Reading technology intervention Not Applicable
Conditions
Interventions
Reading Core5® (Lexia) is a computer-based integrated learning system that aims to improve reading skills. Lexia is being independently evaluated at an effectiveness level. This means that it will be
Sponsors
Education Endowment Foundation
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: The trial will be implemented across 224 schools, recruited nationwide across England. Schools located in EIAs will be prioritised for recruitment to ensure at least half will be recruited from the said areas. To be considered for participation in the trial, schools will need to respond to a publicly available request for expressions of interest. This request for expressions of interest (EOIs) was published on dedicated pages on the respective websites of the EEF and LexiaUK, the programme provider. The Queen’s University of Belfast (QUB) lead school recruitment for this trial and will contact schools with the school information sheet and MOU documents and follow up on EOIs received via EEF and LexiaUK websites. Schools that express interest will then be screened against the following eligibility criteria: 1. Have a minimum of 8 pupils (and a maximum of 16 pupils) that would be eligible for Lexia 2. Not currently involved in any other EEF trial focusing on Year 2 3. Have not held a Lexia licence in the 12 months prior to July 2022 (for Cohort 1) and July 2023 (Cohort 2) 4. Able to provide the necessary IT equipment required in order to support the intervention. The trial participants will be struggling readers. Eligible pupils will be identified by their classroom teacher when they are in Year 1, the term before they are to go into Year 2, using written guidance provided by LexiaUK to select struggling readers. In each school, a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 16 struggling readers will receive Lexia. The written pupil selection guidance lays out the following criteria: 1. They are able to stay on task at a computer for 20–30-minute sessions. 2. They are available to attend 4-5 Lexia sessions every week during the school's planned delivery schedule. 3. Hearing-impaired pupils may struggle if their amplification device does not enable them to hear spoken language and isolated sounds. Deaf pupils may not be suitable candidates for Lexia use. 4. Visually impaired pupils might benefit from Lexia if they can read print on a computer screen or tablet. Blind pupils may not be suitable candidates for Lexia use. 5. For pupils with physical disabilities such as paralysis or cerebral palsy, specialist devices provided by the school and set up by assistive technology specialists may help access to Lexia. These struggling readers will be identified by teachers, based on existing evidence that teachers are able to successfully identify appropriate students when armed with the correct guidance (Hoge and Coladarci, 1989). Each participating school will nominate one Year 2 teacher and one teaching assistant, who will be given written pupil selection guidance by LexiaUK, informing them that the program will be appropriate for struggling readers but not for those who have severe learning difficulties. All pupils about to go into Year 2 will either be in a school assigned to treatment or to control, meaning all pupils in a single school who are included in the trial will be assigned to the same condition. The researchers select pupils in this way (i.e., randomisation at the school level) to minimise the occurrence of resources being diverted away from control to treated pupils – a confounding event observed during the efficacy trial.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: Does not meet the inclusion criteria
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Reading proficiency measured using the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test (WMRT-III) at baseline and endline | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| There are no secondary outcome measures | — |
Countries
England, United Kingdom
Contacts
Public ContactElena Rosa Brown
Outcome results
None listed