Decoding the Struggle: Practice Strategies for Targeted Reading Intervention
Reading is such an important skill—it’s the foundation for so much learning. Even before children start school, there’s such a big focus on it. In daycares and preschools, they start exploring letters and sounds. Students also listen to stories, recognize letters, and even practice spelling their names. All these little activities help start the building blocks of reading in a fun and natural way.
The hope is that, over time, children will learn to read with guidance from parents, teachers, and other adults. But it's not always that easy. I have seen many students struggle. Cue practice strategies for targeted reading intervention! The good news is with strategies for reading interventions, parents and teachers can help struggling readers build confidence and proficiency.
What is a Reading Intervention Strategy?
A reading intervention strategy is an intensive, targeted instruction that helps students reading below grade level catch up. It can take place in a classroom setting, in small groups, or one-on-one.
Early intervention is crucial. By first or second grade, struggling readers may already feel behind their peers. This can impact their motivation and confidence.
Want a quick and easy way to help? Check out this free two-page resource on the six syllable types within the Science of Reading framework. It’s a ready-to-use tool for educators and parents!
Understanding Common Reading Challenges
Phonemic Awareness – Struggling readers may have trouble distinguishing individual sounds or breaking words into smaller parts.
Phonics – Some students find it difficult to recognize letter-sound relationships, which is essential for decoding words. Students struggling with phonics will find sounding out words challenging.
Fluency – Reading that’s too slow, too fast, or choppy can impact comprehension.
Vocabulary – A limited vocabulary makes reading harder and less enjoyable.
Comprehension – Some students struggle to understand, interpret, summarize texts. In addition, they are unable to make inferences, or draw conclusions.
Practice Strategies for Targeted Reading Intervention
1. Strengthening Phonemic Awareness
Play rhyming games and sound manipulation activities.
Use tapping or clapping to break words into phonemes.
Practice segmenting and blending sounds with hands-on activities. *Give opportunities to do this orally before moving to print.
My free printable on the six syllable types is a great tool to support these strategies!
2. Boosting Phonics Skills
Use systematic phonics instruction with explicit teaching methods.
Incorporate decodable texts to reinforce letter-sound relationships.
Try tactile activities like letter tiles or sandpaper letters.
3. Building Fluency
Encourage repeated reading of familiar texts.
Model fluent reading through read-alouds by teacher, parent or audio recording.
Practice assisted reading where students actively read a passage that is being modelled.
Use paired or echo reading to boost confidence.
Provide feedback and correction.
4. Expanding Vocabulary
Introduce new words through direct instruction and conversation.
Use graphic organizers to connect new vocabulary with known concepts.
Encourage reading a variety of text through daily reading at home with parents or family members.
Focus on exposure to high-frequency, irregularly spelled words to help commit them to memory.
5. Improving Comprehension
Teach active reading strategies like predicting, visualizing, and questioning. *Want to read more about active reading strategies? Check out this blog post about reading comprehension.
Use graphic organizers to help students track story elements and text structures.
Engage students in discussions and activities that require deeper analysis of texts.
6. Encouraging Writing
Reading and writing go hand in hand. The more students write, the more their reading skills improve!
Is Your Reading Program Working?
If you’re unsure whether your child’s reading needs are being met, ask questions. Learn what strategies for reading intervention are being used. If something isn’t working, explore other options! In some cases, different reading interventions may need to be used.
Need more guidance on how to navigate this? Feel free to reach out or book a call with me. I offer a free 15-minute consultation!
Supporting Children with Learning Challenges
If your child has learning challenges, these practice strategies for targeted reading intervention can make a big difference! In addition, remember to keep activities short—about 5 to 10 minutes and break them down into simple steps. Patience is key, and progress may take longer than it does for their peers. But with consistency and encouragement, improvement will come!
Again, if you need additional support, I’m happy to help! Don’t hesitate to reach out for strategies tailored to your child’s needs.
Free Resource for Effective Reading Intervention
Helping struggling readers takes time, patience, and the right tools. My Six Syllable Types Printable is a great resource to support phonics instruction and foundational reading skills!
By understanding reading challenges and implementing targeted reading intervention, we can empower students to become confident, capable readers. Whether you’re a teacher or a parent, small, consistent efforts can make a significant impact on a child’s reading journey.
