Comparison of the effects of direct instruction and basal instruction on the reading achievement of first-grade students identified as students with reading difficulties

A comparison of the effects of direct instruction and basal instruction on the reading achievement of first grade elementary students with reading difficulties was investigated. Differences in reading achievement were measured by results of the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test, Revised, the Standardized Test for Assessment in Reading, and Curriculum-based Measurements. In addition, a classroom observation checklist investigated differences in teacher and student behaviors during instruction. Results indicated that there was a significant interaction between instructional setting and time on the WRMT-R, the STAR, and CBM, such that children in the basal classroom scored consistently higher than those from the direct instruction class over time. On the classroom observations, there were no linear trends to differentiate teacher and student behaviors between the two instructional approaches. Findings are congruent with research on fluency building, but inconsistent with research evaluating the short-term effects of direct instruction.