Computer Based Newsletter and Literacy Engagement of Middle-school Students

• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04511065
• Recruitment Status: Not yet recruiting
• First Posted: August 12, 2020
• Last Update Posted: August 25, 2020
• Sponsor: State University of New York at Buffalo
• Information provided by (Responsible Party): Turquessa Francis, State University of New York at Buffalo

Study Description

Brief Summary:

The purpose of this study is to improve motivation for reading by implementing a computer-based newsletter and examine the effects on the literacy engagement and reading achievement of middle school-aged students. Research questions to be answered: 1. Does the provision of a computer-based newsletter intervention improve literacy engagement on middle school students in comparison to their pretest scores? 2. Does the provision of computer-based newsletter intervention improve the reading achievement of middle school students in comparison to their pretest scores?

Condition or disease	Intervention/treatment	Phase
Reading Problem	Other: Newsletter using a virtual mode of delivery	Not Applicable

Study Design

• Study Type: Interventional (Clinical Trial)
• Estimated Enrollment: 34 participants
• Allocation: Randomized
• Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)
• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Official Title: Impact of the Use of a Computer-based Newsletter, Using a Virtual Delivery of Intervention, on Literacy Engagement and Reading Achievement of Middle School-aged Students
• Estimated Study Start Date: October 2, 2020
• Estimated Primary Completion Date: December 14, 2020
• Estimated Study Completion Date: December 18, 2020

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/treatment
Experimental: Intervention Group; The intervention group will be provided with a survey to determine areas of interest to guide the 7-week literacy intervention plan of completing a newsletter. Students will complete the newsletter virtually using secure Zoom meetings 2x per week for 30 minutes per session. The results of the GORT 5 and TOC will be used to determine the baseline reading skills of the students and each researcher will use the results of the assessments to guide the intervention with the newsletter topic that is chosen by the student. For example, if the GORT 5 notes deficiency with reading accuracy, the focus of the intervention will be ensuring that reading accuracy is a focus of the summary that is crafted by the student for the newsletter.	Other: Newsletter using a virtual mode of delivery; Newsletter creation where topics in the newsletter are chosen by participants in the intervention group.
No Intervention: Control Group; The control group will not participate in the newsletter creation for the 7-week study period. These students will engage in the after-school programs at the Center, some of which may be literacy-based, but not the prescriptive model that is being followed by the researchers.

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures :

1. Reading Skills of Middle-School Aged Children [ Time Frame: These assessments will be administered at the start of the study and at the end of the study. Total timeframe from Time 1 to Time 2 is 7 weeks. ]
   Reading skills will be assessed using the Gray Oral Reading Test 5 (GORT 5) and the Test of Orthographic Competency (TOC). The Gray Oral Reading Test 5 assesses oral reading skills of individuals ages 6-23 years old, in the areas of rate, accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. The Test of Orthographic Competence assesses reading skills of children ages 6-17 years old, looking at proficiency with letters, spelling, punctuation, abbreviations and special symbols.

Secondary Outcome Measures :

1. Literacy Engagement of Middle-School Aged Children [ Time Frame: This assessment will be administered at the start of the study and at the end of the study. Total timeframe from Time 1 to Time 2 is 7 weeks. ]
   The researchers will also administer the modified Inventory of Reading Occupations (modified-IRO), a literacy engagement scale created by the investigators using the two standardized assessments, Inventory of Reading Occupations Pediatric version, and Inventory of Reading Occupations Adult version.

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 10 Years to 13 Years (Child)
• Sexes Eligible for Study: All
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Participants must be in After-school participants ages 10-13 years old and in grades 6-8.
2. Have access to a computer: laptop, Chromebook, or desktop.
3. Can identify and press all keys on a keyboard.
4. Can use a mouse to navigate on a computer.
5. Have internet access at home or center.
6. Computer system has the capability to download Zoom.
7. One grade equivalent or more below in areas of: fluency, rate, accuracy, or comprehension on Gray Oral Reading Test 5 (GORT 5).
8. Standard score in the below average range on the Test of Orthographic Competence (TOC).
9. Participants must speak, read, and write in English

Exclusion Criteria:

- 1. Students who do not have access to a computer, internet, and Zoom access at home.

2. Students who do not speak, read, and write in English.

Contacts and Locations

Contacts

Contact: Turquessa Francis, Ed.D; 17168296291; tpgreen@buffalo.edu

Sponsors and Collaborators

State University of New York at Buffalo

Investigators

• Principal Investigator: Turquessa Francis; University at Buffalo

More Information

Publications:

Grajo LC, Candler C, Bowyer P, Schultz S, Thomson J, Fong K. Determining the Internal Validity of the Inventory of Reading Occupations: An Assessment Tool of Children's Reading Participation. Am J Occup Ther. 2016 May-Jun;70(3):7003220010p1-9. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2016.017582.

Kim, A.-H., Vaughn, S., Klingner, J. K., Woodruff, A. L., Reutebuch, C. K., & Kouzekanani, K. (2006). Improving the reading comprehension of middle school students with disabilities through computer-assisted collaborative strategic reading. Remedial and Special Education, 27(4), 235-249. doi: 10.1177/07419325060270040401

• Responsible Party: Turquessa Francis, Clinical Assistant Professor, State University of New York at Buffalo
• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04511065
• Other Study ID Numbers: STUDY00004610
• First Posted: August 12, 2020
• Last Update Posted: August 25, 2020
• Last Verified: August 2020

Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:

• Plan to Share IPD: No
• Plan Description: There is no plan to make individual participant data available to other researchers.

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: No