Effectiveness of Structured Teacher Adaptations to an Evidence‐Based Summer Literacy Program

Abstract

The authors conducted a cluster‐randomized trial to examine the effectiveness of structured teacher adaptations to the implementation of an evidence‐based summer literacy program that provided students with (a) books matched to their reading level and interests and (b) teacher scaffolding for summer reading in the form of end‐of‐year comprehension lessons and materials sent to students’ homes in the summer months. In this study, 27 high‐poverty elementary schools (75–100% eligibility for free or reduced‐price lunch) were matched by prior reading achievement and poverty level and randomly assigned to one of two implementation conditions: a core treatment condition that directly replicated implementation procedures used in previous experiments, or a core treatment with structured teacher adaptations condition. In the adaptations condition, teachers were organized into grade‐level teams around a practical improvement goal and given structured opportunities to use their knowledge, experience, and local data to extend or modify program components for their students and local contexts. Students in the adaptations condition performed 0.12 standard deviation higher on a reading comprehension posttest than students in the core treatment. An implementation analysis suggests that fidelity to core program components was high in both conditions and that teachers in the adaptations condition primarily made changes that extended or modified program procedures and activities in acceptable ways. Adaptations primarily served to increase the level of family engagement and student engagement with summer books. These results suggest that structured teacher adaptations may enhance rather than diminish the effectiveness of an evidence‐based summer literacy program.

Preservice Teacher Knowledge, Print Exposure, and Planning for Instruction

“…We agree with this outlook wholeheartedly and commend the schools of education who have answered the call in preparing teachers to deliver multileveled reading instruction (e.g., Ivey & Johnston, ; Kim, Burkhauser, et al., ; Kim, Hemphill, et al., ). For although it is obvious that learning to read is necessary for optimal development, there is a complementary view that learning to read in and of itself is not sufficient (Stanovich & Cunningham, ).…”

“…These suggestions align with elementary students’ reports of enjoying choice, receiving guidance, and hearing the views of teachers and peers (Edmunds & Bauserman, ). Kim and colleagues (Kim, Burkhauser, et al., ; Kim, Hemphill, et al., ) also emphasized that interesting and accessible books are critical to student engagement. The data presented here suggest that in addition to knowing the interests and reading levels of students, teachers with more personal reading experience and more knowledge about print exposure may be advantaged when promoting reading activities in their classrooms.…”

“…The program revolved around books and activities that were well aligned with the reading skills and interests of students, and incorporated many opportunities for debate and discussion (Kim, Hemphill, et al., ). A further study showed that students’ outcomes were enhanced when teachers capitalized on their expertise by tailoring the recommended reading lists for individual students (Kim, Burkhauser, et al., ). When teachers made adaptations to the program, students reported reading more frequently, engaging more with the text, and finding reading easier.…”

Parents Adjust the Quality of Their Home Literacy Environment to the Reading Interest of Their Third to Sixth Graders

“…Encouraging parents to engage in many home literacy activities with their children in the upper grades of primary school might therefore have positive effects on the reading interest and reading skills of this age group. For example, a recent study of a summer literacy program targeting fourth graders showed that children's reading comprehension increased when parents monitored their children's comprehension of books that were matched on children's interests and reading level (Kim et al, 2017). Future studies might examine the relations between children's reading interest and skills and the ways through which these can be impacted through their parents' involvement in more detail and longitudinally.…”

“…National reading campaigns should make parents aware of the importance and benefits of engaging in home literacy activities, such as sharing their own books and discussing books or articles (Kim et al, 2017;Klauda, 2009), even when children are able to read independently. These activities should take place in a positive affective atmosphere as it has been shown that children whose parents consider reading a pleasurable activity have a more positive reading attitude than children whose parents focus on skills instruction (Baker, Scher, & Mackler, 1997;Britto & Brooks-Gunn, 2001;Sonnenschein & Munsterman, 2002).…”