Literacy Interventions Menu
Phonemic Awareness
Programs:
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Guided reading groups
Sing, spell, read and write
Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention
Spire
SRA Reading Mastery
SRA Direct Instruction
Manipulatives
System 44
Beverly Tyner
Lexia
Benchmark Leveled Book Room
Journey’s
Fast Forword
Reading Coach
Reading Eggs
Mobimax ELA
Reading Recovery
Reading Rods
In addition to the above listed programs, below is a list of suggested activities for students struggling with Phonemic
Awareness:
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Picture Card Sorting: find 6-8 pictures that share the same sound (beginning consonant sound, medial vowels
sound, rhyming) choose two-three different sounds for students to sort. Initially choose sounds that are easy for
students to discriminate. Go through and name all the pictures with the students, use one card as a header for
each category, take turns giving each child a picture card to sort in the appropriate column. Eventually students
will be able to complete with a partner or independently.
Clapping Syllables: say a word and have students clap the syllables. Begin with one or two syllables. At first you
will have to clap with the students, but the goal is for students to clap independently. Discontinue this activity
when students are able to independently clap three syllables in a word.
Working with Rhymes: say two words and students put their thumbs up if they rhyme.
Head-Waist-Toes (or shoulder-elbow-wrist): say a three sound word. All students touch head while saying the
first sound, waist for middle sounds, and toes for last sound.
Kid Sounds: three students line up. The teacher selects a three-phoneme word, then whispers one of the sounds
into each student’s ear, left to right. Each student says his or her sound. The remaining students blend the
sounds together to say the word.
Colored blocks: show two colored blocks, touch each block for each sound in the word and ask students to blend
to sounds to say the word. Proceed with two, three and four phonemes.
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Sound boxes: Say a phonetically regular word. Students move a marker into each box to represent the number
of sounds in the word they heard.
Hopscotch: draw a hopscotch board with chalk or line with tape. Place picture cards face-down, students draw a
picture card, name the picture, segment and count the sounds, then jump to that number on the hopscotch
board.
Onset and rime: collect pictures of one-syllable words. Students work in pairs to play sound detective. The first
student draws a card and gives clues for the second student to guess the picture (ex. It begins with /r/ and ends
like bug: the picture is rug)
Song Substitutions: Try Old Mac Donald Had a Farm making substitutions when singing about each new animal.
For a cow, sing, "kee-high,kee-kigh, koh!"
For a sheep, sing, "shee-shigh, shee-shigh, shoh!"
Phonics
Programs:
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Guided reading groups
Sing, spell, read and write
Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention
Spire
SRA Reading Mastery
SRA Direct Instruction
Manipulatives
System 44
Beverly Tyner
Lexia
Benchmark Leveled Book Room
Journey’s
Fast Forword
Reading Coach
Reading Eggs
Mobimax ELA
Reading Recovery
Reading Rods
Word Their Way
Versatiles
In addition to the above listed programs, below is a list of suggested activities for students struggling with Phonics:
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Blending: begin with two letter words working up to CVC words. Only use phonetically regular words. Using
letter tiles, magnetic letters or cards, have students tell you the sound for each letter in the word individually.
Systematically move the letters closer as the students say the sounds faster until the letters are touching and
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the sounds the students say are “touching” too. A clip art picture of a slide is a good visual: the letters slide
down and into each other at the end.
Sound Boxes: Tell students a phonetically regular word. The students move a marker for every sound they hear,
then replace the markers with letters to spell the given word. Segment the sounds, then blend together to check
the spelling.
Picture-Letter Matching: place three letter cards on the table, students sort pictures by beginning sound under
the corresponding letter.
Word Family Sort: place three header cards with different word families on the table (ex. Cat, man, cap).
Students should sort three cards under each header card by focusing on the rime and substituting the onset to
read each new word. Digraphs and blends can be included. Begin sorting with short a families, moving onto
short i, short o, short u, and short e, long vowel patterns and less common patterns can follow. Word families
can be combined for sorting after the initial single family sort.
Writing Sort: Give students three rimes to write at the top of their paper (ex. –op, -ut, -et). The teacher calls out
words containing the given rimes and students must write the word under the correct heading with correct
spelling.
