Abstract

This study reports a randomized controlled trial evaluation of a computer-based balanced literacy intervention, ABRACADABRA (http://grover.concordia.ca/abra/version1/abracadabra.html). Children (N = 144) in Grade 1 were exposed either to computer activities for word analysis, text comprehension, and fluency, alongside shared stories (experimental groups), or to balanced literacy approaches delivered by their classroom teachers (control group). Two computer-based interventions--a phoneme-based synthetic phonics method and a rime-based analytic phonics method--were contrasted. Children were taught 4 times per week for 12 weeks in small groups. There were significant improvements in letter knowledge in the analytic phonics program and significant improvements in phonological awareness, listening comprehension, and reading comprehension at immediate posttest and in phonological awareness and reading fluency at a delayed posttest in the synthetic phonics program. Effect size analyses confirmed that both interventions had a significant impact on literacy at both posttests. (Contains 2 tables.)

Citation

Savage, R.S., Abrami, P., Hipps, G. & Deault, L. (2009). A Randomized Controlled Trial Study of the ABRACADABRA Reading Intervention Program in Grade 1. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(3), 590-604. Retrieved August 9, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/105767/.

This record was imported from ERIC on April 19, 2013. [Original Record]

ERIC is sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education.

Copyright for this record is held by the content creator. For more details see ERIC's copyright policy.

Keywords

• Computer Assisted Instruction
• educational technology
• Effect Size
• Elementary School Students
• Foreign Countries
• Grade 1
• Intervention
• Listening Comprehension
• Phonics
• Phonological Awareness
• Pretests Posttests
• Program Effectiveness
• Program Evaluation
• reading comprehension
• reading fluency
• Reading Instruction
• Reading Programs
• teaching methods
• Word Recognition