Publisher: Literacy Teaching and Learning: An International Journal of Early Reading and Writing, 3 (2)
Page Numbers: 59-81

The study discussed herein examined the long-term impact of Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) programs on second and third grade Spanish speaking students. The purpose of the study was to determine whether former DLL students sustain the gains they made in the program as they moved through the grades. Subjects included 264 students (184 second graders and 80 third graders). One half of the subjects were former DLL students and one-half were students who were randomly selected from the grade cohort. Former DLL students and random sample students were compared on qualitative and quantitative measures. Results on all measures indicated that DLL students were either on par or ahead of random sample students, suggesting that DLL programs have sustaining effects for Spanish speaking students just as Reading Recovery programs have for English speaking students.