Word Scramble: Each students is given seven or eight letter cards, magnetic letters or letter tiles to use in this
activity. This activity should reflect the word families the student is currently working on. The teacher says a
word that students build with their letters. The teacher asks students to change a letter to make a new given
word. (ex. Spell HOT, add one letter to spell SHOT, change one letter to make SHUT, drop one letter to make
HUT, change one letter to make BUT, change one letter to make BET, change one letter to make SET).
Sentence Dictation: The teacher dictates a sentence and the students write it. Be sure to include words that
have the same pattern that has been studied, as well as words the students knows and carefully choose words
for the sentence the students will have to use strategies to spell. Begin with 3 word sentences and gradually
increase to 7-9 word sentences. Don’t give the sentence word by word, try to build listening comprehension by
forcing them to remember to entire dictated sentence; UNLESS you want to do interactive writing with the
students as a support.
Word Ladders: The words are written vertically and follow the same procedures as the Word Scramble activity
above.
What’s Missing?: Write a word on a whiteboard as students observe, ask students to spell the word as you point
to the letter. Turn the board towards you and erase a letter, show the board to the students and ask What’s
Missing? Write the letter back in the word. Continue by erasing a different letter, or two or three letters until
the entire word is erased and the students spell it as you rewrite it on the board.
Mix and Fix: Give each student letters to make the word, each students makes the word, reads it with their
finger from left-right, mixes the letters and repeats.
Analogy Charts: Each student has a T-chart template, students write two known words (dictated by the teacher)
at the top. As new words are dictated the students write it under the appropriate header word. (great for the
silent e pattern).
Fluency
Programs:
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Guided Reading
Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention
Spire
SRA Reading Mastery
SRA Direct Instruction
Great Leaps
Manipulatives
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System 44
Beverly Tyner
Lexia
Benchmark Leveled Book Room
Journey’s
Mobimax ELA
Reading Recovery
Reader’s Theater
In addition to the above listed programs, below is a list of suggested activities for students struggling with Fluency:
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Choral Reading: The group reads and rereads the whole text or part of the text in unison.
Stop and Go Reading: As the teacher and the students choral read, the teacher stops and allows the students to
continue.
Echo Reading: The teachers reads the page first while the students follow along. Then, the students read
chorally with the teacher.
Seven words: choose six high frequency words the student already knows and one word he doesn’t know.
Practice these seven words with flash cards trading out one known word for one unknown word as the student
is able to recognize the words fluently. This works because the brain is only able to take in seven pieces of info
at a time, so introducing only one unknown word with six known words allows the student to focus on that one
word and place it in their visual memory with the known words.
One Breath Boxes: Give students a short list of sight words in a box on a piece of paper. Students take a deep
breath and read all the words in the box in one breath.
Words Correct per Minute (high frequency words): Students read a given lists of Fry words with a timer to a
partner. Their progress is charted on a graph as they repeated read the same list.
Bang: Write words on cards, include cards with the word BANG!. Students draw a card and keep it if read
correctly. If BANG! Is drawn the student puts all their cards back in the pile.
Fish: Make a grid, write a word in each square of the grid, and cover each word with a goldfish cracker. Students
roll a dice, read the word on the corresponding numbered square and eat the fish if the word is read correctly.
Roll the Dice: Make a six column chart, draw pictures of dice (1-6) on the top of each column. Under each
column write letters, words, or phrases the students need to practice. A student rolls to dice and must read all
letters, words or phrases under the corresponding number.
Buddy Reading: Each student keeps a Buddy Reading Log in a file folder. The student fills in the name of the
book and the buddy who listened to them read signs the log.
Read to Self: Students can use ‘whisper phones’ to read to themselves.
Read with the tape: The student reads along with a tape that has been prerecorded by the teacher or older
student.
Record and Reflect: students read an independent-level book into a recording device. Then the students listen to
themselves read and use a Record and Reflect form for self-evaluation.
Words Correct per Minute (connected text): Students read a short (100 words or fewer) independent level
passage with a partner with a timer for one minute. They can chart their improvements on a graph to show how
each reading gets faster and more accurate.
Reader’s Theater: students read a reader’s theater script to improve prosody.
