Switch-on is a school-based intervention for children aged 7 to 16 years who are working below age expectations for reading and writing. It is delivered by a teaching assistant or other trained practitioner to individuals for 10 to 12 weeks.
The information above is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
5 to 11 years old
Individual
Switch-on is a targeted-indicated intervention for children aged 7 to 16 years who are working below age expectations for reading and writing. These include children who have not met the expected level in English at a Key Stage assessment. Children may have Special Educational Needs, or have English as an Additional Language. Switch-on may also be run in Special Schools.
Switch-on is delivered by a teaching assistant or other trained practitioner (such as a teacher, librarian, or SENCO) to individuals. The practitioner delivers one-to-one sessions approximately daily for 20 minutes over 10 to 12 weeks (one school term).
There are currently two different versions of Switch-on: Switch-on Reading, and Switch-on Writing. Switch-on Reading is underpinned by robust evidence.
In Switch-on Reading, materials are selected based on pre-test scores and prior attainment in the first session; if a mismatch with the pupil’s reading ability becomes apparent, this can be adjusted in the following session. Over the course of the intervention, pupils read both fiction and non-fiction books which include visual images. Each session includes: reading a familiar book, discussing the textual and visual content of a book, and introducing and reading a new book. Pupils practise reading comprehension through the discussion, and the practitioner provides feedback and tips on reading strategies. The practitioner also keeps a record sheet with an inventory of reading errors made by the pupil each week; there is a standardised way of completing the record sheet, which forms an important part of the intervention.
A historic, hybrid version of the intervention focused on both reading and writing, with reading sessions alternating with writing sessions. In the writing sessions, pupils read one book, and wrote out a sentence from that book with support.
The aim of the intervention is to achieve functional literacy for pupils, and close the reading gap between the most disadvantaged children and their peers. It does this through teaching pupils to be active independent readers and writers.
7 to 16 years
Children with reading and writing below expected age level
Disclaimer: The information in this section is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
Science-based assumption
Lack of functional literacy is a barrier to academic achievement and positive life chances.
Science-based assumption
Lack of functional literacy and low engagement in reading in childhood is a barrier to accessing the curriculum and achieving at school.
Science-based assumption
Pupils who are reading at below the age-expected level.
Intervention
Trained teaching assistants have daily sessions with pupils to encourage active independent reading and writing, through reading practice, introduction of vocabulary, and discussion of comprehension questions.
Short-term
Improved pupil engagement with reading
Improved pupil reading (phonics)
Improved pupil reading comprehension
Improved pupil writing.
Medium-term
Improved access to the curriculum
Increased academic achievement.
Long-term
Increased academic achievement
Improved life chances in adulthood.
Children aged 7 to 16 years who are working below age expectations for reading and writing.
Switch-on is delivered in 40 sessions of 20 minutes’ duration each, approximately daily over 1o to 12 weeks, by a trained educational practitioner to individual pupils at school.
In Switch-on Reading, the practitioner, usually a Teaching Assistant, meets almost daily with the pupil to read and discuss books together, including re-reading familiar books and reading new books. They discuss the text, vocabulary, and phonics, and the practitioner gives reading strategy tips.
The aim is to improve children’s independent reading and literacy skills, as well as writing.
The practitioner who delivers this intervention is a Teaching Assistant, Librarian, Teacher, or SENCO.
The practitioners have 2 days of intervention training. Booster training of practitioners is not required.
It is recommended that practitioners are supervised by one intervention developer supervisor, with seven hours of intervention training.
Intervention fidelity is maintained through the following processes:
Organisation: East Midlands Education Support Service
Email address: info@em-edsupport.org.uk
*Please note that this information may not be up to date. In this case, please visit the listed intervention website for up to date contact details.
Switch-on’s most rigorous evidence comes from an RCT which was conducted in the UK, consistent with Foundations’ Level 3 evidence strength threshold.
This study evaluated a version of Switch-on Reading, and identified statistically significant improvements in reading.
