Reading Program for Language Developmental Disorders

Recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Laura M Justice, PhD

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Ohio State University

Disqualifiers: Autism, Hearing loss, Intellectual disability, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 6

320 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how the shared reading program, Sit Together and Read (STAR), can improve literacy skills in young children with developmental language disorders over time. It also examines whether small rewards or supportive text messages for caregivers help maintain consistent reading sessions. Children who primarily communicate in English and are receiving or waiting for speech services due to impaired language skills are suitable candidates. Participants will be divided into groups to assess how different supports influence the program's success. Researchers will track literacy progress for up to two years after the program concludes. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity for families to contribute to research that could enhance literacy support for children with language disorders.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial protocol does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What prior data suggests that the STAR program is safe for children with developmental language disorders?

A previous study demonstrated that the Sit Together and Read (STAR) program positively affects children's reading skills. Research over the past 20 years indicates that this program is safe and well-received by young children, with no reports of negative effects.

For the STAR program with monetary rewards, studies have shown that children whose caregivers receive small incentives to read to them also improve their reading skills, without safety concerns.

Similarly, the STAR program with text encouragement, which sends supportive messages to caregivers, has no reported safety issues. This method enhances children's understanding of print through enjoyable read-aloud activities.

Overall, these programs are designed to be safe and beneficial for children's learning and language development. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Sit Together and Read (STAR) program because it offers a fresh approach to language development disorders by emphasizing caregiver involvement in reading sessions. Unlike typical speech therapy or educational interventions, STAR is designed to be a natural part of daily routines, making it easy for families to implement. Moreover, the trial explores unique enhancements like monetary rewards and encouraging text messages for caregivers, which could boost engagement and effectiveness. These features could make STAR a more accessible and motivating option for families compared to traditional methods.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for developmental language disorders?

Research has shown that the Sit Together and Read (STAR) program effectively boosts children's reading skills. The program uses a method called print referencing, which helps kids notice and understand the words in books. This approach supports early reading development. In this trial, some participants will use the STAR program alone, while others will receive additional support. Offering small rewards, as in the STAR + Reward arm, can further enhance children's reading skills by encouraging more frequent reading sessions. Additionally, text message reminders, part of the STAR + Text Encouragement arm, help caregivers maintain regular reading routines, making the program even more effective. Overall, STAR and its variations support language and reading development in young children, especially those with language challenges. ^{1 3 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Laura M Justice, PhD

Principal Investigator

Ohio State University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for caregivers of children ages 4 to 5 who are receiving or waiting for speech services due to language disorders. The child should primarily communicate in English and not have other conditions like hearing loss, severe intellectual disability, or autism that could cause language issues.

Inclusion Criteria

Receptive, expressive, or mixed language disorder

I am currently receiving or waiting for speech therapy services.

I am having trouble with speaking or understanding language.

Exclusion Criteria

I do not have any conditions like hearing loss that could explain my language disorder.

I do not have any conditions known to cause language disorders besides intellectual disability.

I do not have any conditions like autism that could explain my language disorder.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Caregivers implement the Sit Together and Read (STAR) program with children, with some groups receiving additional supports such as monetary rewards or text encouragement

15 weeks

Pretest and post-test assessments

Follow-up

Children's literacy skills are assessed every six months post-intervention to determine the long-term impact of the STAR program

24 months

Assessments at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Monetary Reward
• Sit Together and Read (STAR)
• Text Encouragement

Trial Overview The study tests the effectiveness of a reading program called STAR on improving literacy skills in young children with developmental language disorder. It will also assess if monetary rewards or text encouragement help caregivers conduct more reading sessions.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: STAR Only Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Typical implementation of Sit Together and Read (STAR)

Group II: STAR + text encouragement Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Typical implementation of Sit Together and Read (STAR) plus caregivers receive encouraging text messages

Group III: STAR + Reward Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Typical implementation of Sit Together and Read (STAR) plus additional small monetary incentives for caregivers

Group IV: Untreated Control Active Control 1 Intervention

Caregivers read to child as usual over 15 week period.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Ohio State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

891

Recruited

2,659,000+

Nationwide Children's Hospital

Collaborator

Trials

354

Recruited

5,228,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A rehabilitation program significantly improved language skills in vulnerable children with sensory deprivation, but differences in language abilities persisted even after intervention.

Early intervention is crucial; starting rehabilitation before age 5 may lead to better outcomes, highlighting the importance of addressing sensory deficits as soon as possible for social inclusion.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Chances of reversibility in early sensory deprivation of the Homo vulnerabilis: A 5-year (and ongoing) prospective study. Goycoolea, MV., Levy, R., Bustamante, MP., et al.[2019]

The SharePR measure, a 10-item parent-report tool, effectively quantifies the quality of shared reading between caregivers and infants, demonstrating strong reliability and internal consistency in two studies involving 207 mother-infant dyads.

Scores from the SharePR measure were positively correlated with the home literacy environment in older infants, suggesting that higher quality shared reading may enhance literacy development, particularly in families from underserved backgrounds.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Shared reading with infants: SharePR a novel measure of shared reading quality. Hutton, JS., Huang, G., Crosh, C., et al.[2023]

A parent-based shared book reading (SBR) intervention over 8 weeks significantly improved mothers' use of specific conversational strategies, such as Shared Book Handling and Captivating Talking, in 20 mother-child dyads with children who have developmental language disorder (DLD).

