A Third-Grade Intervention Model for Struggling Readers in Rural, Low-Income Mississippi Delta Schools
Abstract
A substantial proportion of U.S. third graders cannot read at grade level. However, few models in the literature are known to be effective in ameliorating third-grade reading deficits, where learning to read shifts to reading to learn. This study presents findings from an evaluation of Literacy Fellows, a one-year, intensive, small-group reading intervention designed for third graders lacking decoding skills needed for comprehension. The study sample included 484 third-grade students from low-income, predominantly Black school districts, 120 of whom scored below the cutoff on a standardized, beginning-of-the-year reading test and were assigned to the Literacy Fellows intervention. The analytical sample draws on cohorts from the 2015–2016, 2016–2017, and 2017–2018 academic years. The effectiveness of Literacy Fellows was investigated using a quasi-experimental regression discontinuity design. The results indicate an improvement of 68 scale points (12 percentile rank points) on a third-grade reading test designed to determine readiness for entering the fourth grade for intervention students. The findings have policy implications for third-grade reading interventions that help foster grade-proficient reading, reduce equity gaps in reading success, and offer actionable suggestions, including the implementation of daily small-group, decoding-focused instruction for struggling third-grade readers in low-income school districts.
Publication Title
Education Sciences
Recommended Citation
Brindley, C., Arthur, R., Bennett, J., Hajilo, M., James, W., & Matthews, K. (2026). A Third-Grade Intervention Model for Struggling Readers in Rural, Low-Income Mississippi Delta Schools. Education Sciences, 16 (5) https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16050761
