Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
Chatterbooks is a book-club style extra-curricular activity for children, currently practiced in libraries across the country by the Reading Agency. Chatterbooks Plus takes the concept of Chatterbooks and adds a more rigid structure to the session. Chatterbooks and Chatterbooks Plus are being tried in secondary schools in order to see whether they can improve the reading ability of Year 7 students who have low literacy and/or reading abilities.
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 2013, before being randomly allocated to either attend 10 sessions of Chatterbooks, Chatterbooks Plus, or to carry on with their normal school curriculum. In June 2013, the students sat another reading test to find out whether Chatterbooks and/or Chatterbooks Plus had improved reading/literacy levels above and beyond the improvement gained by the standard curriculum. The same children will take one further reading test in September 2013 in order to see whether Chatterbooks and/or Chatterbooks Plus has any effect on the normal decrease in literacy/reading abilities found over the summer holidays.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
It is hoped that Chatterbooks and/or Chatterbooks Plus will help the struggling children to increase their reading ability. There is, of course, the possibility that it will not provide any additional support and the children participating will not show an increase in their reading ability. There are no serious risks of taking part in this study.
Where is the study run from?
Coventry University (UK) is carrying out the study in secondary schools across Coventry, Birmingham, Solihull and Warwickshire, UK.
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
The study began in December 2012 and will finish in December 2013.
Who is funding the study?
The study is funded by the Education Endowment Foundation (UK).
Who is the main contact?
Dr Ben Styles
Trial website
Contact information
Type
Scientific
Primary contact
Dr Ben Styles
ORCID ID
Contact details
National Foundation for Educational Research
The Mere
Upton Park
Slough
SL1 2DQ
United Kingdom
01753 637386
b.styles@nfer.ac.uk
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
N/A
Study information
Scientific title
Randomised trial of two reading programmes for 11-12 year olds considered to be vulnerable Level 4 English achievers
Acronym
CB
Study hypothesis
Does the use of the Chatterbooks and/or Chatterbooks Plus reading schemes improve reading ability in 11 and 12 year-olds with low reading ability.
Ethics approval
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
Study design
Randomised trial with baseline and two follow-up reading tests
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Randomised controlled trial
Trial setting
Other
Trial type
Quality of life
Patient information sheet
Not available in web format; please use the contact details below to request participant information sheet and parental consent letter
Condition
Struggling readers / low literacy levels
Intervention
Year 7 students randomised to either Chatterbooks, Chatterbooks Plus, or to carry on with their normal school curriculum.
Chatterbooks is an extra-curricular reading initiative designed and delivered by the Reading Agency that aims to increase childrens motivation to read. It consists of weekly small-group sessions, usually in a public or school library, where children read and discuss an age-appropriate, enjoyable book. The emphasis is on engaging children and encouraging creativity, rather than delivering instruction.
Chatterbooks Plus takes the basic Chatterbooks programme and adds a firmer structure to the session. Each session follows the SPICE sequence a 5-step activity based around reading a book extract:
Share a text: Read aloud a section from a book.
Prediction: Discuss what might happen next.
Improve it: Suggest improvements to the story.
Cognitions: Ask questions about what particular characters might be thinking.
Emotions: Ask questions about what particular characters might be feeling.
This must then be followed by one of four activities.
Duration of intervention: 10 weeks of one lesson per week.
Two follow-up reading tests (June 2013 and September 2013)
Intervention type
Other
Phase
Not Applicable
Drug names
Primary outcome measure
Overall reading ability as measured by the New Group Reading Test (NGRT) at baseline (March 2013), and at the post-tests (June 2013 and September 2013).
Secondary outcome measures
1. Reading ability (NGRT subsection)
2. Reading comprehension (NGRT subsection)
These measures come from the reading tests administered at baseline (March 2013), and at the post-tests (June 2013 and September 2013).
Overall trial start date
01/12/2012
Overall trial end date
01/12/2013
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant 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, or pupils that are deemed to be vulnerable Level 4 English achievers, as indicated by reading ages below that of a 10 year old.
Participant type
Patient
Age group
Child
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
450 minimum
Participant exclusion criteria
Reading age below 7. National Curriculum level 4 or above in English and reading at the end of Key Stage 2. Parental opt-out.
Recruitment start date
01/12/2012
Recruitment end date
01/12/2013
Locations
Countries of recruitment
United Kingdom
Trial participating centre
National Foundation for Educational Research
Slough
SL1 2DQ
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
Organisation
Education Endowment Foundation (UK)
Sponsor details
c/o Camilla Nevill
Millbank Tower
21-24 Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
United Kingdom
02078020640
Camilla.Nevill@eefoundation.org.uk
Sponsor type
Charity
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
Not provided at time of registration
Intention to publish date
Participant level data
Not provided at time of registration
Basic results (scientific)
Publication list
http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects/chatterbooks/