Tier 2 Reading Fluency Interventions With Middle School Students: A Comparison of the HELPS-SG Program and a Teacher-Directed Evidence-Based Intervention

ABSTRACT

This randomized study evaluated two evidence-based reading interventions with 121 middle school students who presented with reading fluency deficits. One intervention was teacher-directed and utilized numerous evidence-based strategies; the other intervention, the Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies for Small Groups Program, provided a structured implementation protocol of evidence-based strategies and specific intervention materials. Students in both groups demonstrated statistically significant growth on standardized measures of reading fluency and comprehension, but there were no differences between intervention conditions for any of the dependent measures. Practical implications for using oral reading fluency interventions at the middle school level are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Middle school
• reading fluency interventions
• response to intervention