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Lexia: Research-proven programmes for proficient, middle-ability and struggling readers

Founded through a research grant over 40 years ago, Lexia has been committed to conducting evidence-based, scientific research to support the development of Lexia products and demonstrate the efficacy of Lexia programs.

Lexia has an ongoing commitment to peer-reviewed efficacy research and gold-standard outcome studies. It is this that makes Lexia one of the best literacy programmes on the market and forms the heart of our pedagogical approach.

All of Lexia’s products are designed according to the latest scientific findings in education and interface designs are tested for outcomes in schools, with a focus on being user-friendly and effective for all readers.

Evidence-Based, Research Proven: Measuring Lexia’s Impact

For over 25 years, studies on Lexia products have been conducted and published by researchers around the world.

The use of Lexia solutions with study groups has proven to be significantly superior to those achieved by control groups receiving equal amounts of traditional instruction and practice.

Lexia now has over 25 externally-reviewed research studies for their primary and secondary school programmes.

Key findings include:

Significant effects in comparison to alternative forms of classroom instruction.

  • Use of Core5 Reading and PowerUP Literacy has a greater impact on student performance than alternative forms of instruction. Effect sizes in studies of the current products ranged from 0.06 to 0.74.

Benefits of programmes persist across different durations of implementation.

  • Both programmes contributed to reading gains in studies of varying durations, including one-year, multi-year and half-year studies.

Lexia is effective for all students.

  •  Both programs helped students achieve across all ages, regardless of race/ethnicity, English language learner, or disability status.

Supports differentiated instruction.

  • Students with varying reading profiles benefited from differentiated instruction in both Core5 Reading and PowerUp Literacy.

Education Endowment Foundation Evaluation Report on Lexia Core5 Reading (updated December 2022)

Based on the strength of existing studies, Lexia’s large user base across England and a strong alignment to their guidance reports on improving literacy, the EEF identified Lexia as a promising programme to investigate.

The EEF literacy report was published following a two-armed randomised control study which involved 697 pupils across 57 schools and focused on pupils identified as struggling readers in Year 2.

The independent evaluation found that:

  • Children offered Lexia made the equivalent of 1 additional months’ progress in reading, on average, compared to other children. This result was achieved in as little as 16 hours of use per pupil.
  • The reported cost of delivery was ‘very low’.
  • There was an average of 2 months additional progress for FSM pupils.
  • In addition, these results received a high security rating on the EEF padlock scale.

Further insight into the findings for pupils deemed disadvantaged/FSM:

The EEF reported subgroup analysis findings on FSM status pupils who took part in the study.

This reported an effect of 2 months’ additional progress for struggling readers who also fell under the FSM category, which is greater than the effect shown in the primary analysis.

These results suggest that the Lexia program may be more effective in FSM pupils; however, the sample was limited and the study was not powered to detect an effect in any subgroup.

An alternative analysis shows a slightly higher impact of two months’ progress in reading for all pupils and three months’ progress in reading for FSM pupils (exploratory analysis). This analysis was communicated in the previous version of the evaluation report but has been superseded in the Dec 22 version by the analysis pre-specified before the analysis was conducted.

For the full updated report visit EEF.

For full details on this EEF literacy efficacy study for struggling readers…

Visit the EEF Website

What Works Review

Lexia has been reviewed in the 6th Edition of ‘What works for children and young people with literacy difficulties? The effectiveness of intervention schemes’.

Lavan, G. and Talcott, J., 2020. Brooks’s What Works for Literacy Difficulties? The effectiveness of intervention schemes. 6th ed. [ebook] The School Psychology Service Ltd., pp.51-54.

Available at:

Access the report

Supporting Literacy in Secondary Students

A study of Lexia PowerUp® Literacy aligned to the strongest US research standards (ESSA), revealed that PowerUp is more than twice as effective than the average (traditional) adolescent reading intervention for 11-13-year-olds.

Using the STAR Reading® assessment, these findings provide strong evidence of PowerUp’s effectiveness with a diverse population of struggling readers and non-proficient readers. Findings included:

  • PowerUp® Literacy produces significant effects on reading scores.
  • Results were evident whatever the implementation timescale, even over a few weeks.
  • PowerUp is effective for all students regardless of race or ethnicity, English Language Learner or SEND status. 

