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In Tier 2, students not making adequate progress in the core curriculum are provided with increasingly intensive instruction matched to their needs on the basis of levels of performance and rates of progress.
There are many programs that address reading instruction for students who need Tier 2 instruction. MSQI provides training and support for the programs listed below.
Ordering Information for Tier 2 Programs
Wilson JustWords
REWARDS
Just Words® is a highly explicit, multisensory decoding and spelling program for students in grades 4–12 and adults who have mild to moderate gaps in their decoding and spelling proficiency but do not require intensive intervention. The program is designed for students with below-average decoding and spelling scores and should be combined with other literature-rich programs.
Just Words aligns with a school or district’s Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) or Response to Intervention (RTI) framework of instruction by delivering a Tier 2 intervention addressing a sophisticated study of word structure with explicit teaching of “how English works” for both decoding and spelling automaticity. It is designed for students who can benefit from the targeted word study focus without requiring the more comprehensive intervention of the Wilson Reading System®.
Screening Information: Students who score between the 15th and 50th percentile on one or both of the Word Identification Spelling Test (WIST) and Test of Silent Word Reading Fluency (TOSWRF) would be eligible for JustWords.
Grades: 4-8
Different students need different amounts of instruction and practice to become fluent, independent readers. Students in Grades 3 and up who struggle to read canlearn the foundational skills they need with systematic instruction, targeted practice, and clear, corrective feedback.
Take action to address this reality with PHONICS for Reading. Authored by reading expert Dr. Anita Archer, PHONICS for Reading is a systematic, research-based intervention program that accelerates instruction for struggling readers in Grades 3–12 by equipping them with the tools necessary to decode with confidence. PHONICS for Reading also ties seamlessly into your i-Ready Assessment data, enabling you to identify the population of students in need and the level of support each student requires.
Highlights of the program include:
Routine-based phonics instruction that can be delivered by teachers or paraprofessionals.
Fast-paced, intensive lessons build confidence as students build skills.
Extensive practice that addresses decoding skills gaps.
Type size, illustrations, and visual design appeal to older students.
A direct tie to i‑Ready Assessment data enables educators to identify and tailor their phonics instruction to struggling readers.
Available for purchase as print books (recommended for an in-school implementation) or digital files (recommended for distance learning).
Screening Information: Students who score below the 15th percentile on both the Word Identification Spelling Test (WIST) and Test of Silent Word Reading Fluency (TOSWRF) would be eligible for PHONICS for Reading. This program is also aligned to data provided by iReady (look at Phonic Data Strand for placement).
Students with Phonics Level 3 - Books 3
Grades: 3-8
Dr. Archer’s REWARDS is proven to increase fluency rates, deepen comprehension, and increase a more precise use of language. This dynamic curriculum gives students access to the meaning of words through careful decoding and deliberate pacing. Academic vocabulary and comprehension are natural outcomes and components of the explicit, systematic instruction. Soon, educators see students who have previously struggled gain new levels of understanding—mastery of larger words improves, leading to better engagement, increased achievement, and a new joy in learning.
REWARDS is proven to:
Improve students’ abilities to decode large, multisyllabic words
Yield significant increase in fluency
Be effective with all struggling readers, whether they are English language learners, students with reading disabilities, or students who have simply fallen behind
Be successfully implemented by a wide variety of educators—teachers, paraprofessionals, and volunteers
Screening Information: Students who score above the 15th and 50th percentile on both the Word Identification Spelling Test (WIST) and Test of Silent Word Reading Fluency (TOSWRF) should be given the San Diego Quick and REWARDS Fluency passage to determine eligibility for REWARDS.
Grades: 4-8
Elementary Teachers welcome - REWARDS Intermediate is taught in the same way as the Secondary version.
STARI, our reading intervention program, is a literature-focused, Tier II intervention for students in grades 6-9 who read two or more years below grade level.
Using research-based practices and highly engaging texts, STARI addresses gaps in fluency, decoding, reading stamina, and comprehension, aiming to move struggling students to higher levels of proficiency at the end of one year. STARI actively engages students in discussions of cognitively challenging content aligned to the Common Core and other 21st century standards. Although STARI includes some instruction in decoding, it does not offer sufficient phonics support for students reading below a second grade level.
The STARI Literacy Strategy:
Adolescent struggling readers need to work on both basic reading skills and the skills that underlie deep comprehension: academic language, perspective-taking, and critical reading.
Texts need to engage students with issues in their lives and in the world.
Peer talk about text can develop reading engagement, perspective-taking, and critical reading.
Screening Information: Between a 50 and 55 on the DRP • Close to a 50th percentile rank on the Word Identification Spelling Test (WIST) and Test of Silent Word Reading Fluency (TOSWRF) are eligible for STARI.
Grades: 4-8