Reading Mastery - Adolescent literacy

Program
Reading Mastery

Reading Mastery

Program Description

Reading Mastery is a comprehensive, direct instruction program designed to help students in grades K–6 develop essential literacy skills. The program emphasizes explicit, systematic instruction in reading components such as phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Reading Mastery can be used as a core reading curriculum or as an intervention for struggling readers. The program is structured to accelerate reading performance by using scripted lessons, careful pacing, and frequent assessments to guide instruction.

Student Population

Reading Mastery has been evaluated in multiple studies, including randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs. One key study involved 346 students in grades K–3 from schools serving predominantly low-income and diverse populations, including African American and Hispanic students. These students often began the program performing below grade level and received instruction in small groups.

Current Evidence

According to the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), Reading Mastery has mixed evidence of effectiveness (https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/WWC/Docs/InterventionReports/wwc_readmast_081010.pdf). It has demonstrated positive effects on reading achievement but no discernible effects on alphabetics, fluency, and comprehension. One randomized controlled study showed statistically significant improvement in reading achievement outcomes. For instance, in one study, the improvement index for reading achievement was +17 percentile points compared to the control group.

For more information:

Website: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/InterventionReport/411

WWC Intervention Report (PDF): https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/WWC/Docs/InterventionReports/wwc_readmast_081010.pdf

References

Stockard, J. (2010). Fourth graders’ growth in reading fluency: A pretest-posttest randomized control study comparing Reading Mastery and Scott Foresman Basal Reading Program. Eugene, OR: National Institute for Direct Instruction.

Yu, L., & Rachor, R. (2000, April). The two-year evaluation of the three-year Direct Instruction program, in an urban public school system. Presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.