Effects of a Short-Term Auxiliary Reading Program on the Reading Skills of Incarcerated Youth

A disproportionate number of incarcerated youth demonstrate poor reading skills. While poor academic performance does not directly cause delinquent behavior, rates of reoffending and recidivism are highly correlated with low levels of academic achievement. This study examined the academic achievement of 45 incarcerated youth who received an intensive, 6-week summer reading program. The intervention combined approximately 3 hours of direct instruction and whole language reading activities per day. Pre-and posttest reading skills were assessed via the Gray Oral Reading Tests, 3rd edition (GORT-3). Paired t-tests of pre-and post-test standardized scores demonstrated significant improvements on 3 of 4 reading sub-tests. Overall reading abilities of participants remained low, however, suggesting the need for more long-term interventions.