1. April Turner, M.A. Melissa Andersen, M.A. Sara Kupzyk, M.A.
Addressing Reading Difficulties in the Classroom using Research-Based Intervention Strategies
April Turner, M.A.
Melissa Andersen, M.A.
Sara Kupzyk, M.A.

2. Characteristics of a Functional Approach to Reading Intervention
Student performance assessed directly in the curriculum
Intervention targets student performance in important curricular tasks
Intervention focuses on the components of instruction
Criterion for successful intervention: observable and measurable improvement in student learning over time

3. The Master Plan for Effective Intervention
Must start with strong curriculum
Guide decision-making with frequent, on-going assessment
Use research-based practices
Tailor intervention to student’s actual need
Develop and implement manageable plan
Monitor plan implementation and student progress regularly

4. General Approaches to Intervention Selection
Standard Protocol
Problem-solving
Regardless of the approach, selection of intervention must be based on the student’s actual need indicated by assessment data
SP approach
Struggling students are placed in a standard treatment package or instruction
More structured and intensive than general education instruction
Centers on the five essential components of reading
Phoneme awareness,
Phonics,
Vocabulary,
Reading fluency and
Comprehension
Small groups of 3-6 children in pull-out fashion
However, various grouping practices associated with the efficacy of a scientifically-based program are appropriate (i.e., whole class, small group, pairs, etc)
Emphasizes ongoing data collection and immediate intervention for students who need it
Composed of elements based on research proven practices
Systematic and explicit instruction in five critical areas of effective reading instruction
3-Tier Reading Model
Classroom instruction
Supplemental intervention
Intensive intervention
Classroom instruction: 90 minutes per day
Specialized, scientifically based reading program emphasizing 5 areas of reading
Small group (3-5 students)
Minimum of 30 minutes per day in addition to classroom instruction
Progress monitor 2x per week
Students who have not made adequate progress in Supplemental intervention
Intensive, scientifically based reading program emphasizing 5 areas of reading
Small group of 3
Minimum of 2 30 minute sessions per day in addition to classroom instruction
Students move in an out of the levels as needed
PS approach
Focuses on selecting specific instructional strategies matched to student’s needs (rather than a whole treatment package)
Selection of instructional strategies is based on the students’ individual level of proficiency and motivation
The problem may not always be lack of skill
The student needs sufficient motivation to respond to the instructional demands

5. Curriculum Based Measurement (CBM)
Assessing basic indicators of educational performance
Correct Read Words (CRW) Per Minute is reliable and valid indicator of reading competence
Measures accurate and fluent performance across materials and time (generalization)
Frequent, repeated measurement improves decision-making

6. What Type of Problem? Problem Indicator What to target Reading words
in isolation
High error rate
Reads fewer than
20 words per minute
Blending sounds
Reading sight words
Reading phonetically regular words
Reading
connected text
Slow and labored text reading
Reading fewer than minutes per minute
Accurate and fluent text reading
Interpreting text
Difficulty answering questions and recall
Comprehension

7. Instructional Hierarchy
Stage of learning
Instructional Strategy
Acquisition
Modeling, prompting, error correction, feedback for every response
Fluency
Practice, incentives for improvement & feedback for performance
Generalization
Practice with diverse items/problems, using the skill with other skills, using the skill in natural settings
Haring, Lovitt, Eaton, & Hansen, 1978

8. Matching Instruction to Need
Accuracy
Fluency
Generalization
RW in isolation
Modeling, prompting, error correction and feedback for every response
Practice, incentives for improvement, and feedback for a collection of responses
Practice with diverse items/problems, using the skill with other skills, using the skill in natural settings
RW in text
Interpret text

9. Interventions for Reading Words in Isolation
Prerequisite skills for text reading
Letter Sounds and Letter Names
Segmenting and blending sounds (phonemes)
Decoding phonetically regular words
Reading sight words

10. Phoneme Blending Intervention Skill: Segmenting and blending sounds
Materials: 4 Instructional words on flashcards, one blank flashcard
Instructional Words: error words chosen from the student’s reading text
Decodable words with predictable and not unusual sounds
Appropriate: ship, soap, quick
Inappropriate: what (“a” sounds like “u”), these (silent “e”)
Procedure/Demonstration:
First three times through the cards consists of sounding out each phoneme (expose one at a time using the blank card until student can see whole word), then blending them into each Instructional Word
Last time through consists of student reading each Instructional Word
When sounding out each phoneme, use the blank flashcard to cover the other letters– expose each phoneme until the student can see the whole word.
1st time- model, then student repeats each
2nd time- say sounds together
3rd time- student says them alone- prompt if needed- say sounds all together
4th time- read whole word

