Mapping the Mechanisms of Interdisciplinary Learning Transfer from Reading to Math Achievement: Evidence from a Large-Scale Randomized Controlled Trial. EdWorkingPaper No. 26-1376
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| Title: | Mapping the Mechanisms of Interdisciplinary Learning Transfer from Reading to Math Achievement: Evidence from a Large-Scale Randomized Controlled Trial. EdWorkingPaper No. 26-1376 |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Joshua B. Gilbert (ORCID |
| Source: | Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 2026. |
| Availability: | Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 54 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Early Childhood Education Elementary Education Grade 1 Primary Education Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Intermediate Grades |
| Descriptors: | Transfer of Training, Reading Instruction, Mathematics Achievement, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Elementary School Students, Grade 4, Reading Achievement, Outcomes of Education, Reading Skills, Mathematics Skills, Achievement Tests, Social Emotional Learning |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | Measures of Academic Progress |
| Abstract: | Far transfer--the application of learning across distant domains--remains elusive in intervention research, and even when it is found, its mechanisms remain unclear or unexplored. This study analyzes data from the Model of Reading Engagement (MORE), a sustained content literacy intervention implemented in Grades 1-3 that demonstrated positive treatment effects on both near transfer reading and far transfer math outcomes in a prior study. Here, we extend the original analysis to examine the potential mechanisms of the far transfer effects previously observed on math. Latent mediation analysis shows that approximately 50% of the treatment effect on Grade 4 math is explained by Grade 3 reading, leaving the remainder attributable to other factors. The indirect effects on math are driven by broad standardized reading measures rather than narrower content-specific reading comprehension or background knowledge, suggesting that interventions targeting broad, cross-disciplinary skills may be most effective for supporting far transfer. Results are robust to high levels of unobserved confounding, alternative mediators representing reading engagement and social-emotional learning, and alternative model specifications. We conclude with a discussion of how the appropriate methodological choices for assessing transfer depend on intervention characteristics and substantive research questions. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED678325 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Far transfer--the application of learning across distant domains--remains elusive in intervention research, and even when it is found, its mechanisms remain unclear or unexplored. This study analyzes data from the Model of Reading Engagement (MORE), a sustained content literacy intervention implemented in Grades 1-3 that demonstrated positive treatment effects on both near transfer reading and far transfer math outcomes in a prior study. Here, we extend the original analysis to examine the potential mechanisms of the far transfer effects previously observed on math. Latent mediation analysis shows that approximately 50% of the treatment effect on Grade 4 math is explained by Grade 3 reading, leaving the remainder attributable to other factors. The indirect effects on math are driven by broad standardized reading measures rather than narrower content-specific reading comprehension or background knowledge, suggesting that interventions targeting broad, cross-disciplinary skills may be most effective for supporting far transfer. Results are robust to high levels of unobserved confounding, alternative mediators representing reading engagement and social-emotional learning, and alternative model specifications. We conclude with a discussion of how the appropriate methodological choices for assessing transfer depend on intervention characteristics and substantive research questions. |
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