There is also evidence from an RCT conducted in the UK, consistent with Foundations’ Level 2+ evidence strength threshold, which identified statistically significant improvements in writing, and from a rigorous RCT conducted in the UK which did not observe any positive impact of the intervention. Both of these studies evaluated a version of Switch-on which focused on both reading and writing.
Switch-on therefore receives a rating of Level 3+* overall: its evidence base includes mixed findings. This includes rigorously conducted studies suggesting positive impact alongside studies, which, on balance, indicate no effect or negative impact.
Improved reading ability (For the Reading and Reading and Writing Versions of Switch-on)
immediately after the intervention (based on study 1)
Improvement index
Interpretation
Study
Improved writing ability (For the Reading and Writing version of Switch-on only)
Improvement index
Interpretation
Study
| Identified in search | 3 |
| Studies reviewed | 3 |
| Meeting the L2 threshold | 1 |
| Meeting the L3 threshold | 2 |
| Contributing to the L4 threshold | 0 |
| Ineligible | 0 |
| Study design | RCT |
| Country | UK |
| Sample characteristics | 314 children across 19 schools between the ages of 11 and 12 years |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities | 89% White British |
| Population risk factors |
|
| Timing |
|
| Child outcomes | Improved reading ability (child assessment) |
| Other outcomes | None |
| Study rating | 3 |
| Citations | Gorard, S., See, B. H. & Siddiqui, N. (2014) Switch-On Reading: Evaluation report and executive summary. Education Endowment Foundation. |
| Study design | RCT |
| Country | UK |
| Sample characteristics | 100 children aged 5 to 11 years with reading ability well below the expected level |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities | No information |
| Population risk factors |
|
| Timing |
|
| Child outcomes |
|
| Other outcomes | None |
| Study rating | 2+ |
| Citations | Coles, J. (2012) An evaluation of the teaching assistant led Switch-on literacy intervention (MA thesis, University of London Institute of Education). |
| Study design | Cluster RCT |
| Country | UK |
| Sample characteristics | 999 pupils between the ages of 7 and 8 years, who had not achieved an expected level of reading in Key Stage 1, across 184 schools |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities | No information |
| Population risk factors |
|
| Timing |
|
| Child outcomes | No statistically significant outcomes |
| Other outcomes | None |
| Study rating | NE |
| Citations | Patel, R., Jabin, N., Bussard, L., Cartagena, J., Haywood, S. & Lumpkin, M. (2017) Switch-On effectiveness trial: Evaluation report and executive summary. Education Endowment Foundation. |
No other studies were identified for this intervention.
Note on provider involvement: This provider has agreed to Foundations’ terms of reference (or the Early Intervention Foundation's terms of reference), and the assessment has been conducted and published with the full cooperation of the intervention provider.
Rated 1: Set up and delivery is low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of less than £100.
Rated 2: Set up and delivery is medium-low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £100–£499.
Rated 3: Set up and delivery is medium cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £500–£999.
Rated 4: Set up and delivery is medium-high cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £1,000–£2,000.
Rating 5: Set up and delivery is high cost. Equivalent to an estimated unit cost of more than £2,000.
Set up and delivery cost is not applicable, not available, or has not been calculated.
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Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
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Rated 2: Has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome from a quantitative impact study, but there is not yet evidence of causal impact.
Rated 2+: Meets the level 2 rating and the best available evidence is based on a study which is more rigorous than a level 2 standard but does not meet the level 3 standard.
Rated 3: Has evidence of a short-term positive impact from at least one rigorous study.
Rated 3+: Meets the level 3 rating and has evidence from other studies with a comparison group at level 2 or higher.
Rated 4: Has evidence of a long-term positive impact through at least two rigorous studies.
Rated 4+: Meets the level 4 rating and has at least a third study contributing to the Level 4 rating, with at least one of the studies conducted independently of the intervention provider.
Rating has a *: The evidence base includes mixed findings i.e., studies suggesting positive impact alongside studies, which on balance, indicate no effect or negative impact.
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