Tier 2 Reading Interventions: Comparison of Reading Mastery and Fundations Double Dose

With the emergence of response to intervention as a key element for supporting school success for all students, there is a need for teachers to know which interventions have been found to be effective. Some interventions have been validated with a number of research studies, but new interventions also need such validation. This study was a program evaluation that compared a well-known and scientifically validated reading program, Reading Mastery, with a new program called Fundations. The study used single-subject case study methods with 6 matched dyads of first-grade students at risk for reading problems. The efficacy of each program for individual students was evaluated by evaluating the students’ progress monitoring scores on the Nonsense Word Fluency test of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills. Results showed that all the students made progress toward winter benchmarks of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills; however, the amount of growth varied across the students. Outcomes for each student, as well as implications for teaching practices, are discussed.