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Compiled by Cheryl Phillips February 2015.

Summary of the

Reading: an Explicit Action Intervention Program and

Lexia Core 5 Reading Program at William Ross State High School in 2014

Lexia Core 5 Reading Program was purchased in May 2014. The program was used to screen all year

8 and 9 students to provide diagnostic feedback on the students’ reading skills. The analysis of the

data indicated many students had significant gaps in their learning of the reading process. Lexia Core

5 Reading Program was chosen as it could provide the specific, explicit and directed teaching,

learning and practise of reading skills in a scaffolded, individualised program.

The recommendation for the successful implementation of the program, to gain development in

students reading ability and therefore their academic performance was having the students engaged

with the program for at least three 20 minutes sessions per week. This was relayed through students

and parents and became an expectation that this be completed as part of the student’s homework.

Where internet access was an issue, use of computers before, during and after school was offered.

Furthermore, some students were able to use Lexia Core 5 Reading program within their subject

learning time.

The powerful component of the program was not only to identify the gaps in students reading skills,

but to direct the teacher to specific reading skills that was required to be taught for each student.

The program also ‘flagged’ points of learning where students were provided with scaffolding. Lesson

plans and resources to support that teaching were components of the program. Close monitoring of

the students travels through the program and enactment at the identified points for explicit teaching

was a key component to the student’s development of reading skills.

At William Ross State High School, year 8 students who were identified as being below level 101 in

the Lexia Core 5 Reading Program were withdrawn from Humanities and placed in an Action

Intervention Reading Program2. The Lexia Core 5 Reading Program was an integral component of this

program. The Action Intervention Reading Program ran wholly over the last two terms of 2014. The

groups were fluid and kept to no more than 7 students in each group. Student’s reading skill

development was measured by the progress they had made through the Lexia Core 5 Reading

program every five weeks and other measures (i.e. reading running records, comprehension,

observations of skill transfer). Participation in the program was voluntary and was accompanied by

an acceptance and commitment from the student and the parents. The monitoring and explicit

teaching within each group was performed by select teaching staff.

To measure the success of the implementation of Lexia Core 5 Reading program, comparisons were

made to students’ achievements in progressive achievement tests (PAT –reading comprehension,

maths and science) undertaken at the beginning of the year and then at the end of the year, with the

time engaged in the Lexia Core 5 Reading Program. Comparisons were also made with this time and

the level of achievements in English, Maths and Science across the two semesters. Reviewing the

results across the 3 disciplines of PAT and key learning areas allowed for identification of transfer of

the learnt reading skills.

The first data analysis reflects only those students who participated in the Explicit Action

Intervention program. The second analysis represents the whole year 8 cohort in 2014.

1 Level 10 being the point where phonics should have been mastered. 2 “Reading: An explicit Action Intervention Program” for the development of reading skills, developed and implemented at William Ross State High School.


FOR STUDENTS in EXPLICIT READING GROUP

(with beginning and end respective data)

English LOA difference comparison to time on Lexia Core 5

With zero movement removed

Out of the 37 students who participated in the ERP results:

LOA increase/decrease

Number of students

<0 1 3% Number of students with

NO LOA gain 1 17 46%

2 5 14% A-A 0

3 0 0% B-B 2

4 0 0% C-C 5

5 0 0% D-D 6

0 14 38% E-E 1

Lexia

Usage

2014 (

min

s)

Englis

h

2014 S

em

1

Englis

h

2014 S

em

2

139 E C

430 D B

733 C A

786 D B

1151 E C

110 D C

410 D C

541 D C

598 C B

623 C B

653 D C

710 E D

732 D C

769 D C

802 D C

958 E D

994 E D

1067 C B

1152 D C

1255 D C

1800 D C

2126 D C

214 B B

643 D D

645 C C

781 D D

795 D D

808 C C

836 D D

839 C C

886 B B

957 E E

1263 C C

1366 C C

1477 D D

1780 D D

24 D E


PAT –R scale score comparison to time on Lexia Core 5

Note: out of the six students that declined in scale score, four went up in LOA of English and two remained at the same LOA.

Maths LOA difference comparison to time on Lexia Core 5

Note: of the two students who slipped, one improved in English LOA (right hand end) and the other went down.

Furthermore the student who had greatest PAT-R scale score decline, had an increase in LOA across 2 subject areas.

PAT – M scale score comparison to time on Lexia Core 5

Note: of the four students who slipped, two improved in English & Science LOA , one remained constant and the other went

down.


Science LOA difference comparison to time on Lexia Core 5

PAT-S scale score comparison to time on Lexia Core 5

Evidence of Reading skills learnt in Explicit Reading groups is beginning to be transferred to other

areas of learning. To build this transfer of skills would require professional learning by staff to

encourage and consolidate reading skills learnt through Explicit Reading Groups and via Lexia Core 5

Reading program.


Combined LOA for English, Maths and Science comparison to time on Lexia Core 5


FOR ALL STUDENTS (with beginning and end respective data)

English LOA difference comparison to time on Lexia Core 5

Turning point where all students made gains in LOA was beyond 235 minutes of engagement with Lexia Core 5 Reading

program. This equates to just under 4 hours total usage. Over two terms, being 20 weeks that averages at approximately

12 mins/wk. Well under the recommended usage yet with exceptional results.

PAT –R scale score comparison to time on Lexia Core 5


Maths LOA difference comparison to time on Lexia Core 5

PAT – M scale score comparison to time on Lexia Core 5


Science LOA difference comparison to time on Lexia Core 5

PAT-S scale score comparison to time on Lexia Core 5

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