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Reading Intervention is an educational approach that targets students with reading deficits. Struggling students are placed in a small-group setting and provided with targeted interventions at increasing levels of intensity to accelerate their reading skills. The student's progress is closely monitored to asses both learning rate and level of performance of individual students. Educational decisions about the intensity and duration are based on the student's response to intervention. RTI is a well-integrated system of instruction and intervention guided by child outcome data.

In order to truly implement an effective Reading Intervention program, there are two qualities that must be present--fidelity and rigor. Not that I'm trying to get off of my main topic, but I would like to address these two terms and what they mean.

Fidelity of Implementation

Fidelity of Implementation occurs when teachers use the instructional strategies and deliver the content of the curriculum in the same way that they were designed to be used and delivered. I'll go into this more thoroughly in a later post.

Rigor in Education

Rigor is applied to lessons that encourage students to question their assumptions and think deeply, rather than to lessons that merely demand memorization and information recall.

RTI has Three Tiers of Instruction

Tier 1: The Whole Class

All students are taught using instruction methods that research has shown to be effective. All students are screened to determine which students are at risk. All students' progress is monitored using a validated measurement tool.

Tier 2: Small Group Interventions

If a student is not making adequate progress in Tier 1, then he will receive lessons in small groups (6 to 12 in a group). Skills assessments are done weekly to monitor the student's growth

Tier 3: Intensive Interventions

If a student isn't making adequate progress in Tier 2, then he receives targeted instruction on specific skills.

In Conclusion

This post is an introduction and basic overview of Reading Intervention. In future posts, I will address Fidelity in Implementing a Curriculum and Rigor in Education.