11. Phonics Intervention Skill: Decoding phonetically regular words
Materials: Word list, instructional passage
Procedure/Demonstration:
Teach a phonics lesson
Train phonics words in isolation: model + prompt responses
Have students practice phonics words in passage
Model, repeated readings, error correction, performance feedback

12. Flashcard Intervention Skills: Letter Sounds and Letter Names, Reading sight words
Builds accuracy for unknown sounds, letters, and words
Materials: Flashcards with letters or sight words
Procedure/Demonstration (sight words):
Identify unknown words
Model the first two words and have the student repeat
Have the student say the words on their own
If student says all of the words correctly, shuffle the cards, model a new word and continue through remaining words.
If student does not say a word correctly or doesn’t respond, model the word and have student repeat, shuffle the cards, and repeat (do not add a new word until the student gets all of the words correct the first time)

13. Flashcard Intervention Example
Nick- a 1st grade student
Weak sight word vocabulary
End of 1- 20, maintenance 17
End 2- 22, maintenance 21

14. Reading Words in Connected Text
Fluency:
Those who read words in text
Accurately
Quickly
With less effort
Fluent Readers
Enjoy reading more
More confident in reading skills
Have higher levels of comprehension
Are more likely to choose to read

15. Connected Text Interventions
Listening Passage Preview
Repeated Reading
Error Correction
Phase Drill
Syllable Segmentation

16. Listening Passage Preview
Materials
Two copies of the designated text
Procedure/Demonstration
Read the story aloud to the student at an age-appropriate pace
Have the student follow along on the student copy as you read the text aloud

17. Repeated Readings Materials Procedure/Demonstration
Two copies of the selected reading text
Student copy
Examiner copy
Procedure/Demonstration
Have the student read the text aloud three to four times
Each time the student reads the passage aloud, follow on the examiner copy
If the student hesitates on a word for more than 3 seconds, say the word and have the student read the word correctly

18. Enhancing Repeated Reading
Choice of Reading Material
Give the student options of what to read
Limit the length and amount of material
Keep the materials brief so student have multiple opportunities to read and re-read the same material
Provide Encouragement
Discuss material with the student
Graph student progress!

19. Error Correction: Phase Drill
Materials
Two copies of the reading passage
Student copy, Examiner copy
Highlighter
Stopwatch

20. Error Correction: Phase Drill
Procedure/Demonstration
Have the student read the story aloud
While the student is reading the passage aloud, follow along on the Examiner Copy highlighting/underlining errors
If the student hesitates on a word for more than 3 seconds, sat the word and highlight/underline it
Show him/her your copy with the underline/highlighted errors
Read each error word to the student
Have the student read the phrase/sentence containing the word aloud three times
Have the student read the passage aloud again using the standard CBM error correction procedures

21. Error Correction: Syllable Segmentation
Materials
Two copies of the reading passage
Examiner copy, student copy

22. Error Correction: Syllable Segmentation
Procedure/Demonstration
Identify error words using standard CBM procedures
The examiner uses an index card to cover each error word, uncovering and modeling the correct pronunciation of one syllable at a time
The student repeats the correct pronunciation of each syllable as the examiner uncovers them
The student then independently reads each syllable and blends the syllables together to pronounce the word
If mistakes are made, the previous steps are repeated

