Reading Intervention Plans for Schools
Students who struggle in reading need reading intervention immediately so the gap doesn't widen as they get older. It is easier to close that gap the younger they are. The most effective way to provide intervention is in a small group. If students in your school are struggling with reading, there are a few things your school can do to help.
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Core Reading Program
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Providing students 90 minutes of uninterrupted reading instruction gives students instruction at their grade level. Students can receive reading intervention during this time. Assign one teacher at each grade level to have a smaller class size of the struggling students. In doing this, more of the teacher's time is spent with the students who need the extra help. It is the lower students who get lost in the larger classes. When placed in a smaller group for the reading instruction, they are forced to participate.
Small Group Instruction
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Providing small group instruction outside of the 90-minute reading block gives additional time to struggling readers. Provide students an additional 30 minutes of direct instruction from a trained teacher on the skills they still have not mastered. The group size should be three to four students. The program students work on during this time is different than the material used during the core reading instruction. The reason for this is because the small group instruction is based on where students are skill wise, while the whole group instruction is grade-level material.
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Teacher Training
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For interventions to be successful, they need to be taught by teachers who have been trained in reading intervention. Providing teacher training is imperative for success. If they are teaching a program, provide training for that program. The best programs are only as good as how well they are implemented. Not only do teachers need to be trained, there needs to be a follow-up by someone in the school to ensure that the proper instruction is being provided. This involves doing teacher observations.
Strong Leadership
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Creating and implementing reading intervention plans for schools requires strong leadership. Teachers and principals must be motivated to teach with intensity and make modifications when needed. Create data teams of teachers to look at data on a regular basis and make adjustments to student placement, based on their learning, as needed. Ongoing training, support and monitoring is required. The biggest challenge is providing the materials and personnel required to provide the instruction.
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References
Resources
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