WEBVTT

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[Music] Welcome to the
overview on Interventions

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for Struggling Readers.

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Mr. Coomer, a history teacher
at Middleview High School,

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is concerned about students
who are struggling to keep

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up with the required
reading in his courses.

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Their skills just
aren't adequate,

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and he's not quite
sure what to do.

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While Principal Takai has heard
concerns like Mr. Coomer's

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from other teachers as
well, he's been unable

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to offer a feasible solution
with current staffing.

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He hopes to hire a high school
reading specialist next year

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to work directly with struggling
students, but he expects a lot

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of resistance from the board

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about adding another
faculty member.

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Students who have experienced
reading difficulties

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in elementary school often
have continued issues

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in content areas when
they reach high school.

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Even students who perform well
in earlier grades, however,

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may find themselves struggling

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with comprehending increasingly
complex texts in courses

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like history and science.

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In middle and high school,
the inability to read

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at grade level impacts
performance

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in all content areas.

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In fact, the 2007
National Assessment

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of Educational Progress
reading assessment revealed

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that 69 percent of eighth
graders are not proficient

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in comprehending texts
at their grade level.

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While many content teachers
realize students are struggling

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with literacy, they have
difficulty pinpointing the

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root causes.

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A student may have poor decoding
or word analysis skills,

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limited vocabulary,

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or inefficient comprehension
strategies.

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These reading issues
will interfere

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with students' learning
in science, history,

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mathematics, and literature.

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Some of these students
will need intensive,

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supplemental reading
interventions provided

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individually or in
small groups by teachers

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with specialist credentials.

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Even though these students'
needs cannot be fully met

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within the regular classroom,

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content teachers do play a
critical role by coordinating

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with reading specialists and
using instructional strategies

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to assist struggling readers

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as they learn how to
read content text.

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Content teachers'
recommendations are important

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for initiating reading
interventions.

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Combined with the expertise
of a reading specialist

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to screen students
for reading problems,

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diagnose specific issues, and
provide intensive instruction,

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students can be given
a better chance

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to learn the necessary
reading skills.

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It's too easy to
overlook some students

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who need additional help
with their reading skills,

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so the use of a reliable
screening assessment is

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recommended as a first step
toward determining the need

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for intervention.

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Once a student's specific
literacy needs have been

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identified, the reading
specialist can select an

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intervention targeted
to those needs.

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The intensity of the
intervention and length

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of time dedicated to additional
instruction is designed

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to match the needs of
individual students.

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Students who are reading more

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than two levels below
their grade may need help

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with basic phonemic, decoding,
and word analysis skills.

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Students who are one or two
levels behind may need to focus

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on building vocabulary

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and practicing reading
comprehension strategies.

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As the specialist works with
students, the primary goal is

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for students to learn to use all
of the strategies independently.

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In many schools, the reading
specialist has another important

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role -- coaching
content teachers

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in instructional strategies
such as questioning techniques,

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and providing them with text
comprehension learning aids,

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such as graphic organizers.

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With such support, content
course teachers can adjust

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classroom methods to enhance
learning for all students,

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including those struggling
in reading.

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School leaders also
play a key role

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in supporting struggling
readers.

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By providing a clear
and consistent message

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about student literacy
development,

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administrators reinforce the
understanding that all teachers,

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not just reading specialists,

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play a role in the school's
larger literacy program.

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It makes a difference when all
content teachers are conscious

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of their responsibilities in
helping students learn to read

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and comprehend text material.

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Principal Takai successfully
built his case

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for a reading specialist.

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He had the strong support
of most faculty members,

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including Mr. Coomer, who has
already recommended ten students

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from his history courses
for reading interventions.

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He has been working closely
with the reading specialist,

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teaching his students

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to recognize the organizational
structure of history texts

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and to use graphic
organizers to keep track

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of what they are learning.

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He is finding that all his
students are more engaged

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and having greater success.

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To learn more about
Interventions

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for Struggling Readers, see
the additional materials

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on the Doing What Works website.