DreamBox Reading Plus is an online reading programme for Key Stage 2 pupils to use independently, in small groups, or as a whole class. In this trial, it was used by whole classes of Year 5 pupils.
Pupils complete an initial assessment to identify their reading level. They choose and read texts online, answering questions to check their understanding. The programme marks answers, provides feedback and gives teachers reports on pupils’ progress.
Classes deliver the programme for 90 minutes each week. The recommended usage is three 30 minute sessions per week. Teachers and teaching assistants supervise pupils, with staff receiving training on using the programme and its data.
This evaluation tested whether the programme improved children’s reading skills, including comprehension, fluency and vocabulary. It also tested whether pupils felt more confident and enjoyed reading more.
It was tested through a large randomised controlled trialAn RCT is used evaluate an educational programme by assigning settings to one of two groups: the intervention group, who receive the programme or the control group, who continue with business as usual. This ensures that any differences in outcomes can be confidently attributed to the programme, providing a robust estimate of the impact and contributing to the evidence for what works in improving educational outcomes., under everyday conditions.
Recent evidence on EdTech literacy programmes for primary-aged children suggests they can have positive impacts on reading fluency, language comprehension and reading comprehension.
Computer-adaptive programmes may be particularly useful because they can use assessment to identify gaps in pupils’ learning and provide personalised activities in response.
A small study of Reading Plus, involving 470 Year 6 pupils, in UK schools reported potential positive impact on pupil outcomes.
This larger randomised controlled trialAn RCT is used evaluate an educational programme by assigning settings to one of two groups: the intervention group, who receive the programme or the control group, who continue with business as usual. This ensures that any differences in outcomes can be confidently attributed to the programme, providing a robust estimate of the impact and contributing to the evidence for what works in improving educational outcomes. was designed to provide more robust evidence of the impact of Reading Plus on pupils’ reading outcomes.
- Pupils in schools offered ReadingPlus made no additional months’ progress in reading attainment, on average, compared with pupils in schools delivering usual reading activities. This finding has a high security rating which means we have confidence in it.
- Pupils eligible for free school meals made the equivalent of one additional months’ progress in reading attainment, on average, compared with similar pupils in schools delivering usual reading practice. This finding should be interpreted more cautiously because it’s based on a smaller number of pupils.
- Pupils identified as SEND made the equivalent of one additional months’ progress in reading attainment, on average, compared with similar pupils in schools delivering usual reading practice. This finding should be interpreted more cautiously because it’s based on a smaller number of pupils.
- Pupils in schools offered Reading Plus made:
- no additional progress in reading comprehension
- one month’s additional progress in reading fluency and
- two month’s additional progress in vocabulary, on average, compared to pupils in other schools taught under business-as-usual conditions.
- This may suggest that the programme started to show a small effect on some of the aspects of reading that help students with reading overall or in the longer term.
- Overall, both teachers and pupils using Reading Plus thought that it helped improve reading, comprehension, fluency and vocabulary for pupils taking part. Teachers felt that Reading Plus particularly helped with reading fluency.
- The implementation and process evaluationAn IPE is used to understand how and why an intervention has (or has not) been successful. Data is analysed to explore programme quality, reach, adaptation and differentiation, as well as setting fidelity and responsiveness to the trial design. found that Reading Plus was delivered well by schools with high-quality training and support. In some schools the intervention was adapted for lower attaining pupils.
While the findings suggest that pupils in schools using Reading Plus made no more progress, on average, than a similar group of pupils in schools not using the programme, results varied between schools.
While overall attainment was less promising, findings indicate more positive progress on certain aspects of reading such as fluency and vocabulary. Pupils from Free School Meals backgrounds and those with SEND seemed to benefit from the programme – although numbers of these pupils in the study was lower.
This suggests that the programme may be more effective in some circumstances than others, although the trial does not provide clear evidence about what might explain these differences. The findings should also be considered in the context of what pupils in the comparison schools were doing. Many comparison schools were using other reading interventions, meaning that the trial may have compared Reading Plus with other forms of reading support, rather than with little or no additional provision.
Schools considering Reading Plus should weigh the evidence alongside their own context, existing reading provision and priorities.