1. Laura Watson

2.  The article dealt with a class which contains four students who were at-risk students.  The class contains 28 second grade students who could read at different levels and had different learning abilities.  Ms. Gomez (a student teacher) decides to provide intensive intervention to four children.  The four students had moved up in grade level due to their age but not because of their academic abilities.  The group of children lack many reading skills which they have yet to master in previous years.  For the next three weeks, Ms. Gomez worked with the students during the Guided Reading period.

3. “Guided reading is a strategy that helps students become good readers. The teacher provides support for small groups of readers as they learn to use various reading strategies (context clues, letter and sound relationships, word structure, and so forth).”

4.  Instead of the typical 15 minute time span, Ms. Gomez spent 25-30 minutes with the group of children.  It is said that at-risk students require more attention and longer teaching time or they will be pulled into a downward spiral.  The program was altered so that the students would acquire reading skills that were suppose to be learned before.  FOCUS: sight-words recognition, phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, alphabet knowledge, and vocabulary.  The students would be given a leveled reading book to practice their new skills.

5.  The sight words such as a, the, and & on were presented daily. A game was presented in order to help them learn. The students would ‘win’ sight words as they recognized them. They enjoyed the idea of winning.

6.  Children were instructed to write their names on white boards with their ‘magic’ markers. Ms. Gomez would then point to a letter on a large alphabet chart and the students would have a contest to see who could name the letter first.

7.  Students were given magnetic letters in order to form words which they have learned and to create words using a beginning sound which was given to the students.  This activity was done two to three times a week.

8.  Ms. Gomez challenged the students according to their needs.  She offered students either more or different examples.  She told the children to use the magnetic letters to form sentences and words.  The students were directed to write their sentences to each other than to Ms. Gomez.

9.  Children were given different book according to their reading level.  Sight words and challenging words were added based on their level.

10.  A program which helps students of all grade levels (K-12). The program is for students whose reading achievement is lower than what it should be. The program uses computer software, literature and direct instruction.  Lasts 90 minutes.  Composed of three parts; whole group direct instruction, small-group then whole group wrap up.

11. Instructional Strategies Online - Guided Reading. (n.d.). Online Learning Centre. Retrieved April 11, 2012, from http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/de/pd/instr/strats/guided/guided.html Intervention: READ 180 - Overview. (n.d.). Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Home Page, a part of the U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved April 11, 2012, from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/reports/adolescent_literacy/read180/index.asp Murphy, J. C., & Hernandez, L. (2011). “Teacher, I Can Read!”: The Marvels of Early Intervention Strategies. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 47(4), 166-169.