Fast ForWord[R]. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2013-03-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Reading Programs,Computer Assisted Instruction,Beginning Reading,Alphabets,Reading Fluency,Reading Comprehension,Elementary School Students,Kindergarten,Grade 1,Grade 2,Grade 3,Intervention,Educational Research,Foreign Countries

&quot;Fast ForWord&quot;[R] is a computer-based reading program intended to help students develop and strengthen the cognitive skills necessary for successful reading and learning. The program, which is designed to be used 30-100 minutes a day, 5 days a week, for 4-16 weeks, includes three series. The &quot;Fast ForWord[R] Language&quot; series and the &quot;Fast ForWord[R] Literacy&quot; series aim to build cognitive skills such as memory, attention, processing, and sequencing. They also strive to build language and reading skills, including listening accuracy, phonological awareness, and knowledge of language structures. The &quot;Fast ForWord[R] to Reading&quot; series (also known as the &quot;Fast ForWord[R] Reading&quot; series) aims to increase processing efficiency and further improve reading skills such as sound-letter associations, phonological awareness, word recognition, knowledge of English language conventions, vocabulary, and comprehension. The program is designed to adapt the nature and difficulty of the content based on individual student's responses. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) identified 342 studies that investigated the effects of &quot;Fast ForWord&quot;[R] on the reading skills of beginning readers. The WWC reviewed 25 of those studies against group design evidence standards. Seven studies (Borman, Benson, &amp; Overman, 2009; Scientific Learning Corporation, 2004, 2005a, 2005b, 2005c, 2006, 2007) are randomized controlled trials that meet WWC evidence standards without reservations, and two studies (Overbay &amp; Baenen, 2003; Scientific Learning Corporation, 2008) are quasi-experimental designs that meet WWC evidence standards with reservations. Those nine studies are summarized in this report. Sixteen studies do not meet WWC evidence standards. The remaining 317 studies do not meet WWC eligibility screens for review in this topic area. Appended are: (1) Research details for Borman, Benson, &amp; Overman, 2009; (2) Research details for Scientific Learning Corporation, 2004; (3) Research details for Scientific Learning Corporation, 2005a; (4) Research details for Scientific Learning Corporation, 2005b; (5) Research details for Scientific Learning Corporation, 2005c; (6) Research details for Scientific Learning Corporation, 2006; (7) Research details for Scientific Learning Corporation, 2007; (8) Research details for Overbay and Baenen, 2003; (9) Research details for Scientific Learning Corporation, 2008; (10) Outcome measures for each domain; (11) Findings included in the rating for the alphabetics domain; (12) Findings included in the rating for the reading fluency domain; (13) Findings included in the rating for the comprehension domain; (14) Description of subgroup findings for the alphabetics domain; and (15) Description of subgroup findings for the reading fluency domain. A glossary of terms is included. (Contains 14 tables and 23 endnotes.)