Improving Reading at Scale in Buenos Aires

Improving Reading at Scale: Evidence for Structured Literacy Instruction in Argentina's Primary Schools

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Aprendo Leyendo, a structured literacy program, by comparing reading outcomes of first- and second-grade students in intervention schools with those receiving business-as-usual instruction in control schools. Teachers in intervention schools received 40 hours of professional development and ongoing coaching support over two school years. Student reading performance was assessed at multiple time points using standardized Spanish-language literacy measures to examine growth over time. The study was conducted in 15 schools in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Children's Early Reading Development
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: The Spanish-language structured literacy program-Aprendo Leyendo; Other: Professional Teacher Development

Detailed Description

The overarching goal of the present study was to carry out a longitudinal observation of the effects of an evidence-based teacher training program (see below for details) and corresponding teacher and student instructional materials on foundational literacy outcomes. The investigators conducted four assessments of literacy and literacy-related skills over the span of two years in schools in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The investigators evaluated the early reading skills of children whose teachers were trained in the program and had Aprendo Leyendo's instructional materials, and compared their performance and evolution with the skills of children whose teachers were not trained in the program and did not have the instructional materials. In addition, individual differences in the children's reading growth were assessed with a limited set of predictors.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 537
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Argentina
  • Buenos Aires, Argentina, C1038AAR
    • Universidad de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Schools designated by the Ministry of Education School Eligibility to participate as either intervention or control sites Public primary schools located in Buenos Aires

Student Eligibility Enrollment in first grade (Year 1) Enrollment second grade (Year 2)

Native Spanish speakers

Participation in regular classroom literacy instruction

No exclusion based on gender or socioeconomic background

Teacher Eligibility

Classroom teachers assigned to participating first grade (first year) Classroom teachers assigned to participating second-grade classrooms (second year) Classroom teachers willing and available to participate in professional development

For intervention schools, willingness to participate in professional development and implement the Aprendo Leyendo curriculum

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention Condition; Students received instruction using the Aprendo Leyendo structured literacy curriculum delivered by teachers who completed professional development and ongoing support.	Other: The Spanish-language structured literacy program-Aprendo Leyendo; The investigators applied a Behavioral intervention. Aprendo Leyendo (AL) is a Spanish-language multisensory structured reading program, designed for children in the early stages of reading development. Using an explicit, sequential, and multisensory approach, AL is designed to help beginning readers achieve automatic accurate decoding and fluent reading of connected text. AL also includes systematic instruction in reading comprehension strategies, syntax, morphology, vocabulary, spelling and handwriting.; Other: Professional Teacher Development; Intervention 2 Description: The PD curriculum included 20 hours of in-person training in year one, 20 hours of continued ongoing support throughout both school years, along with the provision of print and online teacher and student materials.
No Intervention: Control Condition; Students received standard reading instruction as typically implemented in their schools, with no additional training or instructional materials provided by the project.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
IDEL Subtests (Dynamic Indicators of Success in Reading)	Letter Naming Fluency Phoneme Segmentation Fluency Nonsense Word Correct Fluency	Baseline (before grade 1) and 2 years (end grade 2)
Nonword Repetition	Assessed phonological working memory	Baseline (before grade 1) and 2 years (end grade 2)
Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN)	Assessed speed and accuracy of naming familiar stimuli	Baseline (before grade 1)
IDEL Subtests	Oral Reading Fluency	up to 10 months (end grade 1), 1 year (before grade 2)and 2 years (end grade 2)
Tejas LEE Subtests (Texas Education Agency assessment of Spanish reading skills)	Words Read Correctly Per Minute	1 year (before grade 2) and 2 years (after grade 2).
Tejas LEE Subtests (Texas Education Agency assessment of Spanish reading skills)	Letter sound	up to 10 months (after grade 1), 1 year (before grade 2) and 2 years (after grade 2)
Tejas LEE Subtests (Texas Education Agency assessment of Spanish reading skills)	Passage Fluency Passage Comprehension Dictation	2 years (after grade 2)
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT)	Measured comprehension of spoken words	Baseline (before grade 1)
Set for Variability (SfV)	Measured the ability to correct a mispronounced word to its correct lexical form	Baseline (before grade 1) and 2 years (after grade 2)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Florencia Salvarezza

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 15, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): December 15, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 30, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 27, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 5, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 27, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Literacy; teacher professional development; structured literacy instruction; reading outcomes
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Communication; Literacy
• Other Study ID Numbers: ID NOT YET ASSIGNED

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No