Caregiver-Implemented Spelling Instruction: A Hybrid Effectiveness–Implementation Study

Spelling is a foundational literacy skill, yet it is often underemphasized in school-based instruction and state policy. This pilot study examined the effects and implementation of a caregiver-delivered spelling intervention for early elementary students using a Type 2 hybrid effectiveness–implementation design. Thirty-two students in Grades 1–3 were randomized to a caregiver-implemented spelling intervention or business-as-usual control condition. Children in the treatment condition received structured spelling lessons delivered by caregivers in the home over 10 weeks, averaging approximately two 15-minute sessions per week, supported by virtual training, coaching, and asynchronous resources. The primary outcome was posttest spelling performance on the Test of Written Spelling–5 (TWS–5). Controlling for baseline spelling, students in the treatment condition significantly outperformed students in the comparison condition at posttest, F(1, 29) = 9.29, p = .005, with a moderate adjusted effect size (g = 0.57). Implementation findings indicated high caregiver acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness. Procedural fidelity was high overall and improved following a formative adaptation phase that introduced a decision-tree protocol for lesson pacing. These findings provide preliminary evidence that highly structured spelling instruction can be successfully implemented by caregivers to extend evidence-based literacy support into the home microsystem.Impact StatementThis study provides one of the first empirical tests of caregiver-implemented spelling instruction. In this pilot, caregivers implemented structured spelling instruction at home with high fidelity when provided with brief lessons, structured materials, and virtual training and coaching, and children in the intervention group showed stronger spelling gains on a standardized spelling measure than those in the comparison group. These findings suggest that school psychologists and educators may be able to partner with families to extend evidence-based literacy instruction beyond the classroom.