Switch-on Reading produces a small positive impact on reading (+0.24) for Year 7 weak readers in a waiting-list RCT¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r3 · q3 · i1 small
Currency · newest study 2014 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i1 The intervention raised post-test reading scores by +0.24 standard deviations of the gain score compared with the waiting-list control. → Gorard et al. 2014

Evidence¶

Gorard et al. 2014¶

Stephen Gorard, Beng Huat See, Nadia Siddiqui. (2014). Switch-on Reading: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary. Education Endowment Foundation. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evaluation

q3 · i1 · causal · r3

Individually randomised waiting-list trial in 19 schools; 155 treatment and 153 control pupils analysed. Treatment gain was 4.40 versus 2.59 control on NGRT scores; the printed effect size was +0.24, described as "a small noticeable positive impact".

"The overall effect size of the intervention was +0.24 standard deviations of the overall gain score, meaning that it has shown a small noticeable positive impact"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• The Switch-on Reading effect is confirmed when analysed as a post-test-only design (+0.24) — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• The SPARK program produced a small but statistically significant positive impact on reading achievement of 0.12 standard deviations in a two-year RCT — related
• Prior randomized studies of Future Forward/SPARK met WWC standards Without Reservations and found positive impacts on literacy and attendance — related
• Action video game training produces significantly larger phonemic awareness gains than waiting list, non-action serious games, and speech therapy in pre-readers at risk for dyslexia — related
• Accelerated Reader modestly improves reading scores for Year 7 pupils with weak KS2 English results, with an effect size of +0.24 after 22 weeks — related