Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
The aim of the study is to assess how well the Supporting Parents on Kids Education (SPOKES) programme works. SPOKES is a twelve week group intervention that helps parents to develop skills to support their child’s reading. SPOKES has previously been evaluated, focusing on children’s behaviour with some success. There is also evidence that parental behaviours have a large impact on children’s school attainment. This is the first study to look specifically at reading outcomes of SPOKES, although child and parenting behaviours will also be measured.
Who can participate?
Study participants are year 1 children identified as ‘struggling readers’. A struggling reader is defined as having early difficulties in their literacy learning using the previous year’s teacher-completed Early Years Foundation Profile 5+. Parents will be recruited through their child’s school and it is estimated that 720 parents will be recruited through 45 schools.
What does the study involve?
Children will be randomly allocated to one of two groups: either the intervention group or the control group. Where possible, children will be allocated to one group or the other within the school. This is because, being within the same schools, the children will be receiving the same education beyond the SPOKES programme, and children within schools tend to share more similar characteristics than children from different schools.
Parents of the intervention children will receive the SPOKES programme over one term and parents of the control children will receive books returned in their children’s book bags over a ten-week period.
The children (control and intervention) will have their vocabulary assessed in school prior to the programme commencing and their literacy (letter identification, word reading and phonetic awareness) after the end of the programme. At this point programme parents will also complete a questionnaire on parenting behaviours and teachers will complete a questionnaire on child behaviour.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
There are no anticipated risks associated with the intervention given that the programme has been trialed previously. We anticipate primary benefits being an improvement in reading skills.
Where is the study run from?
The programme is based in Plymouth (UK). The study will be in schools in the Plymouth area.
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
June 2012 to August 2015
Who is funding the study?
Education Endowment Foundation (UK)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Louise Tracey
Trial website
Contact information
Type
Scientific
Primary contact
Dr Louise Tracey
ORCID ID
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8304-613X
Contact details
Institute for Effective Education
Berrick Saul Building
University of York
York
YO10 5DD
United Kingdom
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
N/A
Study information
Scientific title
Evaluation of the Plymouth Parent Partnership: Supporting Parents on Kids Education in School (SPOKES) programme – a pupil-level randomised controlled trial
Acronym
PPP: SPOKES
Study hypothesis
The aim of the evaluation is to independently assess whether the SPOKES programme, delivered to parents of Year 1 struggling readers leads to improvements in children's reading levels.
Ethics approval
The Education Ethics Committee, University of York, 07/01/2013
Study design
A two-armed randomised controlled trial, to include 45 schools, with struggling readers randomly allocated to control or intervention within schools.
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Randomised controlled trial
Trial setting
Schools
Trial type
Other
Patient information sheet
Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request an information sheet
Condition
Literacy education
Intervention
Children allocated to intervention or control on a school basis.
Parents of intervention children to receive the SPOKES programme. Parents of control children to receive a bag of children's books.
Intervention type
Other
Phase
Drug names
Primary outcome measures
Primary outcomes are related to literacy achievements.
1. Pre-test, the British Picture Vocabulary Scale II (BPVS) (Dunn, Dunn & NfERNelson, 1997), an individually-administered, norm-referenced test of receptive vocabulary for Standard English.
2. Post-tests: Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests – Revised/ Normative Update (WRMT-R/ NU) (Woodcock, 1998) containing individually administered tests of reading. Sub-tests used will measure letter awareness, word recognitions and phonological awareness. To be administered at end of programme and for selected cohorts a six-month follow-up (cohorts 1-5) and a twelve month follow-up (cohorts 1 & 2).
3. Year 1 phonics screening check, a compulsory check carried out in schools in the summer term to assess Year 1 pupils’ phonics decoding skills. To be collected through the National Pupil Database during Summer 2015.
Secondary outcome measures
1. Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) with impact supplement (Goodman, 1997). This is a behavioural screening questionnaire to measure children’s emotional wellbeing.
2. Parenting Young Children (PARYC) (McEachern et al., 2012), a parenting questionnaire using the subscales supporting positive behavior; proactive and positive parenting were used.
Both secondary outcome measures to be collected at immediate post-test, 6 month follow-up (Cohorts 1-5) and 12 month follow-up (Cohorts 1 & 2).
Overall trial start date
30/06/2012
Overall trial end date
31/08/2015
Reason abandoned
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
1. Parents of Year 1 children who have been identified as having early difficulties in their literacy learning using the previous year’s teacher-completed Early Years Foundation Profile 5+
2. Parents have agreed to (and are able to) participate in the programme if they are selected.
Participant type
Other
Age group
Adult
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
720 participants in total
Participant exclusion criteria
1. Parents who had already attended the programme or been previously included in the trial
2. Parents whose children match the eligibility criteria but whose parents do not wish to participate
Recruitment start date
30/06/2012
Recruitment end date
01/09/2014
Locations
Countries of recruitment
United Kingdom
Trial participating centre
Institute for Effective Education
Berrick Saul Building
University of York
York
York
YO10 5DD
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
Organisation
Education Endowment Foundation (UK)
Sponsor details
9th Floor
Millbank Tower
21-24 Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
United Kingdom
Sponsor type
Government
Website
Funders
Funder type
Charity
Funder name
Education Endowment Foundation (UK)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Education Endowment Foundation. Plymouth Parent Partnership: SPOKES Evaluation Report and Executive Summary
Intention to publish date
01/02/2016
Participant level data
Not expected to be available
Results - basic reporting
Publication summary
2016 results in: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Campaigns/Evaluation_Reports/EEF_Project_Report_SPOKES.pdf