Lexia and the Early Elementary
Learner:
Appropriate Placement and
Seamless Transitions
Pamela Hook, Ph.D.
MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA
Preventing Reading Difficulties: A
Three-Tiered Intervention Model
TIER I
TIER II
TIER III
Torgesen & Greenberg, 2004
TIER I
Main component
• A core reading
program that supports
the critical elements in
reading instruction.
TIER I
Torgesen & Greenberg, 2004
TIER II
Main Component:
• Small-group
supplemental
instruction provided in
addition to the core
reading instruction.
TIER II
Torgesen & Greenberg, 2004
TIER III
Main Component:
• Intensive, strategic,
supplemental
instruction specifically
designed and
customized for smallgroup or 1:1 reading
instruction that is
extended beyond the
time allocated for TIER
I and TIER II.
TIER III
Torgesen & Greenberg, 2004
Four Types of Learners
Type D
SPED
Need Intensive
Type C
“At Risk”
Need Explicit
Instruction
Instruction
TIER III
TIER II
5-10%
25-30%
Type B
Type A
On Level--CORE
Above Level
Can Intuit Many Rules
Reading
TIER I
60-65%
5%
Percentages in each group vary—in some schools as many as 20 %
are in SPED and 60-70% would benefit from explicit instruction.
Marion Sanders, (2002)
Lexia Reading Product
Placement Recommendation by Tier Group
GRADE
Tier III Tier II
K
1
2
3
4
Tier I
Tier I
SPED
At risk
On level
Advanced
ER
ER/PR
ER/PR
PR
ER/PR
ER/PR
PR
PR
ER/PR
PR
PR
PR/SOS*
PR
PR
PR/SOS*
SOS*
PR/SOS
SOS
SOS*
SOS*
and up
ER-Early Reading
PR- Primary Reading
SOS- Strategies for Older Students
*Levels 4 and 5
TIER I (Advanced): Lexia as Enhancement
Example for Grade 1




Tier I (advanced)
students will benefit from
the extra phonics
practice Lexia provides.
Students will continue to
move forward at own
pace.
Recommended Use: 2
times per week for 20
minutes
Add It reinforces the
reading and spelling
of common suffixes.
Primary Reading, Level 5, Add It, Unit 5
Another example

Group It II develops
conceptual reasoning
skills.
Primary Reading, Level 5, Group It II, Unit 1
Another example


Elevator provides practice in
constructing and reading
two-syllable words in
isolation, in sentences, and
in stories.
This activity also supports
comprehension.
Primary Reading, Level 5, Elevator, Unit 11
TIER I (On level): Lexia as Reinforcement
Example for Grade 1




Tier I (on level) students
will benefit from the extra
phonics practice Lexia
provides.
Students will continue to
move forward at own pace
and possibly move into
advanced group.
Recommended Use: 2
times per week for 20
minutes.
Short Vowel Bridge works
on medial vowel
discrimination and
sound/symbol
Primary Reading, Level 2, Short Vowel Bridge, Unit 9
correspondence.
Another example

Picture-Word Match
reinforces reading
comprehension skills.
Primary Reading, Level 2, Picture-Word Match, Unit 9
TIER II: Lexia as Supplemental
Example for Grade 1





Lexia provides supplemental
support.
It addresses the reading
skills of students who are
not making adequate
progress.
Students will need more
exposure to the program.
Recommended Use: 3-4
times per week for 20
minutes
Sounds to Letters reinforces
phonemic awareness
skills.
Primary Reading, Level 1, Sounds to Letters, Unit 27
Another example


Sight Word Search develops
automatic recognition of
pre-primer highfrequency irregular
words in isolation, in
phrases, and in sentences.
This activity also supports
comprehension.
Primary Reading, Level 1, Sight Word Search, Unit 12
TIER III: Lexia as Intensive
Example for Grade 1




Lexia use can provide the
intensive support for Tier
III students. The program
individualizes the practice
by repeating activities
that the student is
struggling with until
mastery is achieved.
Tier III students will need
extended exposure.
Recommended Use: Daily
for 20-30 minutes
Sound Match increases
awareness of beginning
and ending sounds.
Early Reading, Level 1, Sound Match, Unit 1
Another example

Sound Slide increases
awareness of syllables
and sounds in words, and
increases the ability to
blend syllables and
sounds to construct words.
Early Reading, Level 1, Sound Slide, Unit 11