Direct Instruction Reading: Effects of the Reading Mastery Plus - Level K Program on Preschool Children with Developmental Delays

Abstract

Despite the success of Direct Instruction (DI) programs in teaching a variety of individuals how to read, there has been little research on the use of DI for young children with developmental delays. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of the Reading Mastery Plus – Level K program on preschool children with developmental delays. The study demonstrated the fact that preschool-aged children both with and without developmental delays are able to acquire beginning reading skills. While the research design inhibits the identification of any functional relationships between the Reading Mastery Plus – Level K program and the participants’ reading gains, the data showed that young children with developmental delays can acquire skills that are necessary to begin reading. This is an important finding, especially considering the fact that the number of children with autism spectrum disorder is increasing. While the previous mindset that children with developmental delays were not capable of reading has changed, the research on the effects of Direct Instruction on this population has seen only limited growth. The results of this study provide an appropriate starting point for extending this literature and for turning this research into practice.