The proposed project addresses the vital health problem of improving reading outcomes for a vulnerable population: students with or at-risk for reading disabilities. Numerous studies have documented the relationship between literacy levels and health outcomes (Berkman et al., 2004). As a result, ways in which low reading achievement can be prevented or ameliorated are highly relevant to the public health sector. The purpose of the proposed studies is to investigate the effects of a mindset intervention, embedded and not embedded in an intensive reading intervention, on the reading outcomes of fourth grade students with or at-risk for reading disabilities. In Study 1, the effects of adding mindset training to an intensive reading intervention will be systematically examined relative to intensive reading intervention alone and business as usual. In Study 2, the effects of embedding mindset training in an intensive reading intervention will be examined. Specifically, the proposed project seeks to (a) determine the effects of mindset intervention with intensive reading intervention relative to reading intervention alone and business as usual comparison on the reading outcomes of fourth grade students with or at-risk for reading disabilities, (b) determine the effects of embedding mindset intervention in an intensive reading intervention, and (c) link student characteristics to response to intervention. In Study 1, students will be randomly assigned to condition with students in the reading intervention plus mindset condition receiving the mindset intervention along with their reading intervention. Students assigned to the reading intervention will receive the same reading intervention but without the mindset intervention. Students in the business as usual condition will continue to receive their typical school services which will be carefully documented. In Study 2, we will use the results from Study 1 to further examine the effects of an intensive reading intervention with mindset embedded in the content with a new cohort of fourth grade students with or at-risk for reading disabilities. In both studies, we will examine the effects of intervention on students? word reading, reading fluency, reading comprehension, and general academic achievement. In addition, we will link students? initial reading achievement, mindset, vocabulary, behavior/attention, and demographics to student response to intervention. The effects of the intervention will be analyzed using a series of hierarchical linear models to account for the data?s multilevel structure.
Poor academic performance is of great concern in that it is prognostic of overall low quality of life. Numerous studies have documented the relationship between literacy levels and health outcomes (Berkman et al., 2004). As a result, ways in which low reading achievement can be prevented or ameliorated are highly relevant to the public health sector.
