Evaluation of Rhythm for Reading improving reading ability in Year 7 pupils with low reading ability
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN10404460 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN10404460 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | N/A |
- Submission date
- 04/07/2013
- Registration date
- 29/07/2013
- Last edited
- 24/01/2019
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Rhythm for Reading is a ten-week course of weekly ten-minute lessons in which children take part in rhythm-based exercises while reading musical notation. The sessions are delivered by specialists who will later train teachers. The programme was designed by Marion Long. Rhythm for Reading is being tried in order to see whether the programme can improve the reading ability of Year 7 students who have low literacy and/or reading abilities. Should this research discover that Rhythm for Reading is a successful method, then it is hoped that the scheme will be offered to other pupils within the school, as well as hopefully being rolled out to other schools in the future.
Who can participate?
Year 7 students with suitably poor reading/literacy skills can participate in this study.
What does the study involve?
Participants sat a reading ability test in March/April 2013, before being randomly allocated to either attend Rhythm for Reading sessions or to carry on with their normal school curriculum. In July 2013, the students will sit another reading test to find out whether the programme has improved reading/literacy levels above and beyond the improvement gained by the standard curriculum.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The main benefit to taking part is the chance for pupils to be involved in a new scheme that intends to improve their literacy and reading abilities. There are few disadvantages and risks. The reading and spelling assessments do take a little time to complete but we will ensure they cause minimal disruption to your childs school work. The assessments may feel challenging and some children may feel a little self-conscious about completing them (for example, if their reading is not as good as they would like it to be). However, all results will remain confidential to the research team and test administrators try to put the participants at their ease throughout.
Where is the study run from?
Six secondary schools in South East London, UK can participate in this study.
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
The study began in December 2012, with the final report due in October 2013.
Who is funding the study?
It is being funded by the Education Endowment Foundation, UK.
Who is the main contact?
Dr Ben Styles
b.styles@nfer.ac.uk
Contact information
Scientific
National Foundation for Educational Research
The Mere
Upton Park
Slough
SL1 2DQ
United Kingdom
| Phone | 01753 637386 |
|---|---|
| b.styles@nfer.ac.uk |
Study information
| Study design | Randomised trial with baseline and follow-up reading test |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study setting(s) | Other |
| Study type | Quality of life |
| Participant information sheet | Not available in web format; please use the contact details below to request participant information sheet and parental consent letter |
| Scientific title | Randomised trial of the Rhythm for Reading programme for 11-12 year olds considered to be vulnerable Level 4 English achievers |
| Study acronym | R4R |
| Study objectives | Does the use of the Rhythm for Reading scheme improve reading ability in 11 and 12 year-olds with low reading ability. |
| Ethics approval(s) | The pattern of headteacher consent followed by parental opt-out consent was approved by Sarah on behalf of the Code of Practice Committee on 23rd Jan 2013 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Struggling readers/low literacy levels |
| Intervention | The project will be run as a randomised controlled trial, with a minimum of 400 individual Year 7 pupils across 6 South East London secondary schools randomly assigned to two groups Rhythm for Reading (treatment group) or standard English curriculum (control group). It will focus on the weakest readers. Children will be extracted from classes and taught in groups of 10 for 10 minutes, once a week. Children in the treatment group received the intervention between April and July 2013, whilst the control group carried on with their normal English lessons. All pupils will be tested using the NGRT at baseline (March/April 2013) and at follow-up (July 2013). |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure | Overall reading ability [as measured by the New Group Reading Test (NGRT)] Both primary and secondary measures come from the NGRT. This was administered to all pupils in the study twice, once in late March/early April 2013, the follow-up in July 2013 |
| Secondary outcome measures | 1. Reading ability (NGRT subsection) 2. Reading comprehension (NGRT subsection) Both primary and secondary measures come from the NGRT. This was administered to all pupils in the study twice, once in late March/early April 2013, the follow-up in July 2013 |
| Overall study start date | 01/12/2012 |
| Completion date | 31/10/2013 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Patient |
|---|---|
| Age group | Child |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 400 minimum |
| Key inclusion criteria | Year 7 Pupils that were below National Curriculum level 4 in English and/or below level 4 in reading at the end of Key Stage 2. If necessary for sample size, low level 4 readers will also be included. |
| Key exclusion criteria | Year 7 pupils with National Curriculum level 4 or above in English and reading. Parental opt-out. |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/12/2012 |
| Date of final enrolment | 31/10/2013 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- England
- United Kingdom
Study participating centre
SL1 2DQ
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
Charity
c/o Camilla Nevill
Millbank Tower
21-24 Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
United Kingdom
| Phone | 02078020640 |
|---|---|
| Camilla.Nevill@eefoundation.org.uk | |
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/03bhd6288 |
Funders
Funder type
Charity
No information available
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Not provided at time of registration |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Not provided at time of registration |
| IPD sharing plan |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funder report results | results | 01/05/2014 | No | No |
