Guidelines for Reading Intervention Programs

Reading-intervention programs are designed to identify and assist students who may have difficulty developing literacy skills. These programs function as a part of the school and occur mainly in the classroom or in a pull-out setting. Successful reading-intervention programs incorporate several strategies to promote reading skills in students.

Instructional Methods

In order for a reading-intervention program to work, it must be implemented by skilled teachers and para-professionals who receive regular training and professional development in reading instruction. Some examples of instructional methods used in reading intervention programs may include:
- Direct Instruction. This is a highly scripted method of teaching where the teacher provides instruction from a script that has been tested for effectiveness. This method of instruction should be fast-paced and include ability grouping and assistance from an in-house coach (a professional who assists the teachers implementing the program). Teachers assess students frequently in this program to check for comprehension and reading progress.
- Individualized Instruction. Every student in a reading intervention program should be assessed when he enters the program, and the lessons should be directed towards his specific learning needs. Some students may need more help with phonemic awareness, while others may need help with auditory perception or word recognition. Instruction in small groups can service these needs for students of all reading ability levels and learning styles.

Programs to Implement

Schools developing a reading intervention program may want to implement specific, tested and successful programs for students such as:
- Reading programs for first graders. Early Steps and Reading Recovery are two successful reading programs targeted at first grade students. These reading programs involve special curriculum and course materials, as well as training for first grade teachers. The idea behind these programs is that extra intervention is needed in the early stages of a child's reading development in order to close the achievement gap.
- After-school or summer programs. Some schools choose to set up an in-school reading center for use by at-risk students. Students may leave their regular classroom to attend sessions in the reading center, or the center may function in an after-school capacity. In these sessions, focus is on remediation for the lowest-level readers. Some school districts may also offer summer intervention programs for low-level readers.

Other Additions

Reading-intervention programs should provide certain types of resources and activities to all students, such as:
- Classroom Libraries. Every reading classroom should be well stocked with books. These books should be on a variety of topics and in a variety of levels in order to meet the needs of all learners. For struggling readers, a selection of low-level, high-interest books should always be available.
- Reading strategies. Students should be taught particular methods for reading. Skills such as making predictions, reviewing the text, and even taking notes as they read can help students improve their reading skills over time, and should be taught as part of the reading intervention program.
- Training for teachers. Not every elementary or secondary English teacher has proper reading instruction training. Teachers should be given professional development sessions and regular training to help their students through the process of reading intervention.

References

• American Federation of Teachers
• Early Reading Intervention

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