The Use of Functional Reading Analysis to Identify Effective Reading Interventions

Children who fail to become fluent readers by the end of the primary grades are likely to achieve below same-age peers throughout their school careers. With growing use of curriculum-based measures (CBMs), it is easier to identify those students who are achieving below same-age peers. Moreover, a process of conducting individualized assessment and intervention aimed at improving achievement could be developed within a response to intervention (RTI) model. For example, functional analysis procedures can be used to identify effective reading interventions for students achieving below expectations. The present study employed a multielement design to analyze the effects of various supplemental reading interventions on the oral reading fluency rates of 3 third-grade children. Differential effects were shown across conditions, leading to an individualized intervention recommendation for all participants. Generalized effects were shown over time in CBMs for all participants. Results are discussed in terms of the treatment utility of functional reading analysis for children who exhibit below-expected levels of reading achievement on CMBs and in terms of an RTI approach to identification and service provision for struggling readers.