reading tutoring interventions – UIL (Universal Instruction for Literacy) and RA (Read-Along) – on the word reading, reading fluency, and reading comprehension skills of struggling readers in grades 4 and 5 (N=52). The UIL intervention involved direct, explicit reading instruction, whereas the RA intervention focused on increasing the amount of reading that students did. Both interventions were compared to a wait-list, business-as-usual (BAU) control group. Reading skills were measured via CBM word reading, CBM reading aloud, and CBM maze-selection tasks. Results revealed that students in the intervention conditions (UIL and RA) made significantly greater pre-posttest gains in word reading skills than did students in BAU control condition. Additionally, students in the UIL and RA made significantly greater pre-posttest gains in reading fluency and in restoring meaning to the text than did students in the BAU condition; however, these results were seen only for instructional texts, not for transfer texts. The results of the study suggest that providing extra, intensive 1:1 reading intervention to struggling readers in grades 4 and 5 may increase their reading skills; however, the extent to which such skill improvements transfer to material not practiced during instruction is in question.Show less
With the growing possibilities that technology offers to education, this study set out to explore the potential of online, intensive, individualized reading interventions. The study compared the...Show moreWith the growing possibilities that technology offers to education, this study set out to explore the potential of online, intensive, individualized reading interventions. The study compared the effects of the UIL (Universele Instructie in Lezen) and Read-along intervention methods on the reading performance and attitude of pupils with reading difficulties. The 35 grade 5 and 6 pupils took part in eight 30-minute tutoring sessions via Microsoft Teams. Prior to and following these sessions, the pupils were asked to complete a pretest and posttest comprising a series of reading tasks and a questionnaire with items on self-perception of reading skills and reading motivation. Our analysis showed that the pupils made substantial gains in reading performance from pretest to posttest and that their reading attitude improved. The observed gains were similar for the UIL and Read-along groups. We conclude that intensive one-on-one tutoring is potentially beneficial to improve the reading performance and attitude of struggling readers. Future studies with a control group, larger samples, and more divergent intervention methods can strengthen the present conclusions and help develop new or improved reading interventions to achieve even larger gains in reading performance and attitude.Show less
The CBM maze task scores must reflect all skills required for reading for it to be used as a measure of general reading proficiency. The main purpose of the current study was to find out whether...Show moreThe CBM maze task scores must reflect all skills required for reading for it to be used as a measure of general reading proficiency. The main purpose of the current study was to find out whether the CBM maze task scores reflect reading comprehension because, despite evidence for the reliability and validity of the maze task as a measure of general reading performance, there are questions about the extent to which the maze task scores reflect reading comprehension. The second purpose was to find out whether gender is an influential factor affecting the performance on the maze task. The current study had an experimental design because the format of the maze, which was the within-subjects factor, was manipulated. All 44 participants in the study completed both standard and scrambled mazes. The coherence of the scrambled maze texts was distorted by randomly shuffling the order of the sentences. Thus, if the participants score significantly higher on the standard mazes than on the non-coherent scrambled mazes, it would mean that CBM maze scores reflect reading comprehension. A two-way mixed ANOVA was performed to answer the research questions. The study revealed that participants obtained significantly higher scores on the standard mazes than on the scrambled mazes, supporting the hypothesis that CBM maze scores reflect reading comprehension. A statistically significant main effect of gender was found, however, there was no statistically significant interaction between the gender of the participants and the maze format on the maze scores. More research is needed to find out whether gender plays a significant role in the performance on maze tasks. The finding that CBM maze task scores reflect reading comprehension supports the use of the CBM maze as a measure of general reading proficiency.Show less
