COLUMBUS, Ohio–SRA/McGraw-Hill’s Reading Mastery, a Direct Instruction program designed to provide explicit, systematic instruction in English language reading, was found to have positive effects on the reading achievement of English-language learners according to the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), a group established by the government to provide educators, policymakers, researchers, and the public with scientific evidence of what works in education.
The two-year randomized control study cited by the WWC investigated the effects of supplemental reading instruction on English-language learners and focused on addressing student outcomes in reading achievement.
According to the WWC, SRA’s Reading Mastery had substantively important effects on:
*Oral reading fluency
*Letter/word identification
*Word attack
*Reading vocabulary
The average improvement across indices for all findings across the study was + 28 percentile points. To view the complete report, please visit w-w-c.org/InterventionReportLinks.asp?iid=258&tid=10.
“It’s satisfying to have well-designed, independent research validate our products,” said Peter Sayeski, president of McGraw-Hill Learning Group, which includes SRA/McGraw-Hill. “We are so proud of the positive impact of this program on Spanish speaking students. As this study shows, Reading Mastery has the potential to help English Language Learners make substantive gains in reading and comprehending English text.”
Reading Mastery is available in two versions, Reading Mastery Classic for use in Grades K3, and Reading Mastery Plus, an integrated reading-language program for Grades K6. The program begins by teaching phonemic awareness and sound-letter correspondence and moves into word and passage reading, vocabulary development, comprehension, and building oral fluency. Lessons are designed to be fast-paced and interactive, and the program includes placement assessments and a continuous monitoring system.
About Direct Instruction
Direct Instruction is a scripted teaching method based on more than 30 years of research and pioneered by Siegfried “Zig” Engelmann in the 1960s. Now it is used in classrooms of all types throughout the world, with students ranging from those with learning difficulties to very bright students. Direct Instruction’s programs are based on two beliefs: All children can learn regardless of their learning histories, and all teachers can be successful when given effective materials and presentation techniques. These programs have been proven to work even when other programs fail. They provide a structured learning process that helps students learn “how to learn” while they build specific skills in reading, math, spelling, and language arts. Today, more than 1 million students in a third of the country’s schools use a Direct Instruction program.
About SRA/McGraw-Hill
SRA/McGraw-Hill is the top provider of specialized research-based educational programs and professional development for the elementary market. Leading programs include Open Court Reading, Direct Instruction, and Real Math. SRA is part of McGraw-Hill Education, a leading global provider of instructional, assessment and reference solutions that empower professionals and students of all ages. Additional information is available at mheducation.com. For more information on SRA/McGraw-Hill’s products, call 1-888-SRA-4543 or visit SRAonline.com.
About What Works Clearinghouse
Established in 2002 by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, the group provides educators, policymakers, researchers, and the public with a central and trusted source of scientific evidence of what works in education. WWC aims to promote informed education decision-making through a set of databases and reports that provide consumers with reviews of the effectiveness of replicable educational programs, practices, and policies, that intend to improve student outcomes. The WWC is administered by the Institute of Education Sciences through a contract to a joint venture of the American Institutes for Research and the Campbell Collaboration.
