A systematic literature review of the organisational arrangements of primary school-based reading interventions for struggling readers

Abstract

Background: This paper presents findings from a systematic literature review which explored the delivery arrangements of school-based reading interventions for struggling readers aged 5-8 years. Methods: Databases were searched for published and unpublished studies from 1970-2017 which employed an RCT or quasi-experimental design. 64 texts that met the inclusion criteria were categorised according to targeted tier based on the Response to Intervention (RTI) model. Results: Findings showed that tier 2/3 interventions targeting pupils who did not respond to whole class teaching (tier 1) were almost exclusively delivered in pull-out sessions by people other than the classroom teacher. Conclusions: At present, certain delivery arrangements appear to be used more than others in reading interventions conducted with young pupils in schools. This could reflect practices already used in primary schools and suggests that pupils who are identified for tier 2/3 support might have less access to their teacher’s time and expertise.