Reading Intervention
Purpose
At George Hersey Robertson School we identify students using various assessments in need of reading support to meet grade level expectations. Reading interventions support students through small group targeted instruction in the areas of decoding (reading accurately), encoding (spelling), fluency (reading smoothly), vocabulary enrichment, and reading comprehension. Students are closely monitored with a variety of assessments to adjust, increase, or decrease programming based on progress towards grade level expectations throughout the year. Students receive intervention in the reading room or alternate learning spaces in order to minimize distractions and provide a quiet environment in which to read and learn.
Programs
Empower Reading
Students are instructed on 5 key reading strategies to support accurate and smooth reading. Students in this program meet with certified staff 5 days a week for 30-45 minutes each day.
Just Words/Fundations with Orton Gillingham instructional practices
The Just Words and Fundations programs from Wilson are designed to support students in the areas of spelling and fluency. Students apply rules they have learned to accurately read words to read more smoothly and write more accurately. Orton Gillingham multisensory techniques are used to support students in learning both reading and spelling phonetic and high-frequency words. Students work in small groups 3-5 days a week for 20 minutes.
Quick Reads
This is a research based fluency program to help students read more smoothly while paying attention to punctuation and reading with appropriate expression. Students reread short nonfiction passages multiple times and record their progress of words correctly read per minute on a bar graph. Students meet in small groups 3-5 days a week for 20 minutes.
IMSE (institute for multi-sensory education) Morphology +
In this program students build their vocabulary through a deep understanding of the smallest units of meaning in the English language. Students learn common prefixes (beginnings), suffixes (endings), as well as Latin roots. Students learn to play with words in order to change their meaning, while also finding connections between words with common word parts. Students meet in small groups 1-3 days per week for 20 minutes.
Visualizing and Verbalizing
This program is designed to enrich students’ comprehension. The students learn structure words and visualizing strategies. Students are trained to practice imagery and “make pictures” in their mind while reading, so that they can determine the main idea of a paragraph and answer inferential questions about a passage. The students are led to master comprehension starting at the picture level until they slowly transition to comprehending a passage with no picture support. Students meet in small groups 3-5 days a week for 20-30 minutes.
Leveled Literacy Intervention
Students that receive this program read high engagement texts of all genres with the goal of summarizing a text, answering inferential questions, and discussing the author's craft. Students are first introduced to the text by a brief walkthrough of the text, highlighting challenging vocabulary, while the teacher sets a clear purpose and learning target for the students prior to reading. Students then whisper read the text as the reading provider rotates “listening in” and conferring with students. Students also write about their reading in a writer’s journal. Students meet in small groups 3-5 days per week for 20-30 minutes.