PALS shows strong evidence of positive effects on first-grade literacy, with an average effect size of +0.23 across three studies¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesisr?·q3·i1small
Currency · newest study 2001 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person
Evidence quality · No study behind this claim is a peer-reviewed article with a DOI: it rests on a source with no registered publication record (a web page, book or unpublished report). It is kept because a design page cites it; treat it as a lead to check, not an established finding.
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.
q3 i1 Three qualifying studies of PALS in first grade, totaling 1,501 students, produced an average effect size of +0.23, qualifying PALS for the Strong category. → Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) 2001
Evidence¶
Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) 2001¶
Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS). (2001). Evidence Rating: strong. https://www.evidenceforessuccess.org
q3 · i1 · quant-synthesis · r?
Evidence summary of three qualifying first-grade studies with 1,501 students and an "Average Effect Size +0.23". Two of the three studies "found significant positive effects on Woodcock scales which qualified PALS for the “Strong” category".
"Three qualifying studies have evaluated PALS in first grade. Two of the three found significant positive effects on Woodcock scales which qualified PALS for the “Strong” category"
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- K-PALS shows statistically significant positive effects on Rapid Letter Sounds for kindergarten students in all three training-support conditions — related
- Peer-assisted instruction and small-group instruction by adults have large, robust short-term effect sizes for K-6 struggling students — a broader claim this one bears on
- For first-grade nonresponders, PALS showed no statistically significant effects on seven alphabetics outcomes compared with adult tutoring — related
- PALS shows potentially positive effects on reading fluency for students with learning disabilities, with a substantively important but not statistically significant WWC-calculated effect size of 0.41 in Saenz et al. (2005) — related
- The WWC rates PALS as having potentially positive effects on alphabetics, no discernible effects on fluency, and mixed effects on comprehension for beginning readers — related
- PALS showed no statistically significant effects on near-transfer and far-transfer reading fluency for first graders — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
pals-strong-evidence-first-grade-literacy-es-023 |
title |
PALS shows strong evidence of positive effects on first-grade literacy, with an average effect size of +0.23 across three studies |
description |
PALS shows strong evidence of positive effects on first-grade literacy, with an average effect size of +0.23 across three studies |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2001 |
source_checked |
2026-10-20 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-08 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — peer-assisted-learning-strategies-pals-2001 |
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