The broad aim is to develop a model for early identification and remediation of reading disabilities in young children """"""""at risk"""""""" for this disorder. The first specific aim is to evaluate the long term effects of pull out prevention programs in kindergarten. The second specific aim is to evaluate the long term effects of providing remediation only in kindergarten, only in first grade, or in both kindergarten and first grade. The third specific aim is to compare the effectiveness of phonetic decoding strategies and combined decoding and context-based strategies on word identification in first grade. The fourth specific aim is to investigate the relationship between cognitive abilities underlying reading and growth in reading. The hypothesis is that reading ability has an experiential basis and can be remediated. Approximately 1600 children """"""""at risk"""""""" for reading disabilities will be identified at the beginning of kindergarten. They will be randomly assigned to either a kindergarten remediation group or a no remediation group. When they enter first grade, of those still having reading difficulties, half of each of the kindergarten groups will be randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: the phonetic decoding condition, the interactive strategies condition, and a control condition of the regular program. It is anticipated that there will be a total of 240 in the final sample with 40 children in each of six cells in a 2 (intervention or no intervention during kindergarten) x 3 (phonetic, interactive, control) design. A normal reader group (n = 60) will also be identified in first grade and used as a control group for the poor readers. A battery of reading and cognitive skills related to reading will be administered periodically to evaluate the short term effects and the long term effects and long term follow-up effects at third grade.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01HD034598-01A1
Application #
2025994
Study Section
Human Development and Aging Subcommittee 3 (HUD)
Project Start
1997-05-01
Project End
2002-04-30
Budget Start
1997-05-01
Budget End
1998-04-30
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
1997
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
State University of New York at Albany
Department
Pediatrics
Type
Schools of Education
DUNS #
City
Albany
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
12222