Dr Robert Savage and colleagues: Dr Philip C. Abramiand the CSLP team across Canada

ABRACADABRA: The evaluation of a computer-based reading intervention

ABRACADABRA

Literacy Beginning readers Teachers of beginning readers

Based on research Web-based application Modular: Activities, Stories, Professional

Development, Communication, Assessment Flexible - no required path, customizable for

particular needs, single or multiple student use, classroom/lab, at-home, etc.

ABRACADABRA – beware of cheap imitations…..

The need for controlled research studies of computer-based literacy

There is a large body of research on computer-based intervention

Much research has not been well-controlled Lack of randomized controlStudies have not ‘isolated the medium of instruction’

(Torgersen & Zhu, 2003)

Abracadabra Research Design

Groups of 4 students, randomly assigned to intervention A or B, removed from their class during language arts period

Each for 20 minutes 4 times per week Each group also received identical comprehension, fluency

tasks but differed in subtle ways on aspects of alphabetics. Intervention A: these students’ activities had a particular focus on

phoneme blending and segmenting activities. Intervention B: these students’ activities focused on a progression

from sentences to words to rhymes. Comparison group: This group remained in the classroom and

received classroom language arts instruction.

Results of Grade 1 Intervention

Letter-sound knowledge

20.5

21

21.5

22

22.5

23

23.5

24

24.5

Pre-test Post-test

Phoneme

Rime

Control

Results of Grade 1 intervention

CTOPP Blending standard score

929496

98100102

104106

108110

Pre-test Post-test

Phoneme

Rime

Control

Results of Grade 1 Intervention

CTOPP Phoneme Elision standard score

92

94

96

98

100

102

104

Pre-test Post-test

Phoneme

Rime

Control

Results of Grade 1 Intervention

GRADE Listening Comprehension (Stanine)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Pre-test Post-test

Phoneme

Rime

Control

Effects of Grade 1 Intervention

Woodcock - Johnson Word Attack

104

105

106

107

108

109

110

111

Pre-test Post-test

Phoneme

Rime

Control

Results of Grade 1 Intervention

GRADE Reading Comprehension composite

8485

868788

899091

9293

Post-test

Phoneme

Rime

Control

Canada-wide initiatives

A multi-site evaluation of ABRACADABRA: The CSLP has been successful already in developing a Pan-

Canadian team that stretches from the Maritimes to British Columbia, with an unparalleled level of world-class expertise.

Effectiveness of ABRACADABRA for children from different language and cultural backgrounds (e.g. bi- and multi-lingual backgrounds, children arriving in Canada with little or no English

We plan to have a French version of ABRA) language skills, also urban / semi-urban / rural/ Gender Age/ experience.

Rob Savage, McGill University and the CSLP team

An open invite: We welcome others to use our tools and partner with us in

research and development.