Breaking the Sound Barrier to Fluent Reading: an Evaluation of a Middle School Reading Intervention

The failure to read efficiently accounts for nearly 80% of the children who meet the criteria for a specific learning disability in America. Moreover, many of those children do not receive instruction that is sufficient to improve their reading achievement to within the average range. The current study examines the Breaking the “Sound” Barrier to Fluent Reading program by comparing pretest and posttest scores on individually administered and group statewide tests of reading achievement. The impact of IQ on progress is evaluated and discussed. Students’levels of reading proficiency preintervention and postintervention, as determined by the criteria set forth by the state of Pennsylvania and measured by the Pennsylvania State System of Assessment, are also evaluated and discussed. Findings are framed within a Response-to-intervention (RTI) model and recommendations are provided for implementation within a three-tiered system of service delivery