With regard to Austria, actually 16% of nine and ten-year-old students belong to the at-risk group in reading literacy (e.g. Suchán, Wallner-Paschon, Stöttinger & Bergmüller, 2007). In recent years, research has intensively dealt with the close interdependence between difficulties in the acquisition of literacy, especially of reading skills, and language proficiency. It was pointed out that language difficulties place children at risk of literacy problems (e.g. Bishop & Snowling, 2004). In German-speaking countries only a few evaluations of intervention programs supporting the acquisition of reading and spelling as well as evaluations of language skills training programs have been completed (Gasteiger-Klicpera & Fischer, 2008). The few studies with large samples and controlled trials on the effects of language training could not prove any effects of systematic language intervention programs (Gasteiger-Klicpera, Knapp & Kucharz, 2010; Roos & Schöler, 2009). Concerning the acquisition of literacy, there are similarly few theoretically sound and evidence-based programs which allow an implementation in everyday school life and consider children with German as a second language in an adequate and sufficient way (Gasteiger-Klicpera & Fischer, 2008). German schools already run numerous support programs, especially for children with German as a second language too (e.g. Redder, Schwippert, Hasselhorn, Forschner, Fickermann & Ehlich, 2010). However, the efficacy of such programs remains mostly unevaluated (Hopf, 2005; Söhn, 2005). The close connection between difficulties in learning reading and writing and linguistic competencies has been subject of many studies so far (Snowling & Hulme, 2005). It seems likely to use the two-way interdependence between reading and language to enhance the reading as well as language competencies of children with German as a second language.

The purpose of the submitted presentation is to evaluate a theoretically founded reading intervention and language enhancement program and to obtain sound and broadly applicable conclusions regarding its effectiveness that are valid for children with German as a first and second language. An intensive, systematic and differentiated reading intervention will enable students with low literal and/or linguistic skills in the German language to improve these skills in a notable and long-term way. A main characteristic of the intervention program is the possibility of its implementation into everyday school lessons.

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