Lexia’s Published Research

First Grade (Title I) Study:

This study, conducted during the 2001 – 2002 school year, examined the benefits of using Lexia Reading software at an urban public school system north of Boston, Massachusetts. First grade students used Lexia Phonics Based Reading (now called Lexia Primary Reading) for additional, individualized practice in basic reading skills.

Title I first graders who used the Lexia program made significantly greater gains on the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test than Title I students in the control group who did not use the software. Title I students using Lexia closed the achievement gap when they were compared to non-Title I students who also used Lexia.

“The Efficacy of Computer-Based Supplementary Phonics Programs for Advancing Reading Skills in At-Risk Elementary Students” is published in the peer-reviewed journal The Journal of Research in Reading.

PDF version of Article (pdf, 182 KB)

Kindergarten Study:

This study, conducted during the 2003 – 2004 school year, examined the effects of Lexia Early Reading as a supplement to a phonics-based reading curriculum in kindergarten in an urban public school system north of Boston, Massachusetts.

The district utilized an a.m./p.m. kindergarten model, which allowed for a carefully controlled study where each teacher had one class that was randomly assigned to use the Lexia program and the other class assigned to the control group. This allowed the researchers to make comparisons between the matched groups. Students identified as low-performers at pretest who used Lexia Early Reading made significantly greater gains in phonological awareness skills on the Gates-MacGinitie than low-performing students in the control group.

“The Efficacy of Computer Assisted Instruction for Advancing Literacy Skills in Kindergarten Children” is published in the peer-reviewed journal Reading Psychology.

Middle School Study:

This study, conducted during the 2005 – 2006 school year in collaboration with a middle school in St. George, Utah, investigated the benefits of Lexia Strategies for Older Students with sixth and seventh grade students enrolled in remedial reading classes. Of the 47 students included in the final analyses, 31 students were SPED students.

Two of three classes taught by the same teacher were randomly assigned to use Lexia Strategies for Older Students as part of their reading instruction; students in the third class comprised the control group. In general, students using the Lexia program showed greater gains on the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement than students in the control class. In particular, students in the treatment group showed significantly larger gains in word-attack skills; these gains were most pronounced for students with the lowest pretest scores.

“Benefits of Computer Assisted Instruction for Struggling Readers in Middle School” is published in the peer-reviewed journal The European Journal of Special Needs Education.

Implementation Study:

This article examines three key challenges to successful implementation of comprehensive software programs such as Lexia Reading, and suggests considerations that can be made at the school and classroom level to ensure that students benefit from the learning opportunity that computer assisted instruction presents.

Addressing the issues of providing sufficient technical support and properly integrating software like Lexia Reading into the core curriculum introduce the multi-faceted challenges that are faced by schools. The article focuses on a third challenge, which is establishing the strong use patterns that are necessary to see gains in student reading skills. Suggestions for scheduling student sessions and ensuring fidelity of treatment are discussed.

“Computer Assisted Instruction: Successful Only with Proper Implementation” is published in the International Dyslexia Association journal, Perspectives on Language and Literacy.