Children whose mothers participated in the SBR intervention showed notable increases in engagement and verbal production during reading sessions, indicating that the intervention can enhance communicative behaviors, although further research is needed to explore long-term effects and additional strategies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impacts of a shared book-reading intervention for Italian-speaking children with developmental language disorder. Lavelli, M., Barachetti, C., Majorano, M., et al.[2020]

Training caregivers to use the Complete Reading Cycle (CRC) during storybook reading significantly improved the communicative participation and lexical diversity of preschool children with language impairment, as evidenced by increased frequency of communicative turns and total number of words spoken.

While most children showed higher frequencies of story initiations during the training, the variability in this measure suggests that individual responses may differ, indicating the need for tailored approaches in caregiver training.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Training caregivers to facilitate communicative participation of preschool children with language impairment during storybook reading. Crowe, LK., Norris, JA., Hoffman, PR.[2013]

In a study involving 27 kindergarten children with specific language impairment (SLI), it was found that 36 exposures to interactive book reading were optimal for new word learning, as higher intensities did not yield additional benefits.

Variability in treatment response was noted, with children who had poor phonological awareness, low vocabulary, or difficulties with nonword repetition showing less improvement, indicating a need for tailored approaches in therapy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Interactive Book Reading to Accelerate Word Learning by Kindergarten Children With Specific Language Impairment: Identifying an Adequate Intensity and Variation in Treatment Response. Storkel, HL., Voelmle, K., Fierro, V., et al.[2022]

In a study of 123 children aged 2 to 5 with language problems, various treatment approaches were effective, with significant improvements in language skills observed across all groups after one year.

Targeted language therapy was crucial for improving language comprehension, as children who only received surgical hearing improvements did not show significant gains in this area.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of different treatments in young children with language problems. Keegstra, AL., Post, WJ., Goorhuis-Brouwer, SM.[2015]

In a study of 581 second-grade children, 52% of those with language impairment (LI) also had reading disabilities (RD), compared to only 9% of children without LI, highlighting a strong link between LI and RD.

Behavior disorders (BD) were found in 29% of children with LI, and the study revealed that BD in these children was influenced by their reading status, indicating that RD mediates the relationship between LI and BD.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The association of reading disability, behavioral disorders, and language impairment among second-grade children. Tomblin, JB., Zhang, X., Buckwalter, P., et al.[2007]

Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) and dyslexia showed significant and persistent academic deficits in reading and math from second to fourth grade, with those having both conditions performing the worst.

Despite these challenges, only a small percentage (20%-27%) of children with dyslexia and/or DLD received specialized support services, particularly highlighting that children with DLD-only received support at less than half the rate of those with dyslexia, indicating a need for increased awareness and intervention for these disorders.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Reading and Math Achievement in Children With Dyslexia, Developmental Language Disorder, or Typical Development: Achievement Gaps Persist From Second Through Fourth Grades. Duff, DM., Hendricks, AE., Fitton, L., et al.[2023]

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often show strong decoding skills but struggle with comprehension, highlighting the need for targeted instructional practices to support their reading development.

Shared book reading interventions are effective for enhancing language and literacy skills in young children with ASD, emphasizing the importance of interactive communication between the adult and child during reading activities.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Building Comprehension Skills of Young Children With Autism One Storybook at a Time. Fleury, VP., Whalon, K., Gilmore, C., et al.[2021]

A study using technology-enhanced shared reading experiences showed that hearing parents of deaf or hard-of-hearing children can improve their engagement in reading activities, leading to increased time spent on shared reading.

The intervention also resulted in significant sign vocabulary acquisition for the children, highlighting the importance of early linguistic exposure in addressing reading difficulties often faced by deaf children.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Technology-enhanced shared reading with deaf and hard-of-hearing children: the role of a fluent signing narrator. Mueller, V., Hurtig, R.[2013]

Citations

1. news.osu.edu news.osu.edu/paying-parents-to-read-to-their-children-boosts-literacy-skills/

Paying parents to read to their children boosts literacy skills Results showed that children whose parents or caregivers were paid to read to them showed significant improvements in their print knowledge ...

2. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-language-developmental-disorders-1-2024-01bca

Reading Program for Language Developmental Disorders The goal of this study is to examine the impact of a caregiver-implemented shared reading program, Sit Together and Read (STAR), on children ages 4 to 5 ...

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6703980/

Early-Literacy Intervention Conducted by Caregivers of ... Study results showed that provision of financial incentives (50 cents per completed reading) and encouragement (ongoing text messages) significantly increased ...

4. ies.ed.gov ies.ed.gov/use-work/awards/sit-together-and-read-early-childhood-special-education

Sit Together and Read: Early Childhood Special Education | IES The project aims to improve pre-reading skills of preschoolers with language impairment using print-referencing, testing if it works with teachers and parents.

5. crane.osu.edu crane.osu.edu/our-work/star/

Sit Together and Read (STAR) - Crane CenterCrane Center Sit Together and Read (STAR) develops children's awareness of print through interactive read-aloud practices, supporting early literacy skills.

6. star.ehe.osu.edu star.ehe.osu.edu/research/

Research - Sit Together and Read - The Ohio State University A pilot investigation of parents' questions about print and pictures to preschoolers with language delay. Child Language Teaching and Therapy 14(3), 273-278.

7. star.ehe.osu.edu star.ehe.osu.edu/2017/08/08/sit-together-and-read-star-read-aloud-practices/

The History of STAR Read-Aloud Practices STAR Read-Aloud Practices are based on print referencing and have been developed over two decades of research.

8. pubs.asha.org pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2023_LSHSS-22-00070

Abilities and Disabilities Among Children With ... Children with DLD present with predictable strengths and weaknesses in everyday language-related functioning.