Impact of Vocabulary Instruction on Reading Outcomes

Abstract

The current study investigated the effects of a two-part reading intervention on reading outcomes of a struggling reader using a single-subject design. One part of the intervention included direct-instruction through a manualized vocabulary program with an emphasis on morphology. The second part of the intervention included indirect-instruction through repeated reading of passages with phrase drill error correction. Outcomes were measured using three formative assessments (i.e., DIBEL Next oral reading fluency, DIBELS Next maze passages, and an affix identification task). Additionally, three summative measures of morphological awareness were used (i.e., nonsense word analysis, cloze sentences, and affix spelling). Additionally, participant perceptions of the program were collected using surveys both before and after the implementation of the program. Regarding his performance on the formative CBM assessment, the participant had a positive rate of improvement in the trend of the data from baseline through the intervention for both reading comprehension (g- index = 0.67) and oral reading fluency (g- index = 0.33). The participant also had improvements on formative measures of morphological awareness throughout the intervention. Regarding summative assessments, the participant made minimal gains on two of the pre/post morphological awareness measures. The participant reported negative perceptions of the intervention.