A Third-Grade Intervention Model for Struggling Readers in Rural, Low-Income Mississippi Delta Schools
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| Title: | A Third-Grade Intervention Model for Struggling Readers in Rural, Low-Income Mississippi Delta Schools |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Claire Brindley (ORCID |
| Source: | Grantee Submission. 2026 16. |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 25 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Department of Education (ED) |
| Contract Number: | U215N120032 U215N180011 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Elementary Education Early Childhood Education Grade 3 Primary Education |
| Descriptors: | Elementary School Students, Grade 3, Reading Difficulties, Intervention, Reading Instruction, Rural Schools, Low Income Students, Decoding (Reading), Reading Comprehension, African American Students, Small Group Instruction, Instructional Effectiveness |
| Geographic Terms: | Mississippi |
| DOI: | 10.3390/educsci16050761 |
| Abstract: | A substantial proportion of U.S. third graders cannot read at grade level. However, few models in the literature are known to be effective in ameliorating third-grade reading deficits, where learning to read shifts to reading to learn. This study presents findings from an evaluation of Literacy Fellows, a one-year, intensive, small-group reading intervention designed for third graders lacking decoding skills needed for comprehension. The study sample included 484 third-grade students from low-income, predominantly Black school districts, 120 of whom scored below the cutoff on a standardized, beginning-of-the-year reading test and were assigned to the Literacy Fellows intervention. The analytical sample draws on cohorts from the 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2017-2018 academic years. The effectiveness of Literacy Fellows was investigated using a quasi-experimental regression discontinuity design. The results indicate an improvement of 68 scale points (12 percentile rank points) on a third-grade reading test designed to determine readiness for entering the fourth grade for intervention students. The findings have policy implications for third-grade reading interventions that help foster grade-proficient reading, reduce equity gaps in reading success, and offer actionable suggestions, including the implementation of daily small-group, decoding-focused instruction for struggling third-grade readers in low-income school districts. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED680824 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | A substantial proportion of U.S. third graders cannot read at grade level. However, few models in the literature are known to be effective in ameliorating third-grade reading deficits, where learning to read shifts to reading to learn. This study presents findings from an evaluation of Literacy Fellows, a one-year, intensive, small-group reading intervention designed for third graders lacking decoding skills needed for comprehension. The study sample included 484 third-grade students from low-income, predominantly Black school districts, 120 of whom scored below the cutoff on a standardized, beginning-of-the-year reading test and were assigned to the Literacy Fellows intervention. The analytical sample draws on cohorts from the 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2017-2018 academic years. The effectiveness of Literacy Fellows was investigated using a quasi-experimental regression discontinuity design. The results indicate an improvement of 68 scale points (12 percentile rank points) on a third-grade reading test designed to determine readiness for entering the fourth grade for intervention students. The findings have policy implications for third-grade reading interventions that help foster grade-proficient reading, reduce equity gaps in reading success, and offer actionable suggestions, including the implementation of daily small-group, decoding-focused instruction for struggling third-grade readers in low-income school districts. |
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| DOI: | 10.3390/educsci16050761 |
