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1. The Best Intervention is Prevention Appropriate Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties Across Grade Levels Charlene MacDowall, Karen Noel-Bentley & Sally Pelton The University of British Columbia Known predictors of success in reading Screen for Early Intervention • Phonological awareness • Mid K – matching beginning sounds, blending onset and rhyme • Grade 1 – blending and segmenting words with multiple phonemes • Letter naming fluency • Letter sound knowledge • Decoding of non-words • Word reading • Oral reading fluency • Vocabulary knowledge • Comprehension Strategies Rationale Approach What Now? Characteristics of Effective Intervention Explicit, intensive instruction of a structured and sequential curriculum Small groups (3-6 students) Opportunities to practice and receive feedback Most sessions are 20-50 min./day 4-5 days/week 20 weeks • When working with students most at risk of school failure, it is of the utmost importance to examine the quality of instruction they receive. • Our practices should reflect current research and evidence of successful interventions • Appropriate support should look different for students of different ages; it is important to be knowledgeable about what changes should be made and when they should occur. • A review of relevant research was conducted. • Considerations for intervention are presented here based on age of students. • Balance between intervention and accommodation for intermediate students • Structures of intervention related to motivation in intermediate grades – pull-out, separate classes, one-on-one vs. small group Content of Intervention Phonological awareness Alphabetic principal Phonemic decoding skills Fluency in word recognition Oral reading Reading for meaning Spelling K-1 2-3 Intermediate CHART or PICTURE CHART or PICTURE CHART or PICTURE Building Knowledge and Skills Balance between intervention and accommodation • Accommodation to build knowledge and vocabulary • Context for reading comprehension • Reflect intellectual ability Intervention must be meaningful, comprehensive, individualized Must be able to comprehend and have equal access to curriculum Interventions to build decoding skills and fluency Characteristics of Effective Intervention More: explicit, comprehensive, intensive, supportive (emotionally and cognitively) Use of meaningful texts Instruction in process (word recognition, encoding, vocabulary, fluency, context clues) to help facilitate, but not central Integrate reading strategy instruction into content areas-transfer Explicit of reading for different purposes, text structure Content literacy approaches in place and consistent across content areas, includes regular application Engaging and motivating Significant time spent reading Teacher plays critical role in assessment and instruction • Characteristics of Effective Intervention • Explicit, individualized, multisensory approaches • Use of meaningful texts • Combination of bottom-up and top-down strategies • Bottom-up: phonemic awareness, encoding, decoding • Top-down: 80% text reading & sight-word training, 20% single-word phonemic decoding Accommodations Recorded or other oral materials Build vocabulary & knowledge through alternative means of acquiring information Student reads aloud Extra time on tests Assistive technology (audio books, text to speech software) Accommodations Recognize ongoing deficits and minimize impact of disability on performance Text adaptations based on student needs (bypass reading, decrease reading, Support reading, organize reading, guide reading) Modifying assignments and/or grading criteria, presentation styles, group sizes, feedback techniques, due dates Assistive technology (audio books, text to speech software)