Lettington, Joseph;
(2024)
Examining the effectiveness of a multicomponent reading intervention for 6–7 year olds in the UK: a mixed methods matched pairs crossover trial.
Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).
Preview |
Text
Thesis_JL_FINAL.pdf - Accepted Version Download (4MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Approaches to teaching reading in the UK are dominated by principles of systematic synthetic phonics (SSP). Phonics has a mixed evidence base and there is a significant body of evidence that supports alternative approaches, suggesting that they may be appropriate for children who do not respond to traditional phonics and who are likely to present with reading difficulties. Educational psychologists (EPs) in the UK are uniquely placed to support school staff in delivering alternative approaches to phonics. The primary objective of this research was to test whether a group intervention based on a balanced approach to reading, drawing on the simplicity principle, the most commonly occurring words, motivational beliefs and the use of real books impacted reading progress for children who have not responded to traditional systematic synthetic phonics. This was a mixed-methods crossover trial with quantitative measures to assess the effectiveness of the intervention and qualitative measures to explore pupil voice and adult’s views of the intervention. 58 children from five schools in London took part in the study. Data were collected at three time points. 5 adults contributed to the qualitative data collected at the end of the study. Data were analysed using a mixture of parametric and non-parametric tests and reflexive thematic analysis. Results showed that children who took part in the intervention significantly improved in a broad range of reading measures including single word reading, accuracy and comprehension compared to the control group. Children indicated they enjoyed the intervention. Overarching themes from the qualitative data reflected the importance of psychosocial interactive learning processes, increased self-determination of the intervention facilitator, supported integrated approaches to teaching literacy and the structural integration of reading processes. This study provides much needed support for alternative methods of reading instruction. It has important implications for government policy around phonics and provides evidence for practical ways in which EPs can work at a systemic level to affect outcomes for children with reading difficulties.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Ed.Psy |
| Title: | Examining the effectiveness of a multicomponent reading intervention for 6–7 year olds in the UK: a mixed methods matched pairs crossover trial |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2024. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10195031 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
