The Direct and Indirect Effects of an Oral Narrative Intervention for Children with or At Risk for Language and Reading Disorders

This study assessed the direct and ‐ indirect effects of Supporting Knowledge in Language and Literacy (SKILL), a narrative intervention designed to improve oral and written narrative abilities in school‐age children with or at risk for language and reading disorders. We conducted a multisite randomized controlled trial with 357 students in Grades 1–4 (S. Gillam, 2023). Multilevel models showed significant posttest and follow‐up gains in oral narrative production (Hedges' g = 0.61 and 0.63) and generalization to written narrative skills ( g = 0.34–0.35). To move beyond our main effects, we conducted moderated mediation analyses, which revealed that decoding skill significantly moderated both the direct and indirect effects of the SKILL intervention on reading comprehension. Students with low to average decoding abilities experienced the strongest indirect benefits of treatment on reading comprehension through gains in narrative ability. These findings provide empirical support for the Reading Is Language (RIL) model (Snowling & Hulme, 2025), which conceptualizes reading comprehension as a product of reciprocal interactions between decoding and language skills. Clinically, results suggest that oral language interventions like SKILL can support literacy development, particularly when combined with decoding instruction for children with weaker word recognition skills. The study highlights the potential of narrative‐focused interventions to contribute meaningfully to literacy growth, offering both theoretical and practical guidance for educators and clinicians.