Program Description

"A complete basal reading program that uses the Direct Instruction method to help students master essential decoding and comprehension skills. The program places particular emphasis on teaching thinking skills and helping students acquire background knowledge."

Cost

Kits or Individual Components Prices Available from MH Education Website.

Intended Population

• Any

Grade

• Pre-K
• Elementary School

Intended Group Size

• Classroom

ELL/DLL

• Partial

Multisensory Applications

• Unspecified

Computer-Based Delivery

• Partial

Scripted

• Instructor Scripted

Comprehensive or Skill Specific

• Comprehensive

Placement Tests

• Yes

Accelerated Learning

• No

Assessment to Monitor Skills Mastery

• No

Error Correction Built In

• Yes

Fidelity Measures Provided by Publisher

• Unspecified

Research Summary

"No studies of Reading Mastery that fall within the scope of the Beginning Reading review protocol meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence standards. The lack of studies meeting WWC evidence standards means that, at this time, the WWC is unable to draw any conclusions based on research about the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of Reading Mastery on beginning readers in grades K–3. Additionalresearch is needed to determine the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of this intervention. (WWC) NeMTSS findings for Reading Mastery are inconclusive. One study reported very small or negative effect sizes on outcome measures. Another study reported no effect sizes, but significant gains in Nonsense Word Fluency and Oral Reading Fluency. "

Study Citations

O'Connor, R. E., Jenkins, J. R., Cole, K. N., & Mills, P. E. (1993). Two approaches to reading instruction with children with disabilities: Does program design make a difference? Exceptional Children, 59(4), 312-323.

Sexton, C. W. (1989). Effectiveness of the DISTAR Reading I Program in developing first graders' language skills. The Journal of Educational Research, 82(5), 289-293.

Stockard, J. & Engelmann, K. (2010). The development of early academic success: The impact of Direct Instruction's Reading Mastery. Journal of Behavior Assessment in Children, 1(1), 2-24.

What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Report

• No studies met WWC inclusion criteria

Evidence Base (ESSA)

• No studies met inclusion requirements

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

• Insufficient evidence

Additional Reviews

• https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/08/13/01whatworks.h28.html