Date of Award

Spring 2022

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

Educational Studies

First Advisor

Leigh D’Amico

Abstract

Dyslexia affects between 5% and 18% of Americans and is caused by difficulty with phonological processing. This study investigates the impact of an online intervention designed to remediate phonological processing deficits on reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. It also investigates changes to student self-concept and parent perceptions of their children’s reading attitudes and abilities as a result of the online intervention.

Ten students participated in the intervention; assessments were administered at the beginning and at the midpoint of the treatment. Scores in Phonological Processing and Alternate Phonological Processing, as measured by the CTOPP-2, demonstrated large to very large effect sizes, indicating that the intervention improves students’ abilities to perceive and manipulate the individual sounds in words, which is the foundation of good reading.

Functional reading abilities (accuracy, fluency, and comprehension) were measured using the WIAT-IV. At the midpoint of the intervention, these scores demonstrated effect sizes that were small to moderate.

Parents noted qualitative changes in their children's attitudes toward reading, including a greater willingness to read in general. The Piers-Harris SelfConcept Scale did not demonstrate significant changes to student self-concept.

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