Edith Cowan University
The Fogarty Learning Centre
School of Education
The Big Six in SA Schools
A Wave Approach to Literacy
Intervention
Assoc Prof Deslea Konza
Edith Cowan University
The Fogarty Learning Centre
School of Education
Three Waves of Intervention
• Wave 1 is whole class teaching
– Still need some level of differentiation
• Wave 2 children get all Wave 1 literacy instruction
plus more time for practice and consolidation in
smaller groups of 4-6
• Wave 3 children get some of whole class literacy
instruction but need a different program for 3-5
hours per week in groups of 1-3
• Aimed at addressing difficulties early; using more
intense strategies; more time for practice; more
opportunity to monitor progress as needs increase
Effective Teaching Cycle
Review
Cumulative
Review
Independent
Practice
Demonstration
(explicit
teaching)
Guided
Practice
Edith Cowan University
The Fogarty Learning Centre
School of Education
Literacy Blocks (75-90 mins x 4,5)
• Provide the “core” literacy instruction for most
• Found to be better for poor attendees than
integrated curriculum
• Is not intended to cover all literacy components
– No extended reading (SSR, DEAR)
– No extended writing
– No handwriting instruction
• But Literacy Block can prepare for other literacy
lessons
Edith Cowan University
The Fogarty Learning Centre
School of Education
Literacy Blocks (75-90 mins x 4,5)
• Up to 30 mins of reading, rich vocabulary
development, oral questioning, linking to chn’s
experiences, building background knowledge
• Targeted teaching for 20-30 minutes,
depending on year level
• Group/station activities to practice skills 20-30
mins
• Share time (10 mins)
Edith Cowan University
The Fogarty Learning Centre
School of Education
Wave 1 students
• All students (Wave 1, 2 and 3) participate in
the group reading session (up to 30 mins)
• Early attention to p.a. and phonics
• Wave 1 shouldn’t need phon. awareness after
Reception
• Use of decodable texts for short time to
practise skills
The Fogarty Learning Centre
Edith Cowan University
School of Education
Wave 2 students
• Participate in entire 90 minutes of Literacy
Block
• Receive increased frequency of instruction
– receive additional 30 minutes of small group (3-5
students) instruction 3 - 4 times/week until monitoring
reveals they have caught up
• Receive increased intensity of instruction
– smaller group
– closer
– stronger reinforcement
Edith Cowan University
The Fogarty Learning Centre
School of Education
Wave 2 students
• Move to Wave 3 intervention if insufficient
progress after two terms of Wave 2 intervention
(or after one term if lack of progress is very
marked)
• Combine p.a with phonics after R for those who
need it (i.e. no point persisting with p.a. alone
once letters are introduced – can do both at once
as long as children can detect single phoneme)
Edith Cowan University
The Fogarty Learning Centre
School of Education
Wave 2 students
• Increase teacher level of scaffolding and “thinking
aloud”
• Continue use of magnetic letters and decodable
texts to help children blend and segment
• Increase vocabulary preparation
• Increase “guided practice” part of teaching cycle
Edith Cowan University
The Fogarty Learning Centre
School of Education
Wave 3 students
• Further increase intensity and frequency
– Group size 1:1-3
– Different program each day to replace last hour of
Wave 1 instruction
– Intensify instruction with strategies such as Match
to Sample and DI
• May need referral to Speech and Language
Pathologist
Edith Cowan University
The Fogarty Learning Centre
School of Education
Match to Sample Procedure
• Useful to introduce new material that must
be immediately recognised; e.g. single
letters, sight words, digraphs
• Based on “paired association” learning
• Very successful strategy with all levels of
ability
• Requires lotto-type card (grid) and individual
cards that match grid content
• Builds to relatively fast-paced, intense
session with high reinforcement
to
the and
I
go
my
to
me
we
in
me
go
my
in
I
we
the
and
Edith Cowan University
The Fogarty Learning Centre
School of Education
Match to Sample Procedure
• Can start with two-cell grid and build to very
large grids
• Can also be used to review previous
knowledge
• For struggling students, always have more
known than unknown content in grids, i.e
add new content gradually
Edith Cowan University
The Fogarty Learning Centre
School of Education
Match to Sample Procedure – skeleton only
• Place grid with words in front of child with
letter or word cards face up around it
• Hold up one letter/word
• Tell child letter/word
• Ask child to find same letter/word from grid
set and place card in correct square
• Find twenty other ways to encourage child to
match print and letter/word as s/he says it
(pick up, point to, etc)
Edith Cowan University
The Fogarty Learning Centre
School of Education
Intense small group instruction
•
•
•
•
•
Only works if good teacher/student r’ship
Usually highly reinforcing for children
Highly interactive
Combines group and individual responses
Children never know when they will be called
on – they need to be engaged
• Allows teacher to monitor each student’s
response closely
Edith Cowan University
The Fogarty Learning Centre
School of Education
Three Waves of Intervention H/O
• Handout provides examples of
teaching/learning activities for Waves 1, 2
and 3 for each of the Big Six components
Edith Cowan University
The Fogarty Learning Centre
School of Education
Important messages
• “Best bet” is to ensure high quality whole class
teaching as it will reduce need for much
intervention
• Twice-yearly monitoring of all R- Yr 1 students
• Increased frequency and intensity as student
need increases
• Teacher must direct Wave 2 and 3 programs
• Regular meetings with all involved in
programs
Edith Cowan University
School of Education
Thank you!
Contact details
Dr Deslea Konza
email: d.konza@ecu.edu.au