Research Recommendations
- Abby Tirey
- Jul 18
- 6 min read
This post is a compilation of all the articles and other media that we have recommended to our email subscribers over the last couple of years, including content summaries and links!
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Open Access Articles
"Enhancing Opportunities for Decoding and Knowledge Building through Beginning Texts," The Reading Teacher, Hiebert, 2024. LINK
Special Note: Dr. Hiebert was on our advisory board during the development of Friends on the Block and was the inspiration for our Scavenger Hunt game!
This paper addresses the efficacy of decodable and leveled texts, their word features, and outcomes of reorganizing texts by vowel patterns and topics. Sparse evidence supports one text type’s superiority in building a strong reading foundation, but studies do show reorganizing leveled texts according to a decoding curriculum aids reading acquisition. This finding is the basis for illustrating how existing texts can be reorganized to boost reading volume, apply decoding skills, and offer coherent topic exposure.
"Planning and Implementing Effective Language and Reading Comprehension Instructional Techniques for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Cognitive Disabilities," The Reading Teacher, Allor, Otaiba, Conner, & Ortiz, 2023 LINK
This article describes in detail four key instructional techniques used to target reading and language development in struggling and early readers, including children with both autism and cognitive disabilities. Using examples from Friends on the Block, this paper describes key instructional techniques and methods teachers can incorporate into daily reading and language instruction for children with autism and cognitive disabilities, as well as how to use these techniques without Friends on the Block.
"Helping Children With Significant Reading Problems," American Educator, Vaughn & Fletcher, 2023. LINK
In this article, Vaughn and Fletcher cover some reasons why children might struggle when learning to read and what parents and other caregivers can do to support children with reading problems. The article also includes a list of "16 Common Misunderstandings of Dyslexia."
"The Practice Gap," Perspectives on Language and Literacy, Vaughn & Fletcher, 2023. LINK
This article digs into the challenges that students with Reading Difficulties and Disabilities (RDD) face due to getting less reading practice than their peers. The article wraps up with a call to Deliberate Practice, practice with "(1) well-defined goals, (2) interest in achieving specified goals, (3) feedback, and (4) opportunities for additional practice."
"The Science of Reading Comprehension Instruction," The Reading Teacher, Duke, Ward, & Pears, 2021. LINK
This article covers what we know about how reading comprehension works and research-backed methods for building reading comprehension. These methods range from teaching foundational word-reading and bridging skills, to vocabulary building, to having students read varied texts to activate different comprehension processes. The article covers effective instruction for beginning students and more advanced instruction for older students getting into more complex texts.
"10 Key Policies and Practices for Reading Intervention," Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, 2020. LINK
This is one of the Meadows Center's "10 Keys" series, which synthesizes high-quality research into easy-to-read top-10 lists. This article focuses on best practices for teachers administering a reading intervention in a classroom setting and includes fleshed out, varied examples of how to implement these practices!
"History of the Reading Wars," PBS, 2003. LINK
This article goes back in time and takes a look at how Whole-Language Theory and cuing became incorporated into the American education system, the resulting literacy crisis, and how we began turning back to phonics as the superior method of teaching reading.
Podcasts and Videos
"Episode 23: Finding Fluency with Friends on the Block's Dr. Jill Allor," A Head for Knowing Podcast, Leo, 2025. Spotify & Apple Podcasts
This episode is all about EVIDENCE, and the science points to another great discussion with host Kerry Leo and Dr. Jill Allor. Dr. Allor is a superstar in the world of literacy research and the science of reading. As author and owner of the literacy curriculum Friends on the Block, she has helped countless students on the journey to reading fluency.
"You Were Probably Taught to Read Wrong," Otherwords, 2024. LINK
This video covers the history of the reading wars, beginning with Ken Goodman's Whole Language Theory in the 1970s. Host Erica Brozovsky, Ph.D, leads viewers through the rise of whole language theory, the introduction of cuing, the turn away from phonics, the eventual early literacy crisis that followed widespread adoption of cuing, and finally the science of reading that supports phonics instruction.
Sold a Story, Hanford et. al., 2022. LINK
In this podcast, host Emily Hanford explores how schools teach reading, which methods are ineffective, who promotes those methods, and how the science of reading is changing the field of education. Initial episodes were published in 2022 and follow-up episodes were published as recently as March 2025.
