Date of Award

8-2026

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Sarah Pinkelman, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Stephanie Peterson, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Jessica Van Stratton, Ph.D.

Fourth Advisor

Margeret Uwayo, Ph.D.

Keywords

Direct instruction, instructional design, parent training, reading instruction, self-instruction

Abstract

Approximately 69% of fourth grade students and 70% of eighth grade students performed below the proficient level on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment, highlighting ongoing gaps in early literacy skills (NAEP, 2024). Caregiver implementation of instructional reading strategies can positively impact children’s literacy development; however, training is often required to ensure fidelity. Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (TYC), is an evidence-based Direct Instruction reading program designed for caregiver implementation, yet its written self-instructional Practice Guide may be insufficient for developing fluent instructional delivery. Research suggests that programmed instructional formats incorporating active responding and immediate feedback are generally more effective than read-only, written, instructional materials in promoting skill acquisition. The present study used a nonconcurrent multiple-baseline design to evaluate the effects of an online self-instructional Learning Library on parents’ implementation of TYC. All three parents demonstrated improved instructional accuracy, teaching lessons with a rate of four to six correct learn units per minute and generalizing this instructional accuracy to lessons with their children. Results support the use of self-instruction to train caregivers to implement reading instruction. Limitations and future directions for self-instructional training with caregivers are discussed.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

Download

Share

COinS