Scripted and Non-Scripted Reading Instructional Models: Effects on the Phonics and Reading Achievement of First-Grade Struggling Readers

In this study, we examined 56 first-grade struggling readers' phonics and reading achievement in classrooms served by SRA Reading Mastery, a scripted model of early reading instruction against the achievement of 52 first-grade struggling readers in classrooms served by one of four other, non-scripted reading models. We also studied the instructional activities, texts used, how time was spent, and how closely instruction matched the intention of the models. Findings revealed no significant difference among the mean phonics scores after one year and among the mean reading scores after two years across models. Instructional patterns were mostly consistent in the scripted model and more eclectic, but with clear patterns, in the non-scripted models. Findings may have resulted from a lack of consistency between instruction and children's developmental levels as well as implementation differences across all models.