Our World Begins with Reading Robert McCabe Vice President and Chief Education Officer Lexia...

Our World Begins with Reading

Robert McCabeVice President and Chief Education Officer Lexia Learning Systems, Inc.

[email protected]


www.lexialearning.com

Lexia Company History• Founded in 1984• Federal Grants from National

Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

• Computerize the Orton-Gillingham pedagogy of reading instruction

• Over 20 years building reading software



Beneficial Characteristics of CAI in Published Studies

• Well suited for individualized supplementary instruction.

• Activities can be intrinsically motivating.• Computers provide explicit training.• Consistent fidelity of treatment• Computer assisted instruction has

improved accurate word reading.• Speeds up skill acquisition• Extends teacher resources



Specific Attributes of Lexia CAI

• Excellent practice to reinforce specific skills• Sequenced, systematic and structured (OG)• Independent, differentiated and appropriate• Provides for the needs of at-risk and

advanced students.• Compatible with either a centers or lab model• Balances strengths and weaknesses of the

child• Balances strengths and weaknesses of the

curriculum.



Lexia Research Resources• Journal of Research in Reading, Volume

29, Issue 2, 2006. Title I study.• Reading Psychology, Kindergarten study.• Implementation Study, manuscript in

preparation.• “Lexia Best Practices” white paper• “Leveraging Technology...” – paper

presented at conference.• Boston Public Schools Evaluation, 2004.



Characteristics of Success - Reading Instruction in K-3

• Early Intervention• Differentiated Instruction• Small Group Instruction• Ability Grouping• Decoding and Encoding• Modeling and Scaffolding



Research Requirements • Treatment and

control groups• Pre- and post-testing

using standardized measures

• Equated groups on pretest scores

• Sufficient implementation over school year



• Close to 50% non-Caucasian/Bilingual

• Over 50% qualify for free or reduced lunch

• District wide participation

• Kindergarten-third grade sample

• 45 classes• 812 total students



Assessment ToolGates-MacGinitie Reading Test

• Kindergarten (Level PR) – phonological awareness, letter-sound correspondences, listening comprehension

• First grade (Level BR) – letter-sound correspondences, basic story words

• Second grade (Level 2) – word decoding, reading vocabulary, reading comprehension

• Third grade (Level 3) – reading vocabulary, reading comprehension



Kindergarten Study

•3 treatment, 3 control classes

•Lexia Early Reading•Matched classes – same

teacher, classroom, and curriculum



Kindergarten ResultsAll children Low performers

Mea

n N

CE

Sco

re

20

30

40

50

60

Lexia Control

Mea

n N

CE

Sco

re

20

30

40

50

60

Lexia Control



New Publication Update!

The Kindergarten Manuscript has been accepted for publication in

Reading Psychology: An International Quarterly



First Grade Study• 5 treatment, 5 control classes• 83 students in treatment group,

84 students in control group• Subanalysis – Title I (15 students

in treatment group, 15 students in control group)



First Grade ResultsTitle I Students Lexia Students

20

30

40

50

60

70

Pretest Post-test

Mea

n N

CE

Sco

res

LexiaTitle I

ControlTitle I

20

30

40

50

60

70

Pretest Post-test

Mea

n N

CE

Sco

res

Lexia Title I

Lexia non-Title I



Grade 1Average Comprehension Gain Score (By School Building)

11.8912.38 12.00

19.65

17.95

16.00

12.29

9.338.86

11.29

0

5

10

15

20

Building 1 Building 2 Building 3 Building 4 Building 5

ControlLexia

Gate

s M

acG

init

ie S

tan

dard

Ch

ange S

core



Lexia’s UK Published Research

Title 1 findings appear in the Journal of Research in Reading v29 (2), May 2006

“The efficacy of computer-based supplementary phonics programs for advancing reading skills in at-risk elementary students”



Second Grade Study

• 7 treatment, 4 control classes

• Students in two groups matched on pretest scores – 41 students in each group



Second Grade ResultsDecoding Subtest

Mea

n N

CE

Sco

res

45

50

55

60

65

Pretest Post-test

Lexia

Control



Third Grade Study

• 13 treatment, 5 control classes• Lower performers only • 46 students in treatment group,

65 students in control group



Third Grade Results Reading Comprehension Subtest

Mean

NC

E S

co

res

35

40

45

50

55

Pretest Post-test

Lexia

Control



Lexia Middle School Study• 3 remedial reading classes: 47

subjects, two treatment classes, one control class (31 SPED students)

• Identical instruction plus Lexia Strategies for Older Students in treatment classes (50 sessions avg.)

• Woodcock Johnson III assessment tool• Pre-test determined two Lexia groups:

Extremely Low Group (pre-test <80) and Low Average Group (pre-test >80)



Mea

n S

tan

dar

d S

core

s

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

PreTest Post-Test

TreatmentControl

Word-Attack Subtest - WJIII

Comparison of Treatment Students with Very-Low Pretest Scores and Control Students



Passage Comprehension Subtest

Mea

n S

tan

dar

d S

core

78

80

82

84

86

88

90

92

PreTest Post-Test

TreatmentControl

Comparison of Treatment Students with Low-Average Pretest Scores and Control Students



Data Driven Results• Lexia contributed to

reading gains in grades K - 3 and middle school

• Gains most evident for low performers

• Results are consistent with published data

• Teachers support the use of the programs



Best Practices and Implementation Tips*

*You have the details in your handout



Frequency and Duration of Use

• 4 to 5 times a week• Kindergarten: Everybody benefits• Grades 1-3: Student performance

drives your implementation• Grades 4 and above: Intensive

remediation, English language learners



“High Benefit Students”

• Low pre-test scores• High user sessions• High gain scores



Scheduling Use•Time on task•Lexia and the language arts

block•Targeted implementation•What are you using your

technology for?



Class Versus Lab Use

•Class use characteristics•Lab use characteristics



Research and Resources Questions?

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