Effects of targeting reading interventions: Testing a skill-by-treatment interaction in an applied setting

mckinzieduesenberg
Nov 2
3 min read

Quick Research Summary:

Our study compared the reading growth of over 1,500 students who received targeted interventions, students who received typical school interventions, and students who were already proficient readers. This study found that students who received targeted interventions had significantly higher reading growth compared to students who received typical school interventions, and performed similarly to students who were already reading proficiently.

This is huge! It means when reading help is matched to what a child actually needs, struggling readers can catch up to their peers.

What Makes an Intervention "Targeted"?

The key concept in your research is something called a "skill-by-treatment interaction" (STI). In plain terms: the type of reading help your child needs depends on where they're struggling. Not all struggling readers need the same thing.

Think of it like this: If your child can't read a word accurately, they need someone to teach and model how to read it. But if they can read the word correctly but slowly, they don't need more teaching...they need more practice to build speed and automaticity.

The Learning Hierarchy—A Framework for Parents:

Reading skills develop through specific phases: acquisition (learning it), proficiency (getting faster), generalization (using it in different settings), and application (applying it to solve problems). Understanding where your child is in this progression helps determine what kind of help they need.

Here's what each phase looks like:

Acquisition Phase (Can't do it accurately yet)
- What it looks like: Your child reads slowly and makes many mistakes
- What they need: Modeling, explicit teaching, step-by-step instruction
- Example: Teacher demonstrates how to sound out a word, then child tries
Proficiency Phase (Can do it, but slowly)
- What it looks like: Your child reads accurately but laboriously—correct but not automatic
- What they need: Lots of practice and repetition to build speed
- Example: Repeated reading of the same passage until fluent
Generalization Phase (Can do it well in one context)
- What it looks like: Your child can read fluently in familiar situations
- What they need: Practice applying the skill in new settings or with different materials
Application Phase (Mastery)
- What it looks like: Your child uses the skill automatically across all contexts
- What they need: Opportunities to apply reading to real-world problems

Why This Matters:

The wrong intervention for your child's phase can actually slow progress. Research shows that when students received interventions that didn't match their learning phase (contraindicated interventions), they showed negligible or even negative effects, but matched interventions produced large positive effects.

For example, if your child is in the proficiency phase (reading accurately but slowly) and gets more modeling and teaching, it won't help much. They already know how to read the words—they just need practice to get faster.

Practical Implications for Home:

1. Figure out your child's phase:

Can they read the words accurately? If no → Acquisition phase
Can they read accurately but slowly? If yes → Proficiency phase
You can test this at home: Have them read a grade-level passage. Count errors and time them.

2. Match your help to their phase:

If in Acquisition Phase:

Model correct reading for them
Use explicit teaching: "Watch me read this word. Now you try."
Break skills down into smaller steps
Focus on accuracy first, not speed

If in Proficiency Phase:

Practice, practice, practice!
Use repeated reading (same passage multiple times)
Time them to show improvement
Minimize teaching—they need repetition, not more instruction
Celebrate speed gains: "You read that 5 words faster this time!"

3. Talk to your child's teacher: Armed with this knowledge, you can have more productive conversations:

"Where is my child in the learning hierarchy for reading?"
"Is the intervention focused on teaching new skills or building fluency?"
"How do we know if the current intervention is working?"

What Makes This Research Special:

Our study showed these positive effects even when interventions were selected and implemented by regular school personnel in real school settings...not just in controlled research conditions. This means the approach is practical and doable in real classrooms.

The Bottom Line:

One-size-fits-all reading intervention doesn't work. Your child needs help that matches where they are in their learning journey. When interventions are properly targeted, struggling readers can make dramatic gains and catch up to their peers. The key is identifying whether your child needs more teaching or more practice—and giving them exactly that.