A Feasibility Study of a Tier 2 Phonological Awareness Intervention for Swedish 6-Year-Olds at Risk of Reading Difficulties

Previous research has identified decoding challenges among Swedish Grade 1 pupils, with 37% of L2 learners and 19% of L1 learners scoring low in word decoding (Fälth et al., 2023). Limited phonological awareness (PA) can exacerbate these challenges (Catts et al., 2014). However, early interventions targeting PA, particularly within Tier 2 RtI settings, have shown promise. This feasibility study examined the efficacy of a Tier 2 intervention implemented in Swedish preschool classes, focusing on enhancing both L1 and L2 pupils’ reading skills, specifically sound segmentation, blending and grapheme-phoneme correspondence for those at risk of reading difficulties. In a quasiexperimental design, 175 six-year-olds were screened, identifying 36 with low PA (stanines 1-3). From this, 32 pupils were matched by pre-test scores, gender and language background, forming an experimental group (n = 16) and a comparison group (n = 16). The experimental group received explicit PA training while the comparison group received standard treatment. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted. Initially, there were no significant differences in phonological performance between the groups. However, pupils receiving the Tier 2 intervention showed greater improvements in PA compared to peers in the comparison group (g = 1.02). These results highlight the effectiveness of a PA Tier 2 intervention.