Evaluating the impact of oral language training on pupils reading comprehension

Key findings and reflections from previous studies and potential directions for future research

Dr Paula Clarke (University of Leeds)

Abstract

The importance of oral language skills for successful reading comprehension is well known and there is evidence from longitudinal and intervention research to support this link.

What is less well understood is how best to train oral language skills, particularly in older pupils and to what extent oral language training can have measureable impacts on reading comprehension performance.

This presentation will review existing literature, present relevant findings from two randomised controlled trials and provide an overview of a recently submitted grant proposal (currently under review) which aims to advance intervention approaches and models of intervention delivery.

About the Speaker

Dr Paula Clarke is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of Leeds. Her research uses psychological theory to inform the development of teaching and intervention approaches, particularly in the area of children’s reading comprehension. Dr Clarke’s work is also concerned with research designs to evaluate the impact of educational interventions; she is experienced in using Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) and has a developing interest in Design-Based approaches for intervention development.