In 2000 Dr Peter Hatcher, working at the Centre for Reading and Language (CRL) in York evaluated the effectiveness of the Early Literacy Support (Department for Education and Skills [DfES], 2001) relative to the programme of Reading Intervention based on 'sound linkage'.
Children aged 6 years, from 16 primary schools in North Yorkshire were ‘identified by their schools as in need of additional support’. These children were not necessarily those with the weakest literacy levels. It was found that both groups of children made equivalent and significant gains in reading and spelling that were maintained at follow-up.
Hatcher, P.J., Goetz, K., Snowling, M.J., Hulme, C., Gibbs, S. and Smith, G. (2006b) Evidence for the effectiveness of the Early Literacy Support Programme. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 76, 351-367
Duff, F. J. & Clarke, P. J. (2011). Practitioner Review: Reading disorders – What are effective interventions and how should they be implemented and evaluated? Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 52, 3-12.
Brooks G, Torgeson C, & Hall J (2006 ) A systematic review of the research literature on the use of phonics in the teaching of reading and spelling DfES ISBN 1844786595
(This publication compared the effectiveness of reading interventions that included explicit training in phoneme awareness and phonics, in the context of reading and delivered to children aged 8-10 years with moderate to severe dyslexic difficulties. Average gain in standard score points per hour: 0.20 for accuracy; 0.19 for comprehension (note RI gain = 0.23)
Snowling M & Hulme C (2011) Interventions for Children's Language and Literacy Difficulties