Let's Know!2: Language-focused Intervention for Children at Risk of Comprehension Difficulties

Summary

In the proposed project, the investigators will conduct a multisite randomized controlled trial (RCT) to determine the efficacy of Let's Know!2, a small-group, language focused comprehension intervention, on children's lower- and higher-level language skills and comprehension skills in the short- and long-term (Specific Aims 1 and 2). The investigators will also explore whether intervention effects are moderated by dosage, initial language skill, developmental language disorder (DLD) status, word reading skill, nonverbal IQ, and family socioeconomic status (Specific Aim 3).

Children who have low language skills and are thus at risk for reading comprehension difficulties will participate in the study. Children will be randomly assigned to receive Let's Know! in small groups at their respective schools or to a business-as-usual control condition. The investigators will measure children's language and comprehension skills at the beginning and end of Grade 1 as well as in Grade 2 and Grade 3. The investigators hypothesize that children who experience Let's Know! will end Grade 1 with higher language skills than children in the control condition and that this will translate into better listening and reading comprehension skills as these children matriculate through elementary school.

Conditions

• Language Disorders in Children

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Let's Know! small-group or TierL 2 Intervention

Let's Know!2 is an 22-week intervention spanning 1 school year. Each week features 4, 20-30 minute lessons targeting lower-level and higher-level language skills. Within units, instructors and children progress through specific types of lessons to meet language-focused learning objectives. LK!2 was adapted from the original Let's Know! curriculum (LARRC, 2016). The adaption from LK! to LK! made lessons appropriate for small groups of Grade 1 students with low language skills. Adaptations focused on (1) simplification of language input, (2) increased scaffolding, (3) attention to distributed practice, (4) materials to support diversity and inclusion, and (5) enhanced interventionist training. LK!2 comprised 76 20-30 min lessons across four units (fiction, animals, earth materials, folktales) as implemented by trained research staff (i.e., interventionists).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

  collaborator NIH

• Ohio State University

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Kansas

  collaborator OTHER

• MGH Institute of Health Professions

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Tiffany P Hogan, PhD · MGH Institute of Health Professions

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

5 Years

Max Age

12 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-01-01

Primary Completion

2026-06-30

Completion

2026-12-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations