Reading Intervention

Table of Contents: 

Reading Intervention spans ALL of the content areas and fits in multiple places on this site. Without the ability to read and understand what they are reading, students struggle in Math, Science, Social Studies, and in CTE courses.

 The DEW required Science of Reading Module is listed first, followed by possible interventions for Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3. Tier 1 Resources are available on other pages, such as the ELA Resources page, or the IXL page. General Resources for the Science of Reading are also listed below. 

Science of Reading DEW Required Module

The Department of Education and Workforce has released the Science of Reading required module for teachers in grades 6-12 "Pathway C." You can access the required course by logging into the OH|ID Learning Management system HERE and clicking "My Apps." If you do not see the Learning Management System App in the list, you may have to add it. Then, you can search for "Science of Reading" to enroll in the course. 

You can also explore THIS page from DEW on the Science of Reading. 

Possible Tier 1 MTSS Interventions: 

Possible Tier 2 MTSS Interventions: 

Possible Tier 3 MTSS Interventions: 

1 Minute Fluency Assessment Passages

This would be an example of something you could do 1-1 with a student to learn more about what might be causing the student the most difficulty. Tier 3 Interventions are based on what the individual student might need, and this could help us narrow down the options. 

You can choose a passage at grade level, or you can choose a passage at the grade level you think is closer to what the student can actually do independently. STAR will give you the Instructional Reading Level in their reports. You could also do both grade level and IRL if you have time. 

These Assessments will show weaknesses in two areas: 

--Fluency (Can they pronounce the words and read in a conversational way, with correct pauses and appropriate vocal intonation?) If they cannot pronounce the words, sound them out, or they are going so slowly that they are struggling with each word, they may have problems with decoding or word recognition. This assessment does not tell us specifically what areas within Fluency might be the issue, though. 

--Comprehension (If they can read the passage fluently, but do not remember or understand, then decoding may not be the problem.) This could mean they understand how to pronounce the words, but do not know the word meanings, or are having trouble remembering or visualizing what is happening in the passage. This could indicate that they need more instruction in background knowledge about the topics in the text, or the meanings of words or word parts. A severe gap between fluency and the ability to recall correct information could also indicate a different problem with memory, focus, motivation, or comprehension. 

Steps: (This was my adjusted method--EK)

1. Have two copies of the reading passage--1 for the teacher and 1 for the student. 

2. Set a 1-minute timer. 

3. Have the student read the passage out loud for one minute. When the timer stops, the student can stop reading. While they are reading, the teacher marks any words they missed. The amount of words read correctly in one minute is the student's "Words Per Minute." 

4. You can use this rubric by Dr. Timothy Rasinski to evaluate and score the student's fluency.  https://literacy.kent.edu/ohioliteracyalliance/fluency/admin.pdf

5. After the student has read the passage out loud and the teacher has marked the words they missed, the teacher reads the passage to the student in its entirety, while the student follows along on their paper. People rarely understand and remember what they are reading out loud, so this gives the student an opportunity to listen and comprehend the text. 

6. You can also offer the student the opportunity to read the passage silently after this. By now, the student will have had 3 exposures to the text. 

7. Then, take the student's paper back so they do not have it in front of them, and ask them to tell you what they remember, as close to chronologically as possible. I would make notes on the back of my paper as they talked, but you can also record this and refer back to it after the student leaves. Some students might mix up events in order, some might not remember events that were based on words they didn't know, some students might struggle with making inferences about what was happening or why characters would act the way they do, and others might make incorrect or wild inferences that are not based in the text. What a student tells you during this part will help you understand what their brain is doing when they are reading. 

This doesn't answer all the questions that might arise if students are really struggling, but it does narrow down the field a bit. Teachers should collaborate and work closely with Intervention Specialists to further understand what interventions might be effective based on the results of the student's fluency passages. 

Dr. Timothy Rasinski from Kent State Reading Passages and Instructions: https://literacy.kent.edu/ohioliteracyalliance/fluency/fluency.htm

For more articles and information, you can check out more of Timothy Rasinski's work here: https://www.timrasinski.com/resources.html

This is another site I found with 1-minute passages if you find the ones above out of date or boring. https://www.henryanker.com/FluencyMasters.html 

There are tons of these kind of passages available from various sources, and Intervention Specialists usually have ones they like on hand as well. 

Additional Reading Resources

Professional Development-- Literacy and Reading Resources

• Really Great Reading

• ReadingWays

• Ohio Adolescent Literacy Network

Most local ESCs (Educational Service Centers) and SSTs (State Support Teams) have literacy workshops and professional developments available. 

Ohio's Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement

The Science of Reading

The following videos provide a quick introduction to the Science of Reading. Even though many of these focus on skills students develop in lower grades, gaps and weak spots in our students' skills are still affecting them now. 

Check out these articles and videos on The Science of Reading. 

The Simple View of Reading-- Reading Rockets 

All Ohio Literacy

This is a site providing modules on the Science of Reading, as well as videos and resources. 

Scarborough's Reading Rope

In 2001, Dr.  Hollis Scarborough created the Reading Rope using pipe cleaners to convey how the different “strands” of reading are all interconnected yet independent of one another. For many students, learning to read is a challenge. Scarborough's Rope captures the complexity of learning to read. 

IRIS Center

Building Vocabulary and Conceptual Knowledge Using the Frayer Model. 

National Center on Improving Literacy

Science of Reading Podcast from Amplify Education

Adolescent Literacy

Timothy Shanahan on Adolescent Literacy

SST8 on Adolescent Literacy 

Adolescent Literacy Meeting 11-21-2023