TY - JOUR
T1 - How Vocabulary Interventions Affect Young Children at Risk
T2 - A Meta-Analytic Review
AU - Marulis, Loren Marie
AU - Neuman, Susan B.
N1 - Funding Information:
We gratefully acknowledge funding from the Institute of Education Sciences (grant R305A090013).
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - This meta-analytic review examines how word-learning interventions affect young children, at risk for reading difficulties, on vocabulary outcomes. We quantitatively reviewed 51 studies with 138 effect sizes (N = 7,403) to assess the association between vocabulary training and word learning. Using a random-effects model, we found a mean effect size of nearly 1 standard deviation indicating a strong training effect overall. Moderator analyses indicated that children from low-socioeconomic-status (SES) families experienced significantly lower word-learning gains than those from middle- and upper-SES families who had one or more risk factor (e.g., English Language Learner, language delays). This was true regardless of the total number of risk factors present. However, risk factors in addition to poverty did compound this SES disadvantage. Further, multivariate meta-regression analyses indicated that the sole risk factor associated with lower effect sizes was poverty controlling for all other risk factors. Subgroup moderator analyses indicated a number of instructional and pedagogical factors associated with greater effect sizes. Taken together, these results highlight the importance of creating interventions powerful enough to accelerate children's vocabulary development if we are to narrow the reading achievement gap.
AB - This meta-analytic review examines how word-learning interventions affect young children, at risk for reading difficulties, on vocabulary outcomes. We quantitatively reviewed 51 studies with 138 effect sizes (N = 7,403) to assess the association between vocabulary training and word learning. Using a random-effects model, we found a mean effect size of nearly 1 standard deviation indicating a strong training effect overall. Moderator analyses indicated that children from low-socioeconomic-status (SES) families experienced significantly lower word-learning gains than those from middle- and upper-SES families who had one or more risk factor (e.g., English Language Learner, language delays). This was true regardless of the total number of risk factors present. However, risk factors in addition to poverty did compound this SES disadvantage. Further, multivariate meta-regression analyses indicated that the sole risk factor associated with lower effect sizes was poverty controlling for all other risk factors. Subgroup moderator analyses indicated a number of instructional and pedagogical factors associated with greater effect sizes. Taken together, these results highlight the importance of creating interventions powerful enough to accelerate children's vocabulary development if we are to narrow the reading achievement gap.
KW - Meta-analysis
KW - cumulative risk
KW - early childhood
KW - multivariate meta-regression
KW - oral word learning
KW - poverty
KW - vocabulary
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84879640572&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84879640572&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/19345747.2012.755591
DO - 10.1080/19345747.2012.755591
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:84879640572
SN - 1934-5747
VL - 6
SP - 223
EP - 262
JO - Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness
JF - Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness
IS - 3
ER -