A Reading and Language Intervention for Children with Down Syndrome
The Reading and Language Intervention for Children with Down Syndrome (RLI) teaches reading and language in daily one-to-one sessions. This project evaluated the program in a randomized controlled trial. After 20 weeks, children who received RLI made significantly greater progress than children receiving usual teaching in single word reading, letter-sound knowledge, phoneme blending and taught expressive vocabulary. Read the findings for the outcomes, differences in children's progress and limits of the evidence.
RLI provides individualized reading and language instruction designed to meet the particular learning needs of students with Down syndrome. It is based on interventions that have been shown to be beneficial for other children experiencing language and reading difficulties, and incorporates the principles of best practice for all children.
Researchers at Down Syndrome Education International and at The Center for Reading and Language at the University of York developed and evaluated RLI in a study that was funded by the Big Lottery Fund. RLI builds on earlier work on reading and language interventions at the University of York, adapting teaching techniques to meet the learning profile of children with Down syndrome. The primary findings of the trial were reported in a paper published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
This website describes the intervention, its evaluation and the study findings. The teacher handbook and accompanying resources explain how to deliver the program.
Further information
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