23. Connected Text Interventions Summary
Component
Rationale
Procedural Steps
Listening Passage Preview (LPP)
Provides modeling to increase the student’s reading accuracy and fluency (Daly & Martens, 1994).
The examiner reads the instructional passage to the student at a comfortable pace while simultaneously monitoring the student to ensure that he or she is correctly following along with his or her finger.
Repeated Readings (RR)
Designed to provide a student with multiple opportunities to respond by having the student re-read a passage repeatedly (Rashotte & Torgensen, 1985)
The examiner has the student re-read a passage three times.
Phrase Drill (PD)
Designed to provide corrective feedback and accurate practice to increase correct responding (O’Shea, Munson, & O’Shea, 1984)
As the student reads the passage the first time, the practitioner highlights or underlines the student’s errors. After the student finishes reading the passage, the practitioner points to and reads the first error word to the student. The student reads the error word correctly to the practitioner, and then reads the phrase or sentence containing the error word three times. This process is repeated for each error word.
Syllable Segmentation (SS)
Designed to increase accuracy by providing the students with further corrective feedback and practice blending the syllables of error words together (Daly, Bonfiglio, Mattson, Persampieri, & Yates, 2006).
As the student reads the passage the second time, the practitioner uses an index card to cover each error word, uncovering and modeling the correct pronunciation of one syllable at a time. The student repeats the correct pronunciation of each syllable as the practitioner uncovers them. The student then independently reads each syllable and blends the syllables together to pronounce the word. If the student makes any mistakes during this process, the practitioner repeats the previous step.

24. Intervention for Interpreting Text
Comprehension
The ultimate goal in reading
Enhancing Comprehension
Pre-reading Activities
Post-reading Activities

25. Pre-Reading Comprehension
Clarify purpose of reading
What is purpose of reading?
Activate prior knowledge
Pre-teach vocabulary
Pre-teach concepts
Choose material that is appropriate

26. Pre-Reading Comprehension: Unknown Words
Pre-Teach Vocabulary
Say the word
Tell the students what it means
Use Context Clues

27. Pre-Reading Comprehension: Unknown Words
What does it mean?
Directions:
Make a list of words you do not know
Then, write a definition for each word
The definition can be another word that means the same thing or short description of that word
Word Definition
__________ ___________________

28. Pre-Reading Comprehension: T.E.L.L.S
Title
What is the title? What is this about?
Form hypothesis and now read to see if they are correct, activate prior knowledge
Examine
Clues
Pictures, headings and subheadings figures graphs
Look
Important words
Used often, in bold, illustration may provide clues
Unknown words
Setting
Clues about the setting (time, place, date)

29. Enhancing Pre-Reading Comprehension
Activities should be short and engaging
May be taught and done in small groups where students can discuss
T.E.L.L.S
Title
What do you think about?
Look
Unknown words (others can tell what it means)
Important words (others can explain why they think word is important)

30. Post-reading Comprehension Strategies
Summarize
Consolidate students knowledge
Write down main ideas, important points, sequence of events
Complete story maps, timelines, conflict charts

31. Incorporating Motivational/Reinforcement Strategies
If the task requires much effort then to get the student to chose the task we must provide strong reinforcement
Frequent
Immediate
Meaningful

32. Motivation/Reinforcement
Student is given a story to read and questions to answer
Student completes the assignment with 95% correct
Student is praised and receives a good grade
The task required little effort and time from the student so the weaker reinforcement is sufficient

33. Motivation/Reinforcement
Joe tries really hard and completes three comprehension tasks
Joe gets 60% correct, which is a big improvement but not enough for a good grade
Done often enough, it is possible that Joe will stop trying because even if he did do well enough, all the effort would not be worth the reinforcement

34. Motivation/Reinforcement Solutions
Praise Joe for completing each task
Increased frequency and immediacy of reinforcement
Add an interdependent group-oriented contingency so that Joe’s effort and accuracy is reward
Example: if 70% of class gets 70% correct then the class gets a reward
Promote cooperative learning

35. Additional Motivation/Reinforcement Strategies
Reward Box
Comprised largely of activities (free and fun for all)
As long as one activity in the box is really cool for each student, then there is the possibility of something wonderful happening each day for each student
Also, high quality powerful reinforcer for students who need it because the task requires much effort

36. Group Adaptation Class-wide Peer Tutoring
Student pairs take turns reading aloud for a fixed amount of time
As the student reads “tutor” scores errors, provides correction
Switch roles in the student pair

37. Mix and Matching Interventions
Identify student need
Acquisition
Sounds or words in isolation
Fluency
Reading connected text
Comprehension
Understanding what is read
Start with a research-based program
Enhance the research-based program with additional strategies tailored to student need

38. Conclusions Each student’s need is unique
Must start with strong curriculum
Guide decision-making with frequent & on-going assessment
Use research-based practices
Tailor Intervention to student’s actual need
Develop and implement manageable plan
Monitor plan implementation and student progress regularly