Computer Based Newsletter and Literacy Engagement of Middle-school Students

NCT04511065 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: STUDY00004610
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 1
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to improve motivation for reading by implementing a computer-based newsletter and examine the effects on the literacy engagement and reading achievement of middle school-aged students. Research questions to be answered: 1. Does the provision of a computer-based newsletter intervention improve literacy engagement on middle school students in comparison to their pretest scores? 2. Does the provision of computer-based newsletter intervention improve the reading achievement of middle school students in comparison to their pretest scores?

Conditions

Reading Problem

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Reading Skills of Middle-School Aged Children

  Reading skills will be assessed using the Gray Oral Reading Test 5 (GORT 5) and the Test of Orthographic Competency (TOC). The Gray Oral Reading Test 5 assesses oral reading skills of individuals ages 6-23 years old, in the areas of rate, accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. The Test of Orthographic Competence assesses reading skills of children ages 6-17 years old, looking at proficiency with letters, spelling, punctuation, abbreviations and special symbols.

  These assessments will be administered at the start of the study and at the end of the study. Total timeframe from Time 1 to Time 2 is 7 weeks.

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Literacy Engagement of Middle-School Aged Children

  This assessment will be administered at the start of the study and at the end of the study. Total timeframe from Time 1 to Time 2 is 7 weeks.

Study Arms (2)

Intervention Group

EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention group will be provided with a survey to determine areas of interest to guide the 7-week literacy intervention plan of completing a newsletter. Students will complete the newsletter virtually using secure Zoom meetings 2x per week for 30 minutes per session. The results of the GORT 5 and TOC will be used to determine the baseline reading skills of the students and each researcher will use the results of the assessments to guide the intervention with the newsletter topic that is chosen by the student. For example, if the GORT 5 notes deficiency with reading accuracy, the focus of the intervention will be ensuring that reading accuracy is a focus of the summary that is crafted by the student for the newsletter.

Other: Newsletter using a virtual mode of delivery

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

The control group will not participate in the newsletter creation for the 7-week study period. These students will engage in the after-school programs at the Center, some of which may be literacy-based, but not the prescriptive model that is being followed by the researchers.

Interventions

Newsletter using a virtual mode of delivery OTHER

Newsletter creation where topics in the newsletter are chosen by participants in the intervention group.

Intervention Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 10 Years - 13 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Participants must be in After-school participants ages 10-13 years old and in grades 6-8.
• Have access to a computer: laptop, Chromebook, or desktop.
• Can identify and press all keys on a keyboard.
• Can use a mouse to navigate on a computer.
• Have internet access at home or center.
• Computer system has the capability to download Zoom.
• One grade equivalent or more below in areas of: fluency, rate, accuracy, or comprehension on Gray Oral Reading Test 5 (GORT 5).
• Standard score in the below average range on the Test of Orthographic Competence (TOC).
• Participants must speak, read, and write in English

You may not qualify if:

• \- 1. Students who do not have access to a computer, internet, and Zoom access at home.
• \. Students who do not speak, read, and write in English.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• State University of New York at Buffalo: lead

Study Sites (1)

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, New York, 14214, United States

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Grajo LC, Candler C, Bowyer P, Schultz S, Thomson J, Fong K. Determining the Internal Validity of the Inventory of Reading Occupations: An Assessment Tool of Children's Reading Participation. Am J Occup Ther. 2016 May-Jun;70(3):7003220010p1-9. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2016.017582.

  PMID: 27089292 BACKGROUND

• Kim, A.-H., Vaughn, S., Klingner, J. K., Woodruff, A. L., Reutebuch, C. K., & Kouzekanani, K. (2006). Improving the reading comprehension of middle school students with disabilities through computer-assisted collaborative strategic reading. Remedial and Special Education, 27(4), 235-249. doi: 10.1177/07419325060270040401

  BACKGROUND

Study Officials

• Turquessa Francis

  University at Buffalo

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Clinical Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 10, 2020
• First Posted: August 12, 2020
• Study Start: October 2, 2020
• Primary Completion: December 14, 2020
• Study Completion: December 14, 2020
• Last Updated: June 27, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)