Research
What Have We Found in Our Research?
Friends on the Block (FOTB) was developed to make Science of Reading instruction accessible to all learners, particularly students with intensive literacy needs. The program has been developed and evaluated through multiple federally funded research projects, including single-case design studies and randomized controlled trials. Across two randomized controlled trials involving 132 students, those receiving FOTB consistently outperformed comparison students on key reading outcomes. In the first study, FOTB students demonstrated statistically significant advantages over comparison students in word recognition, phonics, comprehension, and other literacy skills after 42 weeks of instruction. A second study replicated the overall pattern of findings, demonstrating meaningful gains in word reading, along with positive effects on reading fluency and comprehension. In both studies, over half the FOTB participants completed the entire program in 42 weeks or less.
Learn more about this study from our presentation materials and recent publications.
Recent Presentation Slides
Council for Exceptional Children Convention, 2026 Case Studies
CEC Special Education Convention, 2026 Data Presentation
Friends on the Block Case Studies What Results Can You Expect With Friends on the Block?
Our case studies share the stories of students who have participated in our studies, including details such as a description of progress, pre- and post-test data, and graphs of growth in reading skills.
Federal Grants
The Friends on the Block intervention was developed and evaluated with the support of federal research grants awarded to Southern Methodist University, the University of Alabama, and the Oregon Research Institute.
Support for carrying out this research was provided by grants R324K40011-05, R324A130102, and R324A200151 from the Institute of Education Sciences to Southern Methodist University. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and have not been reviewed or approved by the granting agency.
Articles & Presentations Publications and Presentations Related to the Friends on the Block Curriculum
Benner, G. J., Smolkowski, K., Allor, J. H., Al Otaiba, S., Preast, J. L., Hermecz, S. B., Small, J. W., & Strycker, L. A. (2026). The Impact of a Comprehensive and Flexible Intervention for Students with Disabilities Experiencing Intensive Literacy Needs. Remedial and Special Education, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325261420807(opens in new tab)
This study documents the initial efficacy of Friends on the Block, a comprehensive and flexible program designed for students with intensive early literacy needs. Findings support increased literacy expectations for students with disabilities who require intensive literacy support, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Benner, G., Al Otaiba, S., Allor, J. (March, 2026). Picking Up the Pace: Effective Approaches to Accelerate Fluency and Comprehension in Students with Disabilities. Annual Council for Exceptional Children Convention, Salt Lake City, UT.
This presentation explores instructional practices that helped “pick up the pace” of literacy growth for students with complex needs who received the Friends on the Block literacy intervention as part of a large-scale randomized controlled trial. Specific case stories are highlighted as part of this study.
Allor, J. H. & Al Otaiba, S. (2025). Raising Literacy Expectations for Students With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Lessons From a Series of Research Studies of Friends on the Block. The Reading League Journal, 6(2), 34-42.
This article compiles results from our initial design studies and our most recent randomized controlled trial efficacy study as evidence that students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) can reach literacy levels previously thought inaccessible. Our research with Friends on the Block (FOTB) specifically shows students with IDD testing higher in word recognition, comprehension, and fluency.
Allor, J. H., Yovanoff, P., Al Otaiba, S., Ortiz, M. B., & Conner, C. (2020). Evidence for a literacy intervention for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 55, 290-302.
This article describes findings from a series of single-case design studies that tested the effect of Friends on the Block on word recognition in students with intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Handouts from Research Presentations
Picking Up the Pace: Strategies for Quickly Building Reading Fluency and Comprehension for Students with Autism and Developmental Disabilities
Effective Early Literacy Intervention for Students with Autism and Developmental Disabilities: Building Reading Fluency and Comprehension
Boosting Fluency and Text Comprehension for Students with Intensive Needs: Case Studies with Diverse Learners
Closing the Gap: Long-Term Effects of a Comprehensive Early Literacy Program for Students with Disabilities
Long-Term Effects of a Comprehensive Early Literacy Curriculum on Reading Performance of Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Successes, Challenges, and Lessons Learned: Intensive Literacy and Behavioral Instruction for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Literacy Instruction for Nonresponders and Students at Risk: A Practical Method for Teaching ALL Students to Read
Boosting the Reading and Language Growth of Students with Intensive Needs, Including Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Impacts of a Comprehensive Early Literacy Curriculum on the Reading and Language Growth of Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Developmental Education, 2022
Literacy Instruction for Students with Developmental Disabilities: What Do We Know and How Do We Put it into Practice?
Children Conference, 2019
Improving the “Text-Diet” for Early and Struggling Readers: Selecting and Adapting Text
Teaching Students with Intellectual Disability to Read Using Friends on the Block, a Comprehensive Text-Centered Curriculum
