Phonemic Awareness Interventions for Reading Disabilities

(Project OPAL Trial)

Recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Caitlin Florek

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Ohio State University

Disqualifiers: Severe sensory impairment, Behavior issues, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 4

720 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests different teaching methods to help young children improve their phonemic awareness, the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words. Researchers aim to determine whether combining phonological sensitivity (understanding larger sound units) with phonemic awareness is more effective for boosting early reading and spelling skills than focusing on phonemic awareness alone. The study will also examine whether starting these interventions in prekindergarten or kindergarten makes a difference. Children in prekindergarten or kindergarten who struggle with phonological awareness might be suitable candidates for this trial. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity for children to benefit from innovative educational approaches that could enhance their learning experience.

Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems focused on educational interventions for children, so it's unlikely that medication changes are required.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's interventions are likely to be safe?

Research has shown that phonemic awareness programs are generally safe for children. These programs help kids recognize and work with sounds in words, which is crucial for learning to read. Studies indicate that these programs are effective and do not cause harm.

Research into the delayed onset phonemic awareness program has examined how early sound-related training aids children with speech or language difficulties. This type of program is well-tolerated, with no negative effects reported.

The phonological sensitivity plus phonemic awareness program has also been studied for its benefits. It includes activities like rhyming and sound blending. Research shows it improves reading skills and positively impacts children without any adverse effects.

Lastly, the phonemic awareness program alone has been studied for its role in early reading development. It is safe and helps children develop important reading skills, with no harmful outcomes reported.

Overall, these phonemic awareness programs are considered safe and beneficial for young children in developing reading skills. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about these interventions for reading disabilities because they focus on enhancing phonemic awareness, a key skill for reading success. Unlike traditional methods that may not specifically target phonemic awareness, these interventions aim to improve reading by systematically teaching letter sounds and patterns. The phonological sensitivity + phonemic awareness intervention (PSPA) is distinctive because it combines phonemic awareness with phonological sensitivity training, potentially offering a more comprehensive approach to reading improvement. Meanwhile, the delayed onset phonemic awareness intervention (DPA) offers a shorter, targeted session, which could be more practical for integrating into daily classroom activities. By exploring these innovative methods, researchers hope to discover more effective ways to support children struggling with reading disabilities.

What evidence suggests that this trial's interventions could be effective for reading disabilities?

This trial will compare different phonemic awareness interventions for reading disabilities. Studies have shown that teaching children to recognize and work with sounds in words can improve their reading skills, especially for those with reading difficulties. A review of multiple studies found that this type of instruction had a moderate positive effect on reading abilities, particularly in skills like breaking down words into individual sounds. In this trial, some children will receive a phonemic awareness intervention (PA), while others will receive a phonological sensitivity plus phonemic awareness intervention (PSPA). Research suggests that combining sound awareness with sensitivity to sound patterns can improve memory for sounds, which is important for learning to read. For children with speech or language issues, starting these sound-based lessons early can be very helpful. Overall, these teaching methods support children in developing the skills needed for reading and spelling, making them a promising way to tackle reading challenges. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Shayne B Piasta, PhD

Principal Investigator

Ohio State University

Beth M Phillips, PhD

Principal Investigator

Florida State University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for prekindergarten and kindergarten children who may have reading disabilities. The study aims to find the best time and method to teach these kids about sounds in words (phonological awareness) to help with their future reading and spelling skills.

Inclusion Criteria

Parent consent

Child assent

Enrollment in prekindergarten or kindergarten

Exclusion Criteria

Severe behavior issues as indicated by (a) a score 3 on the aggressive behavior item of the externalizing subscale of the Student Risk Screening Scale-Early Childhood (SRSS-EC) or (b) a total score ≥ 16 on the externalizing subscale of the SRSS-EC

Inability to speak or understand English at a basic level, as indicated by a criterion score < 6 on the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals Preschool-3 Screening Test (CELF:PS)

My child has severe hearing or vision problems that affect their ability to follow instructions.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-3 months

