Integrating Reading and Attention Practices to Maximize Learning for Students with Co-Occurring Difficulties

Project Summary/Abstract Despite decades of research on reading disabilities, the efficacy of existing interventions for improving reading in upper elementary students (Grades 3 – 5) remains limited. This is a significant public health concern as reading is a strong predictor of lifetime earnings, general health, and overall wellbeing. One significant

limitation of the extant research has been the narrow focus on designing treatments that address solely students’ reading problems without adequately responding to other factors known to impact learning. To enhance the effectiveness of reading interventions, we propose investigating the benefits of integrating approaches that hold

promise for improving reading outcomes. Attention difficulties are a critical target for such an integrated intervention, as a substantial proportion of students with reading difficulties (25-40%) experience elevated levels of inattention, which impedes their response to reading interventions. Despite substantial evidence linking

attention difficulties with reading problems, researchers have largely overlooked attention as a target in reading interventions. This study is innovative in its approach of integrating evidence-based practices for attention and reading within a single, unified intervention called Supporting Attention and Reading for Kids (SPARK) for an

understudied population, students with co-occurring reading and attention difficulties in Grades 3 - 5. Our study will address three specific aims. The primary aim is to evaluate the effects of the SPARK intervention on reading and attention immediately post-intervention and over time (two subsequent school years). We propose

conducting a randomized control trial with participants assigned to one of three-conditions: SPARK, reading- only, and a documented typical practice comparison. This proposed 3-arm design will allow for examining the relative effects of a researcher-provided integrated intervention (reading and attention supports) with a

researcher-provided reading only comparison and then also a typical practice comparison condition. Our second and third aims will identify factors that influence the strength of the intervention (moderators) and the mechanisms of action that drive changes in student outcomes (mediators). Collectively, these aims will contribute to

theoretical understanding of the relations between reading, attention, and other related factors (e.g., processing speed, working memory). The findings will also have significant clinical implications that address a prevailing and significant public health issue: reading disabilities.