February 16, 2026. 13:00h. On-site and online session (Room M204, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy). Language: English.
Boosting Language to Improve Reading Comprehension: Long-Term Effects and Transfer from Two RCTs
Monica Melby-Lervåg y Arne Lervåg
University of Oslo
Reading comprehension—the ability to extract meaning from text—is a central educational outcome with lifelong consequences. Oral language skills, especially vocabulary and broader language comprehension, are widely viewed as foundational for reading comprehension. Yet intervention studies often struggle to generate robust transfer from language gains to reading comprehension, particularly in the long term. In this talk, we present results from two randomized trials targeting language and/or reading skills with reading comprehension as a key outcome. We use these trials to examine when transfer occurs, why it often does not, and what design features may increase the likelihood of lasting effects.
Bio
The research of Arne Lervåg and Monica Melby-Lervåg focuses primarily on predictors of individual differences in language, reading, and math development. They also do randomized trials where they examine effects from interventions in these areas for children with difficulties. Both have an interest in quantitative methods, and teach and do studies using different methods such as meta-analyses, longitudinal studies and interventions. Both work at CREATE, a research centre at the University of Oslo that focuses on research in social inequality in the education system.
