Repeated versus Wide Reading: A Randomized Control Study of Fluency Interventions
Ardoin, S. P., Binder, K. S., Zawoyski, A. M., et al. · 2016
grade Brctindependentreplicated
Sample
Primary-grade students (plus an IRRC 2018 grade-4 replication)
Population
Elementary students; US.
Design
Head-to-head RCT: repeated reading (reread same passage) vs wide/varied reading at EQUAL exposure. Isolates whether repetition per se adds value beyond volume.
Key findings
When exposure is held equal, repeated reading shows no meaningful advantage over wide/varied reading - the fluency mechanism is reading volume, not rereading. Recontextualizes the large repeated-reading effect sizes as practiced-passage measurement.
Genetic confound
RCT controls selection.
Replication notes
Implies the active ingredient in fluency gains is reading VOLUME, not repetition.
Effects
| Outcome | Metric | Value | Measure | Timing | Vs | Horizon | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repeated vs equal-volume varied reading (ORF, IRRC 2018) | WCPM | +18.9 (repeated) vs +20.9 (varied); no meaningful advantage of repetition | researcher-designed | end-of-treatment | active-alternative | end-of-treatment | domain-skill |
Cited by
- Reading fluency — guided repeated oral reading, and whether repetition mattersmoderate supportconf: mediumgc: low