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Effects of individual direct-instruction tutoring on foster children's academic skills: A randomized trial

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  • Flynn, Robert J.
  • Marquis, Robyn A.
  • Paquet, Marie-Pierre
  • Peeke, Lisa M.
  • Aubry, Tim D.

Abstract

We conducted a randomized effectiveness trial to test the hypothesis that foster children of primary-school age who were exposed to an individualized direct-instruction tutoring intervention delivered by their foster parents would experience significantly greater pre-test to post-test gains in reading and math than would foster children in a wait-list control group. The sample consisted of 77 foster children in 9 local Children's Aid Societies in Ontario, Canada. At the pre-test, the foster children were aged 6 to 13years (M=10.7years, SD=1.6) and were in primary-school grades 2 through 7. Forty-two foster children were randomly assigned to the experimental (tutoring) group and 35 to the wait-list control group. The sub-tests of the Wide Range Achievement Test—Fourth edition (WRAT4; Wilkinson & Robertson, 2006) served as the outcome measures. At the post-test, the foster children in the experimental group had made statistically and practically greater gains than those in the control group on the WRAT4 sub-tests of Sentence Comprehension (Hedges' g=0.38, p<.05), Reading Composite (g=0.29, p<.10), and Math Computation (g=0.46, p<.01) but not on Word Reading (g=0.19, ns) or Spelling (g=−0.08, ns). The implications of the results for improving foster children's educational achievement were discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Flynn, Robert J. & Marquis, Robyn A. & Paquet, Marie-Pierre & Peeke, Lisa M. & Aubry, Tim D., 2012. "Effects of individual direct-instruction tutoring on foster children's academic skills: A randomized trial," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1183-1189.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:34:y:2012:i:6:p:1183-1189
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.01.036
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Harper, Julie & Schmidt, Fred, 2012. "Preliminary effects of a group-based tutoring program for children in long-term foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1176-1182.
    2. Berlin, Marie & Vinnerljung, Bo & Hjern, Anders, 2011. "School performance in primary school and psychosocial problems in young adulthood among care leavers from long term foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(12), pages 2489-2497.
    3. Forsman, Hilma & Vinnerljung, Bo, 2012. "Interventions aiming to improve school achievements of children in out-of-home care: A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1084-1091.
    4. Trout, Alexandra L. & Hagaman, Jessica & Casey, Kathryn & Reid, Robert & Epstein, Michael H., 2008. "The academic status of children and youth in out-of-home care: A review of the literature," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(9), pages 979-994, September.
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    1. Goulet, Julie & Maltais, Christine & Archambault, Isabelle & Noël, Véronique & Guériton, Muriel, 2024. "Supporting academic achievement of children in out-of-home care through effective interventions: results of a systematic review and meta-analyses," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    2. Kirkøen, Benedicte & Engell, Thomas & Follestad, Ingvild B. & Holen, Solveig & Hagen, Kristine Amlund, 2021. "Early academic struggles among children with home-based support from child welfare services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    3. Evans, Rhiannon & Hallett, Sophie & Rees, Alyson & Roberts, Louise, 2016. "The acceptability of educational Interventions: Qualitative evidence from children and young people in care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 68-76.
    4. Forsman, Hilma & Vinnerljung, Bo, 2012. "Interventions aiming to improve school achievements of children in out-of-home care: A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1084-1091.
    5. Ferguson, H. Bruce & Wolkow, Katherine, 2012. "Educating children and youth in care: A review of barriers to school progress and strategies for change," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1143-1149.
    6. Chih-Feng Chien & Ching-Jung Liao & Brent G. Walters, 2018. "Enriching Service-Learning by Developing e-Tutoring in Foster Homes," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 221-238, April.
    7. Zinn, Andrew & Courtney, Mark E., 2014. "Context matters: Experimental evaluation of home-based tutoring for youth in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(P3), pages 198-204.
    8. Hickey, Andrea J. & Flynn, Robert J., 2020. "A randomized evaluation of 15 versus 25 weeks of individual tutoring for children in care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    9. McGuire, Austen & Gabrielli, Joy & Hambrick, Erin & Abel, Madelaine R. & Guler, Jessy & Jackson, Yo, 2021. "Academic functioning of youth in foster care: The influence of unique sources of social support," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
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    12. Cameron, Claire & Höjer, Ingrid & Nordenfors, Monica & Flynn, Robert, 2020. "Security-first thinking and educational practices for young children in foster care in Sweden and England: A think piece," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
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    14. Tordön, Rikard & Bladh, Marie & Svedin, Carl Göran & Sydsjö, Gunilla, 2020. "Challenging intellectual, behavioral and educational prerequisites for interventions aimed at school aged children in foster care. A compilation of Swedish test results," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    15. Brännström, Lars & Vinnerljung, Bo & Hjern, Anders, 2015. "Risk factors for teenage childbirths among child welfare clients: Findings from Sweden," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 44-51.
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