Effects of tutoring in phonological and early reading skills on students at risk for reading disabilities

This study examined the effectiveness of nonprofessional tutors in a phonol ogically based reading treatment similar to those in which successful readi ng outcomes have been demonstrated. Participants were 23 first graders at r isk for learning disability who received intensive one-to-one tutoring from noncertified tutors for 30 minutes, 4 days a week, for one school year. Tu toring included instruction in phonological skills, letter-sound correspond ence, explicit decoding, rime analysis, writing, spelling, and reading phon etically controlled text. Al year end, tutored students significantly outpe rformed untutored control students on measures of reading, spelling, and de coding. Effect sizes ranged from .42 to 1.24. Treatment effects diminished at follow-up at the end of second grade, although tutored students continue d to significantly outperform untutored students in decoding and spelling. Findings suggest that phonologically based reading instruction for first gr aders at risk for learning disability can be delivered by nonteacher tutors . Our discussion addresses the character of reading outcomes associated wit h tutoring, individual differences in response to treatment, and the infras tructure required for nonprofessional tutoring, programs.