Cognitive Moderators of Intervention Efficacy: Comparing Phonics-Based and Whole-Language Reading Interventions for Iranian Children with Dyslexia

Ali  Seidi; Hosna  Nazari; Hediyeh  Ardeshiri; Maryam  Bahrami; Nasrin  Sheikvaisi; Parnaz  Shirnasab; Faezeh  Pornour

Authors

Ali Seidi Department of Foreign Languages Teaching, Ker.C., Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran Corresponding author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5457-872X
Hosna Nazari Department of Counseling, Sa.C., Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5689-8282
Hediyeh Ardeshiri Department of Education, Ker.C., Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8692-5134
Maryam Bahrami Department of Psychology, Il.C., Islamic Azad University, Ilam, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4359-0595
Nasrin Sheikvaisi Department of Education, Ker.C., Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7433-1352
Parnaz Shirnasab Department of Education, Ker.C., Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8859-1475
Faezeh Pornour Department of Education, Ker.C., Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1724-5610

Keywords:

Dyslexia, phonological awareness, phonics instruction, cognitive intervention, language

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of phonics-based and whole-language reading interventions in improving phonological awareness among Iranian primary-school children with dyslexia and to examine the maintenance of intervention effects at follow-up.

Methods and Materials: The study employed a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with two intervention groups and a four-week follow-up. Forty-eight children aged 7–9 years from grades two and three in four primary schools in Kermanshah, Iran, were initially assigned to either a phonics-based or whole-language intervention group. Following attrition, 46 participants were included in the final analyses. Both interventions were delivered in small groups for 45 minutes per session, five times per week, over 12 weeks. Phonological awareness was assessed using the Phonological Awareness Test for Persian-speaking Children. Analysis of covariance was used to compare posttest outcomes while controlling for pretest scores, and mixed-design ANOVA evaluated maintenance of intervention effects. Exploratory independent-samples t tests examined differences across phonological-awareness subtests.

Findings: ANCOVA showed a significant effect of intervention group on posttest phonological awareness, F(1, 43) = 12.87, p = .001, partial η² = .23, favoring the phonics-based intervention. Mixed-design ANOVA revealed significant effects of time, F(1, 44) = 8.94, p = .004, partial η² = .17, and group, F(1, 44) = 10.21, p = .003, partial η² = .19, whereas the time × group interaction was not significant, F(1, 44) = 1.23, p = .27. Subtest analyses showed significant advantages for phonics in phoneme deletion, t(44) = 3.42, p = .001, d = 1.03, and phoneme isolation, t(44) = 2.38, p = .02, d = .72.

Conclusion: Phonics-based instruction was more effective than whole-language instruction in improving phonological awareness in Persian-speaking children with dyslexia, and its advantage was maintained at four-week follow-up, particularly for more complex phoneme-level skills.

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