cover image: A Follow up Randomized Controlled Trial of "Time to Read": A Volunteer Mentoring Program

A Follow up Randomized Controlled Trial of "Time to Read": A Volunteer Mentoring Program

"Time to Read" is a volunteer mentoring program that recruits volunteers from the local business community to spend one hour of company time each week working on a one-to-one basis with primary school children aged 8 to 9 years with the aim of improving reading skills. The authors first evaluated the program in 2006-8 using a randomized controlled trial design. The evaluation tested the logic model that was hypothesized to underpin the program and evaluated the program's impact on the following outcomes: reading comprehension, enjoyment of learning, self esteem, locus of control and aspirations for the future. The evidence from this first randomized controlled trial (RCT) indicated that "Time to Read" had a positive effect in terms of increasing the children's future aspirations (effect size = +0.17) but was unable to find evidence that the program had any effect in relation to the three remaining outcomes identified through the logic model (the children's general levels of self-esteem, enjoyment of education and reading skills). The report concluded that the logic model did not adequately capture the effects that the program may be having. It highlighted recent literature which suggested that more specific outcomes may have been more appropriate than the global outcomes that were originally identified i.e. enjoyment of reading instead of enjoyment of learning and self esteem related specifically to reading rather than global self esteem. The aim of this follow-up study was to rigorously evaluate the impact of the "Time to Read" mentoring program on the following literacy outcomes: decoding, reading rate, reading accuracy, fluency and reading comprehension; and non literacy outcomes: enjoyment of reading, reading confidence and aspirations for the future. The research was conducted in 50 primary schools from across Northern Ireland. This follow-up trial has found clear evidence that the refined "Time to Read" program is effective in improving reading outcomes for children, particularly in relation to the foundational reading skills of decoding, reading rate and reading fluency. The original study found that "Time to Read" significantly improved aspirations for the future and some corroborating evidence for this, while not statistically significant, was found in this trial. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)

Authors

Miller, Sarah, Connolly, Paul, Maguire, Lisa K.

Authorizing Institution
Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE)
Education Level
Elementary Education
Location
United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)
Peer Reviewed
F
Publication Type
Reports - Research
Published in
United States of America

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