Balanced Reading Basals and the Impact on Third-Grade Reading Achievement.

This convergent parallel mixed method sought to determine if the reading program increased third-grade student achievement. The research questions of the study examined the reading achievement scores of third-grade students and the effectiveness of McGraw-Hill Reading Wonders™. Significant differences were observed when a paired sample t test measured progress on the Reading 3D composite, Text Reading Comprehension, and North Carolina Beginning of Grade/North Carolina End of Grade from the beginning of the year to the end of year. Responses from a teacher survey and interviews provided data that revealed teacher perceptions of McGraw-Hill Reading Wonders™ basal program and the impact on student achievement. The overall findings suggest that McGraw-Hill Reading Wonders™ had a positive effect on student reading achievement. The findings of this study can be used to help educators make data-driven decisions about utilization of balanced reading programs in the classroom.