Articles Requiring Journal Access
"Raising Literacy Expectations for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Lessons From a Series of Research Studies of Friends on the Block," The Reading League Journal, Allor & Al Otaiba, 2025. LINK
This article compiles results from our initial design studies and our most recent randomized control trial efficacy study as evidence that students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) can reach literacy levels previously thought inaccessible. Our research with Friends on the Block (FOTB) specifically shows students with IDD testing higher in word recognition, comprehension, and fluency.
"Following the Rules in an Unruly Writing System: The Cognitive Science of Learning to Read," The Reading Teacher, Kearns & Borkenhagen, 2024. LINK
This article explains that “Students will benefit from a balance of implicit and explicit forms of instruction, including simple strategies for reading words, teaching high-utility rules, emphasizing practice over explanation, and using letters when doing phonemic awareness activities.” Cognitive science suggests that learning to read involves a lot of implicit learning, so while explicit phonics instruction is definitely the place to start, eventually readers are able to continue learning simply by practicing reading.
"The Relations of Kindergarten Early Literacy Skill Trajectories on Common Progress Monitoring Measures to Subsequent Word Reading Skills for Students at Risk for Reading Difficulties," Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol 115, Clemens, Lee, Liu, Boucher, Al Otaiba, & Simmons, 2023. LINK
Progress monitoring can provide data to inform the need to intensify instruction for students at risk for word reading difficulties. Although a large number of options exist for monitoring reading progress in kindergarten, monitoring progress with a measure of letter-sound fluency during the fall and a measure of word reading fluency during the spring may provide the strongest indications of a need to intensify preventative interventions.
Content From Friends on the Block Authors
Note: This section includes articles from the previous sections.
"Raising Literacy Expectations for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Lessons From a Series of Research Studies of Friends on the Block," The Reading League Journal, Allor & Al Otaiba, 2025. LINK
This article compiles results from our initial design studies and our most recent randomized control trial efficacy study as evidence that students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) can reach literacy levels previously thought inaccessible. Our research with Friends on the Block (FOTB) specifically shows students with IDD testing higher in word recognition, comprehension, and fluency.
"Episode 23: Finding Fluency with Friends on the Block's Dr. Jill Allor," A Head for Knowing Podcast, Leo, 2025. Spotify & Apple Podcasts
This episode is all about EVIDENCE, and the science points to another great discussion with host Kerry Leo and Dr. Jill Allor. Dr. Allor is a superstar in the world of literacy research and the science of reading. As author and owner of the literacy curriculum Friends on the Block, she has helped countless students on the journey to reading fluency.
"Intellectual Disabilities," Climbing the Ladder of Reading & Writing: Meeting the needs of all learners, Stewart, Conner, & Al Otaiba, 2024. LINK
This chapter is an "overview of evidence-based practices for literacy instruction intended to meet the needs of students with intellectual disability (ID)." The chapter outlines two goals for literacy instruction: accessing text and enabling independence. The authors also stress that "students with ID...often require additional intensity to acquire foundational reading and writing skills."
"Planning and Implementing Effective Language and Reading Comprehension Instructional Techniques for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Cognitive Disabilities," The Reading Teacher, Allor, Otaiba, Conner, & Ortiz, 2023. LINK
This article describes in detail four key instructional techniques used to target reading and language development in struggling and early readers, including children with both autism and cognitive disabilities. Using examples from Friends on the Block, this paper describes key instructional techniques and methods teachers can incorporate into daily reading and language instruction for children with autism and cognitive disabilities, as well as how to use these techniques without Friends on the Block.
"The Relations of Kindergarten Early Literacy Skill Trajectories on Common Progress Monitoring Measures to Subsequent Word Reading Skills for Students at Risk for Reading Difficulties," Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol 115, Clemens, Lee, Liu, Boucher, Al Otaiba, & Simmons, 2023. LINK
Progress monitoring can provide data to inform the need to intensify instruction for students at risk for word reading difficulties. Although a large number of options exist for monitoring reading progress in kindergarten, monitoring progress with a measure of letter-sound fluency during the fall and a measure of word reading fluency during the spring may provide the strongest indications of a need to intensify preventative interventions.
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