Reducing Risk through a Supplementary Reading Intervention - A Case Study of First-and Second-Grade Urban Students

Oct 15, 2026

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This descriptive case study investigated whether a computer-based repeated reading approach, Reading Relevant and Culturally Engaging Stories, was associated with improved reading and social behavior for three primary-aged urban black girls showing both academic and behavioral risk. Culturally relevant passages were delivered via software for repeated readings, targeting reading fluency. Single-subject AB designs tracked reading and behavior during the intervention, with measurable improvements for all three participants, supporting systematic, intensive, and culturally relevant risk-reduction for beginning learners.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Reading as an Essential Skill and Risk Factors

Behavior Problems and Reading

Combined Academic and Behavioral Deficits

Urban Minority Learners and Disproportionate Risk

Exclusion and Predictors

Intervention Needs in Urban Schools

Evidence-Based, Teacher-Friendly Supports

Reducing Risk through a Supplementary Reading Intervention: A Case Study of First-and Second-Grade Urban Students Morris R. Council, III University of West Georgia Gwendolyn Cartledge The Ohio State University DeLayna Green Columbus City Schools Mariah Barber Paradise Valley Unified School District Ralph Gardner, III The Ohio State University ABSTRACT: This descriptive study examined whether a computer-based, repeated reading intervention (i.e., Reading Relevant and Culturally Engaging Stories) is associated with improved reading and social behavior for three primary-aged urban black girls who each showed both academic and behavioral risk. The Reading Relevant and Culturally Engaging Stories intervention utilized culturally relevant reading passages for repeated readings delivered through computer software to increase the reading fluency of the young learners. Single-subject data collection procedures (AB designs) were used to measure student performance in reading and behavior during the intervention. Reading and behavioral outcomes improved following implementation of the intervention for all three participants. The benefits of systematic, intensive, and culturally relevant intervention to reduce risk in beginning learners are discussed. ▪ Reading is the most essential skill for school success. Poverty, racial minority status, limited English proficiency, and inadequate schooling are the most salient factors associated with reading/special education risk (National Center for Educational Statistics [NCES], 2007) . Furthermore, struggling readers often present chronic problem behavior, increasing their risk for a special education label (e.g., behavior disorders; Kaufman & Landrum, 2012) . Children with behavior disorders traditionally have been subjected to a curriculum focused on behavior control (Knitzer, Steinberg, & Fleisch, 1990) and punishment (Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice [CECP], 2000), with considerably less attention to academics. More recently, however, the associative nature of combined behavior and academic deficits for children with behavior disorders (Bierman et al., 2013) has increased attention to this dual relationship and related interventions. Behavior Problems and Reading The research and theoretical literature in the area of behavior disorders includes extensive discussions on the co-existence of problems with both reading and behavior. The common speculation that providing interventions for either academic or social behaviors might have a reciprocal, moderating effect on the corresponding behavior (Algozzine, Wang, & Violette, 2011; Kempe, Gustafson, & Samuelsson, 2011; Pierce, Wechsler-Zimring, Noam, Wolf, & Katzir, 2013; Pimperton & Nation, 2014) has limited empirical support (Algozzine et al., 2011) . There is, Behavioral Disorders, 41 (4), 241–257 August 2016 / 241 however, research evidence that intensive interventions that require high levels of academic responding not only affect academic gains but can also reduce disruptive behavior during instruction (e.g., Hagan-Burke, Gilmour, Gerow,& Crowder, 2015; Lane, Little, Redding-Rhodes, Phillips, & Welsh, 2007; Lo & Cartledge, 2004; Sutherland & Snyder, 2007) . Although lacking evidence of lasting behavior outcomes, effective academic interventions that mitigate disruptive behaviors during instruction are extremely beneficial for students with behavior disorders. Urban Minority Learners Students who present reading and behavior problems are perhaps the most vulnerable youngsters in our schools and this risk is further aggravated among minority and low-income students. The professional literature repeatedly documents the disproportionate placement of African American students in programs for behavior disorders (Cartledge & Dukes, 2009) . We know that students with behavior disorders not only experience more school failure than their peers with or without disabilities (Bowman-Perrott et al., 2011)

FAQs

What intervention did the study examine to reduce academic and behavioral risk?

The study examined a computer-based repeated reading intervention called Reading Relevant and Culturally Engaging Stories, using culturally relevant passages for repeated readings to improve reading fluency and related social behavior.

How were reading and behavioral outcomes measured during the intervention?

Single-subject data collection procedures using AB designs were used to measure student performance in both reading and behavior during implementation of the intervention.

What were the observed results for the three student participants?

Reading and behavioral outcomes improved following the intervention for all three participants, indicating benefits of systematic, intensive, and culturally relevant instruction for beginning learners at risk.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Ben