The purpose of the proposed studies is to examine a reading intervention for fourth grade students with reading difficulties that integrate work in mindset (beliefs about whether abilities are innate or can be developed) with the academic component of reading. Specifically, the investigators will examine the extent to which integrating mindset intervention improves student response to reading intervention. The investigators will use previous research in intensive reading intervention for students with reading difficulties in the upper elementary grades to examine an intervention that addresses reading skill deficits, while also providing mindset training along with (Study 1) or embedded in (Study 2) the reading intervention. It is hypothesized that students in the reading intervention with mindset conditions will improve their reading outcomes more than students in the reading intervention only and business as usual groups.

Brief Title

Improving Response to Intervention in Students With or at Risk of Reading Disabilities

Official Title

Improving Response to Intervention in Students With or at Risk of Reading Disabilities

Brief Summary

The purpose of the proposed studies is to examine a reading intervention for fourth grade <br /> students with reading difficulties that integrate work in mindset (beliefs about whether <br /> abilities are innate or can be developed) with the academic component of reading. <br /> Specifically, the investigators will examine the extent to which integrating mindset <br /> intervention improves student response to reading intervention. The investigators will use <br /> previous research in intensive reading intervention for students with reading difficulties in <br /> the upper elementary grades to examine an intervention that addresses reading skill deficits, <br /> while also providing mindset training along with (Study 1) or embedded in (Study 2) the <br /> reading intervention. It is hypothesized that students in the reading intervention with <br /> mindset conditions will improve their reading outcomes more than students in the reading <br /> intervention only and business as usual groups.

Detailed Description

The purpose of the proposed studies is to examine a reading intervention for fourth grade
students with RD that integrates the psychosocial component of mindset with the academic
component of reading. Specifically, the investigators will examine the extent to which
integrating mindset intervention improves student response to reading intervention. The
investigators will use previous research in intensive reading intervention for students with
RD in the upper elementary grades to examine an intervention that addresses reading skill
deficits, while providing mindset training along with (Study 1) or embedded in (Study 2) the
reading intervention.

Specific Aim 1. To determine the effects of intensive reading intervention with mindset
training (Reading Intervention Plus Mindset) relative to reading intervention alone and
business as usual comparison on the academic outcomes of fourth grade students with or
at-risk for reading disabilities. The proposed study will target students with or at-risk for
reading disabilities in fourth grade to examine the effects of reading intervention with
mindset training relative to reading intervention alone and business as usual comparison on
students' mindset, general academic achievement, phonological awareness, word reading,
fluency, and reading comprehension outcomes. Students will be randomly assigned to condition
with students in the Reading Intervention Plus Mindset condition receiving the mindset
training along with their reading intervention. Students assigned to the Reading Intervention
will receive the same reading intervention but without the mindset training. Students in the
Business as Usual condition will continue to receive their typical school services which will
be carefully documented. It is hypothesized that students in the Reading Intervention Plus
Mindset condition will improve their reading outcomes more than students in the Reading
Intervention only and Business as Usual groups by continuing to develop a growth mindset to
work through the challenges in their reading development and, thus, being able to progress
more efficiently in the reading intervention.

Specific Aim 2. To determine the effects of embedding mindset training in an intensive
reading intervention on the mindset and academic outcomes of fourth grade students with or
at-risk for reading disabilities. The proposed study will use the results from Specific Aim 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. Embedding mindset practices directly in the content area of difficulty for
students with learning difficulties could be more powerful than separate mindset training.
Students will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions (Embedded or Business as Usual).
The investigators will examine the effects of intervention on students' mindset, word
reading, fluency, and reading comprehension measures. It is hypothesized that embedding
mindset training directly in the reading content will further improve student reading
outcomes by allowing students to directly apply a growth mindset to their work in the area of
difficulty, reading.

Specific Aim 3. To link student characteristics to response to intervention. The proposed
study will link students' initial reading achievement, initial mindset, vocabulary ability,
behavior/attention as well as race, sex, socioeconomic status, and parents' educational
background to student response to intervention. It is hypothesized that students with lower
initial reading achievement, higher initial levels of fixed mindset, higher vocabulary, lower
parent educational background or socioeconomic status, and/or higher levels of problem
behavior/attention initially will benefit more from the mindset intervention, particularly
the embedded mindset intervention. It is hypothesized that no differences based on gender or
race.

Outcome Measures

Outcome measures are the tests that investigators perform to prove whether or not a treatment being tested in a clinical trial is having any effect.

Inclusion Criteria:

Fourth grader Identified with reading difficulty

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Exclusion Criteria:

Identified vision, hearing, or intellectual disability

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