Poetry Café: Students choose a poem to practice and perform for the whole group.
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Phrasing: Give students an instructional-independent level short text. Divide the text into one to five word
phrases with slash (/) marks to denote where the students should pause as they read. The student rereads the
text until appropriate prosody is achieved.
Cut-Up sentences: rearrange cut-up sentences in many ways to stress intonation
Vocabulary
Programs:
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Guided Reading
Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention
Leveled Readers
Spire
Voyager
SRA Reading Mastery
SRA Direct Instruction
Manipulatives
Versatiles
Words Their Way
Beverly Tyner
Lexia
Benchmark Leveled Book Room
Journey’s
Mobimax ELA
Reading Recovery
Reading Rods
Fast Forword
Flocabulary
In addition to the above listed programs, below is a list of suggested activities for students struggling with Vocabulary:
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Comprehension
Programs:
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Guided Reading
Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention
Leveled Readers
Spire
Voyager
SRA Reading Mastery
Updated 10/31/14
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SRA Direct Instruction
Manipulatives
Versatiles
Beverly Tyner
Lexia
Benchmark Leveled Book Room
Journey’s
Mobimax ELA
Reading Recovery
Fast Foword
Linda Moode Bell
System 44
QAR
Kyleen Beers
Marzano
In addition to the above listed programs, below is a list of suggested activities for students struggling with
Comprehension:
Pre-Reading Strategies for Comprehension
*Just a note: CCSS state that pre-reading should be kept to a minimum. When you do teach pre-reading strategies
don’t overdo/reveal information they should learn from reading and don’t interpret information for them.
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Passage Prediction/Probable Passage: students use a given list of vocabulary terms to predict what the passage
is about. These words can be grouped into categories such as: characters, setting, problem, outcomes and
unknown words.
Anticipation Guide: activates prior knowledge and creates interest. It is a set of generalizations related to the
theme of a selection. Students decide whether they agree or disagree with each statement.
KWL: helps students link the unknown the known. Students discuss what they know about a topic, then list
questions about each item they listed in the ‘K’ column to link known knowledge to unknown knowledge.
Finally, after reading the text the students answer the questions from the ‘K’ column in the ‘L’ column.
Tea Party: actively engages students with meaning making process before they begin reading the text. Extract
exact words or phrases from the text the students will be reading and write them on index cards. Each student
receives a card and walks around the room discussing their cards and others cards discussing what the text
might be about. Then have students return to their small group and write a “We think” statement to predict
what they think the text will be about based on their index cards. Each group shares their “We think”
statements.
Mystery Envelope: includes question that will be taught in the lesson to active background knowledge and build
curiosity.
Word Splash: good for pre-reading and vocabulary development
Word Sorts: Students sort concepts or vocabulary from the story. It could be a closed sort in which they know
the categories or an open sort in which they have to figure out the categories as they sort.
SQ3R: Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review
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During Reading Strategies for Comprehension
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Mind Mapping: useful tool for brainstorming. Draw a large circle or square with the topic written in the center.
Draw thick lines radiating from the center shape for each key idea. Under each key idea, list key words that
develop the idea. Students can add to their map as they learn more information about the topic.
Say Something: Students get into groups of two or three and take turns reading a portion of a text aloud,
occasionally pausing to make a prediction, ask a question, clarify or comment.
Rereading: this strategy is probably the first strategy independent readers use and the last strategy dependent
readers use. First model your thinking as you reread a text (pausing, looping back, reflecting, starting over, etc.),
then give students specific tasks as they reread (first read is to get the overall gist, second and third reads could
be to focus on specific characters), finally after students have reread, discuss what happened.
Think-Aloud: helps readers think about how they make meaning. Model for students by reading aloud and
verbalizing your thinking as you read. Jotting down notes on a projector can help show students how to take
notes as they read. Then give students a small section of text to practice with a partner.
Double-Entry Journal: note-taking strategy. Students fold a paper in half lengthwise and label the top of the left
column “What’s in the book” and the top of the right column “My Response”
Logographic Cues: visual symbols that represent characters, conflict, setting, questions, clarifications, or
inferences. These can be drawn on sticky notes and placed in the text for later discussion.
