Implementation of the Word Connections Reading Intervention in Authentic Settings: A Survey of Program Users

Purpose Multisyllabic word reading is a persistent challenge for students with or at-risk for reading disabilities, yet few interventions address this skill in the intermediate grades. Word Connections is a supplemental intervention, with demonstrated positive effects, designed to build automaticity with advanced word reading. Following its release as an open-source program, we surveyed users to understand implementation in authentic settings. This study examined who was using the program, how it was being implemented, and teachers’ perceptions of usability.Method Participants included 196 program users (93.9% female and 82.7% White), primarily certified teachers (84.7%) from the United States (85.2%). The researcher-developed survey gathered information about user and context characteristics; program use; ratings of usability, comfort, and satisfaction; and adaptations made to lesson components.Results Participants reported using the program primarily in school settings and in upper elementary grades. Respondents indicated high levels of perceived usability, comfort, and satisfaction. While 60.7% reported implementing with fidelity, three-quarters made at least one adaptation. These changes were typically refinements to optimize instruction rather than replacements of core instructional routines. Contextual factors such as grade, geographic region, and instructional setting did not significantly predict adaptation.Conclusion The use of Word Connections across settings that mirror everyday instructional constraints highlights the program’s ecological validity. Findings suggest customization is a routine feature of classroom practice, supporting the view that sustainable implementation depends less on rigid adherence and more on maintaining core components with flexibility. Implications for ongoing program development and research are discussed.