Supporting Struggling and Non-Proficient Middle School Readers with the Lexia® PowerUp Literacy® Program. 1st ed. [ebook] Lexia Learning.

Available at: [Accessed 22 August 2022].

Access the Research Document

All Externally Reviewed Research Studies

In the accordions below, you can find details and links for a number of experimental, quasi-experimental and promising studies conducted with Lexia programs over the past 20 years.

Expand the accordions for further details.

See Lexia's full catalogue of research

Experimental Studies

Experimental studies that include randomly assigned treatment and control groups to eliminate selection biases:

  • Education Endowment Foundation (2021)
    This efficacy trial investigated the benefits of Lexia Core5 Reading on struggling readers across 57 English primary schools.
  • British Journal of Education Psychology (2016)
    This 2016 study examined the role of an early‐intervention, computer‐based literacy program to boost phonological skills in 4‐ to 6‐year‐old pupils.
  • EdMedia Published Proceedings (2016)
    This study explores a blended learning approach for reading instruction within general education second-grade classes in a California elementary school receiving Title 1 funds.
  • Computers in the Schools (2015)
    This 2015 study investigated the potential benefits of a blended learning approach on the reading skills of low socioeconomic status pupils (ages 6 to 8).
  • Bilingual Research Journal (2011)
    This 2011 study (conducted in Kindergarten classes using a bilingual education model) demonstrates that Lexia supports English Learners in acquiring fundamental literacy skills.
  • Reading Psychology (2011)
    This 2011 study examined the efficacy of using computer-assisted instruction (CAI) to supplement a phonics-based reading curriculum for preschoolers in an urban public school system.
  • European Journal of Special Needs Education (2009)
    This 2009 study investigated the benefits of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) for middle-school students attending remedial reading classes.
  • Reading Psychology (2008)
    This 2008 study examined the efficacy of using computer-assisted instruction (CAI) to supplement a phonics-based reading curriculum for kindergartners in an urban public school system.
  • Journal of Research in Reading (2006)
    This 2006 study examined the benefits of computer programs designed to supplement regular reading instruction in an urban public school system.
Quasi-experimental Studies

Quasi-experimental studies with treatment and control groups that may not be randomly assigned. There may be some selection biases that are statistically addressed.

This 2017 study examined the role of teacher engagement in student motivation and achievement in a blended learning environment.

  • Journal of Research in Special Education Needs (2013)
    This paper evaluates the impact of Lexia Reading software on the progress of children with reading difficulties in four Northern Ireland Schools.
  • Reading Psychology (2011)
    This 2011 study examined the efficacy of using computer-assisted instruction to supplement a phonics-based reading curriculum for kindergartners in an urban public school system.
Promising Studies

Promising studies include correlational evidence that the program has an impact. These studies may not include a control group, but selection effects are addressed statistically.

  • PowerUp Validity Report (2019)
    This report shows how achievement in PowerUp is associated with meaningful differences in literacy performance as measured by the NWEA MAP Growth Reading assessment.  Progress in PowerUp is strongly and positively associated with growth on this independent outcome measure.
  • Computers in the Schools (2019)
    This 2019 study showed students benefited from using Core5 over multiple years. Significant reading growth was found in each school year. In addition, the students demonstrated significant longitudinal growth over the three years.
  • Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia (2017)

This paper examined the validity of using performance measures from a computer-based reading program gathered through embedded “Assessment Without Testing®” technology as indicators of reading ability.

  • The Journal of Educational Research (2017)
    This 2017 study examined the implementation of a blended learning program for literacy instruction across kindergarten through Grade 5 in a Title I urban elementary school, including a population of students (18%) who are English learners.
  • Educational Technology Research & Development (2017)
    This 2017 study examined whether a personalised, adaptive blended learning approach can support reading development in ELs and non-ELs.

To download our latest Compendium of Abstract Summaries Click here.

Partner with LexiaUK Research

For additional research information and the possibility of partnering with LexiaUK in future projects,
please complete the contact form below.

We are happy to consider studies, large or small.

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