Marking the Text (Coding): makes students’ thinking visible. Assign codes to the type of thinking in which you
would like students to engage, model using a projector, assign a piece of text to the students and code it
together, then ask them to practice on their own. Start with one or two codes adding more as the students
become more comfortable with the process.
Marginalia: use sticky notes to write in the margins. Choose a text and think aloud while writing your thought in
the margin on a sticky note. Gradually allow students to assume the process on a short text.
Golden Lines: give students three column template headed with Golden Lines, Connections and Nonlinguistic
Visual Representation. Students read the text and identify “golden lines” – quotations or key statements that
have special meaning or strike them as important. Use the marginalia strategy as they read, and then write their
connections in the appropriated headed column. Finally, students draw an illustration of the golden line in the
third column and write a group summary of the key ideas.
ABCs of Comparing and Contrasting: Student use an organizer with boxes labeled A-B, C-D, etc. Students write
adjectives beginning with those letters describing specific characters in the boxes. These boxes can then be used
to compare and contrast characters.
Bookmarks: students mark things of interest as they read ex. Setting changes, questions, characters, boldfaced
words.
Post-It Notes: Can be used to flag what wasn’t understood, jot down notes about a character or events. The
sticky notes can be removed at the end of a chapter or story and put in a notebook as a summary.
Character Bulletin Board: gives students a quick reference to characters as they read a novel. Students draw
pictures of the characters and add descriptions by writing comments on index cards and adding them to the
bulletin board.
After Reading Strategies for Comprehension
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Somebody Wanted But So: summarization strategy that helps student identify plot elements and explore
different perspectives. Use a four column graphic organizer labeled Somebody, Wanted, But, So, (you can even
add a fifth column – Then), If the text is long students may need to chunk the text. This strategy can be used to
teach students about point of view by changing the character in the Somebody column.
Read and Say Something: alternative to round robin reading. Two students read a text that has been previously
chunked – by paragraph or page, by the teacher. Reader A reads the first chunk while B follows along and “says
something”: clarifies, questions, predicts, or summarizes. Reader A may respond and they may have a
conversation or go on to the next predetermined chunk of text. At the end, the students collaborate on a
summary of the important ideas from the text.
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Even Dozen: reveals what students think are key concepts or ideas and helps students to see relationships
among the ideas. Each group has a paper with 12 squared drawn on it. The group writes one critical idea,
concept or principle from the text in each square. Once all the squares have been completed the first students
chooses one of the boxes and review with theothers in the group what they know about the key idea in the bos
and writes #1 in the box. Going clockwise, the second student selects a box, explains what the group knows, and
write #2 in the square and tell how box #2 connects or related to the idea in box #1. The third students selects a
box, explains what they know, and then has to connect that box to box #1 and box #2. The group continues until
the last box is explained and connected. They can help each other or use their notes and text for support.
Scales: helps students organize their thoughts and see information graphically while engaging in meaningful
discussions examples include Likert Scales and Semantic Differential Scales.
Retellings: provides a scaffold for developing an oral summary using a rubric. Model a retelling everyday for
several days, letting students score it on the rubric, allow students to see the rubric before they have to retell a
story, chart students’ progress over time.
Foldables
Readers’ Theater: improves fluency, comprehension, writing, and retention
Text Reformulation: a strategy in which student transforms a text into another type of text – a great
station/center activity. Some examples include: If-Then Stories, ABC book structure (A is for ___ because ___),
Cumulative Tale Structure, and Repetitive Book Structure.
It Says-I Say: a scaffolded framework for making inferences. Introduce the strategy using a short familiar story,
ask a few literal-level questions, then ask questions that require an inference. Make the It says – I Say chart and
ask the student to fit the answer into the chart. Model the strategy regularly.
Sketch to Stretch: students create symbolic sketches of their interpretations of the text and explain their sketch
on the back.
Most Important Word: students choose what they consider to be the most important word from the text
they’ve just read, then they can defend their choice with their group by going back into the text to explain their
choice.
5 points: student write five points from the text they feel is important and explain
Text Set Pamphlet: great for high achievers, to introduce a difficult topic or review
Updated 10/31/14