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Improving Attention and Preventing Reading Difficulties among Low-Income First-Graders: A Randomized Study

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Abstract

Students’ inattention is predictive of reading problems and of non-response to effective reading intervention. In this randomized study, 58 first-grade classrooms located in 30 schools were assigned to a control condition or to one of two intervention conditions. In these last two conditions, peer-tutoring activities were conducted to improve classroom reading instruction. In one of the intervention conditions, the Good Behavior Game was also implemented to maximize students’ attention during reading lessons. Both interventions were effective: peer-tutoring activities helped students improve their reading skills and attention was generally higher when the Good Behavior Game was implemented. Contrary to expectations however, students identified as inattentive at pretest did not become better readers when the two interventions were implemented.

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Correspondence to Eric Dion.

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This research was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Grant No. 410-2005-1474), with additional support by the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la société et la culture (Grant No. 96785). We gratefully acknowledge the contribution of Commission scolaire de Montréal administrators, principals and teachers who made this study possible, especially Lyne Leblanc, Marielle Cardinale, Josée Péthel, Chantal Legault, Maryse Gagnon, Nathalie Morin and Diane Talbot.

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Dion, E., Roux, C., Landry, D. et al. Improving Attention and Preventing Reading Difficulties among Low-Income First-Graders: A Randomized Study. Prev Sci 12, 70–79 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-010-0182-5

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