Evidence-Based Educational Interventions for Developing and Improving Reading Comprehension in Adolescents

The aim of this article is to review empirical studies, meta-analyses and systematic reviews on educational interventions for developing and improving reading comprehension in adolescents, including both typically developing readers and those experiencing reading difficulties. We distinguish seven intervention types aimed at improving reading comprehension, each targeting different components as the basis for intervention: decoding and reading fluency, working memory, vocabulary, inferential skills, metacognitive skills, logical-semantic analysis of text structure, and reading motivation. We evaluate the evidence supporting their effectiveness, as well as data on the relationship between each component and reading comprehension. All interventions reviewed, except for working memory training, have some evidence of effectiveness. However, among the interventions whose outcomes has been examined in multiple meta-analyses, reported effect sizes vary dramatically, ranging from small to moderate and large. Several open questions remain, such as the problem of learning transfer and duration of effects, as well as the replicability of interventions and their outcomes across different contexts — languages, samples, and educational systems. The current review can serve as a starting point for practitioners and researchers interested in the development and implementation of evidence-based reading interventions in Russia.