Intervention

Children receive phonological sensitivity + phonemic awareness intervention or phonemic awareness intervention

12 weeks

4-5 sessions per week

Midtest

Assessment conducted within 2 months after the first 6 weeks of intervention

2 months

Posttest

Assessment conducted within 3 months of intervention end

3 months

Follow-up 1

Participants are monitored for long-term effects on reading and spelling abilities

15-18 months after enrollment

Follow-up 2

Additional follow-up for prekindergarten participants to assess long-term outcomes

27-30 months after enrollment

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Optimizing Phonological Awareness Learning

Trial Overview The study tests three methods: phonemic awareness intervention (PA), delayed onset phonemic awareness intervention (DPA), and a combination of phonological sensitivity + phonemic awareness intervention (PSPA). It will compare how effective each method is when started in either prekindergarten or kindergarten.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: phonological sensitivity + phonemic awareness intervention (PSPA) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

In the PSPA condition, children will receive 12 weeks of intervention in 15- minute lessons, with a maximum of 48 lessons, 4 or 5 days per week.

Group II: phonemic awareness intervention (PA) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

In the PA condition, children will receive 12 weeks of intervention, approximately 15 minutes per day, for 4 or 5 days per week, for a maximum of 48 lessons.

Group III: delayed onset phonemic awareness intervention (DPA) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

In the DPA condition, children will receive intervention that includes identical types of lessons to the PA condition but with a delayed onset to match the start of week 7 for other conditions. The difference will be that they receive instruction for only 6 weeks, or for a total of 24 maximum lessons. These also will be delivered for approximately 15 minutes each day, for 4 or 5 days per week.

Group IV: Instruction-as-usual control (BAU) Active Control 1 Intervention

In the BAU condition children will receive only their typical general education classroom instruction as provided by their classroom teacher. This will vary naturally from classroom to classroom.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Ohio State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

891

Recruited

2,659,000+

Florida State University

Collaborator

Trials

234

Recruited

41,100+

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Collaborator

Trials

2,103

Recruited

2,760,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2805171/

Effectiveness of Early Phonological Awareness ... This article reviews research examining the efficacy of early phonological interventions for young students identified with Speech or Language impairments.

2. ila.onlinelibrary.wiley.com ila.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/rrq.477

Forty Years of Reading Intervention Research for Elementary ... This meta-analysis included experimental or quasi-experimental intervention studies conducted between 1980 and 2020 that aimed to improve reading outcomes for ...

3. pubs.asha.org pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2022_LSHSS-21-00160

A Meta-Analysis of Phonemic Awareness Instruction ... Data were extracted from 138 included manuscripts to evaluate the use of phonemic awareness instruction with children suspected of having a reading disability.

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1747938X18301660

A meta-analysis on the effectiveness of phonics instruction ... This meta-analysis examines the effects of phonics instruction on the decoding skills of students with intellectual disability using a random-effects model.

5. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9164258/

Early intervention for children at risk for reading disabilities Across multiple schools in three sites, the impact of grade-at-intervention was evaluated for children at risk or meeting criteria for reading disabilities.

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6105119/

The Relationship Between Speech, Language, and ... This study fills a gap in the literature by determining what factors are most strongly associated with component reading skills of phonological awareness (PA) ...

7. pcs-ok.com pcs-ok.com/the-importance-of-phonemic-awareness-in-reading/

The Importance of Phonemic Awareness in Reading Phonemic awareness serves as a bridge, enabling learners to transfer their listening skills into reading and writing tasks through phonics ...

8. lindamoodbell.com lindamoodbell.com/article/preventing-reading-failure-in-young-children-with-phonological-processing-disabilities-group-and-individual-responses-to-instruction

Preventing reading failure in young children with ... The goal of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of several instructional procedures for a specific subset of children who are at-risk for ...

9. repository.library.northeastern.edu repository.library.northeastern.edu/files/neu:ms35v352w/fulltext.pdf

The impact of phonological awareness instruction on ... Specifically, the authors discuss phonemic awareness implications in connection with reading fluency. They share that improved efficiency in ...