In a large-scale 106-classroom cluster randomized trial, Building Blocks raised end-of-intervention REMA scores with an effect size of 0.48 (improvement index +18)¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 2 studies · 2 causal r2–r3 · q3–q4 · i2 medium
Currency · newest study 2023 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 2 of 2 entries) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

Reading the evidence codes

q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.

This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.

q4 i2 Clements et al. (2011), a cluster randomized controlled trial with 1,305 children in 106 preschool classrooms, found a statistically significant effect of Building Blocks on the REMA (effect size 0.48, improvement index +18, p < 0.01). → study-2011

q3 i2 Hofer et al. (2013), a cluster randomized controlled trial with 1,714 children in 139 preschool classrooms, found a statistically significant effect of Building Blocks on the REMA (effect size 0.55, improvement index +21, p < 0.01). → study-2013

Evidence¶

study-2011¶

What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. (2023, December). Building Blocks. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/InterventionReport/733

q4 · i2 · causal · r3

Large-scale cluster randomized trial rated Meets WWC Group Design Standards Without Reservations; preschool sites randomly assigned to Building Blocks or business as usual in two urban public school districts. Effect size 0.48 (improvement index +18); intervention mean 52.40 (17.25) versus comparison 44.01 (17.89) on the REMA.

"End of 30 weeks of implementation 1,305 children 106 preschool classrooms in the United States 52.40 (17.25) 44.01 (17.89) 0.48 +18 Yes (p < 0.01)"

study-2013¶

What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. (2023, December). Building Blocks. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/InterventionReport/733

q3 · i2 · causal · r2

Cluster randomized trial rated Meets WWC Group Design Standards With Reservations because it satisfies baseline equivalence but has high individual-level nonresponse; preschool sites randomly assigned in three urban districts in Tennessee, New York, and Massachusetts. Effect size 0.55 (improvement index +21); intervention mean 48.00 (4.71) versus comparison 44.91 (5.42).

"End of 30 weeks of implementation 1,714 children 139 preschool classrooms in the United States 48.00 (4.71) 44.91 (5.42) 0.55 +21 Yes (p < 0.01)"

Discussion¶

In a 28-classroom cluster randomized trial, Building Blocks raised end-of-intervention REMA scores with an effect size of 1.07 (improvement index +36) — related
In a 2006 randomized trial, Building Blocks for Math significantly outperformed business-as-usual on the Early Mathematics Assessment — related
Building Blocks has a potentially positive effect on preschool mathematics achievement, with a pooled effect size of 0.58 across three studies meeting WWC standards — a broader claim this one bears on
Symphony Math students made greater math achievement gains than district peers (effect size +0.30) — related
Connect Science raises fourth-grade science achievement more than business-as-usual science instruction (effect size +0.36) — related
Building Blocks for Math outperformed Pre-K Mathematics with DLM Express in a head-to-head comparison on the Early Mathematics Assessment — related
Building Blocks for Math has positive effects on preschool mathematics achievement according to the WWC — a broader claim this one bears on
In a 2007 randomized trial, Building Blocks for Math significantly improved geometry but not number outcomes — related
Clustering effects in education random-assignment trials vary by design but are typically large, requiring large school samples — related

Page metadata

Field	Value
`type`	`claim`
`id`	`building-blocks-clements-2011-scale-up-effect`
`aliases`	`building-blocks-hofer-2013-scale-up-effect`
`title`	`In a large-scale 106-classroom cluster randomized trial, Building Blocks raised end-of-intervention REMA scores with an effect size of 0.48 (improvement index +18)`
`description`	`In a large-scale 106-classroom cluster randomized trial, Building Blocks raised end-of-intervention REMA scores with an effect size of 0.48 (improvement index +18)`
`status`	`review`
`evidence_strength`	`moderate`
`newest_evidence`	`2023`
`source_checked`	`2026-10-20`
`generated`	by `process:wiki-ingest` on `2026-10-07`
`trust`	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
`sources`	2 — `study-2011`, `study-2013`

Frontmatter is the page's machine-readable record — see the Schema & Guide.