The reading performance of primary school children has declined in recent years, potentially leading to more significant problems over time. Reading interventions have the potential to improve...Show moreThe reading performance of primary school children has declined in recent years, potentially leading to more significant problems over time. Reading interventions have the potential to improve reading performance. This study examined the effects of an intensive and individualized reading intervention on the reading performance of children with reading difficulties. Three aspects of reading were studied, word reading, reading fluency and reading comprehension. The reading intervention was the Universele Interventie voor Lezen (UIL), an online and intensive reading intervention. The control condition was the Read Along (RA), where children spent time reading with a tutor. The participants were 29 primary school children with reading difficulties from grade 5 and 6. A repeated measured ANOVA with one within-subjects factor (time: pretest vs. posttest) and one between-subjects factor (intervention: UIL vs. RA) was conducted to examine the effects of the reading intervention. The results showed that the reading skills of the children in both the UIL and the RA improved from pretest to posttest. The effects of the UIL and the RA were similar on most aspects of reading, except for word reading. In this result, a marginal difference was measured between the interventions in favour of the UIL. The research demonstrates that it is feasible to offer an online intervention in reading. In addition, the results suggest that children with reading difficulties may benefit from the UIL and the RA. Further research is needed before conclusively determining the effectiveness of the reading intervention. It is recommended to add a treatment-free control group and to recruit younger and a larger group of participants.Show less
Teachers in kindergarten are confronted with many differences between emergent literacy skills children have developed before going to primary school. Since these skills are the foundation of the...Show moreTeachers in kindergarten are confronted with many differences between emergent literacy skills children have developed before going to primary school. Since these skills are the foundation of the development of reading skills, it is important to promote emergent literacy in kindergarten. E- Prent&ABC is a method to improve emergent literacy that combines animated e-books with print referencing and the 4-cycle-model for word development during classroom book reading. A previous study has demonstrated that e-Prent&ABC enhances vocabulary and phonological awareness of kindergartners. However, kindergartners with problematic learning behavior do not benefit from these positive effects. Therefore, the current study adds behavior regulating elements to e-Prent&ABC to improve the learning behavior of kindergartners with problematic learning behavior and to help them benefit more from classroom book reading. This quasi-experimental study explores how whole-class reading with the expanded method e-Prent&ABC+ can enhance learning behavior, vocabulary, and phonological awareness of kindergartners with problematic learning behavior. 60 kindergartners (30 with and 30 without problematic learning behavior) from nine kindergarten groups participated in three conditions (control condition, e-Prent&ABC, and e-Prent&ABC+). Ultimately, the results demonstrate that both kindergartners with and without problematic learning behavior showed the most positive learning behavior during the control condition instead of during reading with e-Prent&ABC+ or e-Prent&ABC . Furthermore, the results confirm previous findings by showing that e-Prent&ABC effectively promotes both vocabulary and phonological awareness of kindergartners. The added elements in e-Prent&ABC+ did not better improve learning behavior and emergent literacy than e- Prent&ABC does. Compared to e-Prent&ABC, the vocabulary of the kindergartners was even smaller after reading with e-Prent&ABC+ . In spite of several limitations, this research has shown that animated e-books can be used in combination with the 4-cycle-model during whole-class book reading to create a rich literacy environment in which emergent literacy skills can be promoted simultaneously.Show less
Research has shown that the reading skills of Dutch children are deteriorating. The emergence of COVID-19 as a global pandemic has led to even more concerns in education. Many students have fallen...Show moreResearch has shown that the reading skills of Dutch children are deteriorating. The emergence of COVID-19 as a global pandemic has led to even more concerns in education. Many students have fallen behind in reading and could benefit from additional reading instruction. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an intensive, individualized reading intervention on the reading performance, reading enjoyment and reading self-perceptions of students with reading difficulties. More specifically, the effects of the UIL, an online and intensive tutoring intervention, were compared to the effects of the MLM control condition, a simpler and more typical intervention method where the tutor reads along with the student. Participants were 29 elementary-school children with reading problems (grades 5 and 6), selected from seven schools in the Netherlands. To compare the effects of the UIL and MLM, the study employed a mixed design with both within (time, pretest vs. posttest) and between subject factors (intervention, UIL vs. MLM). The results revealed that all students made substantial gains in reading and reading self-perceptions from pretest to posttest. These gains were similar for both the UIL and MLM groups with the exception of word reading. The results suggest that both the UIL and MLM might be effective for improving reading and reading self-perceptions of students with reading difficulties. Furthermore, the results indicate that it’s feasible to provide reading interventions in an online learning environment. Due to the small sample size, it is recommended to replicate the study with a larger sample and a third non-treatment control condition before drawing firm conclusions about the effectiveness of the intervention.Show less
