After the Benchmark – Then What?

Providing Effective Intervention

October 30, 2009

Shannon Hahn Shannon.hahn@cctcs.ca

Fountas & Pinnell – Leveled Literacy Intervention

3 things to love about the benchmark:

1. Vocabulary assessment2. Comprehension conversation

a. It is a conversation, we can tell a lot from the students retellingi. Three areas of questions – match AFL

3. Fiction and nonfictiona. Kids do not do as well as nonfiction.b. Kids do not have the skills to read nonfiction – we need to teach them how to read

nonfiction

F&P Benchmark

Tested kids, then what do we want to do 10 half time ‘coaches’ work with small groups of students to provide

intervention, they are teachers.

Early intervention can change the path of a child’s journey to literacy Students who are reading below grade level at the end of grade 1 are likely reading below grade

level for the rest of their formal education Reading difficulties can not only be preventable, but with effective intervention can be reversed.

LLI goes up to Level N right now – it will eventually go up to grade 8.

For the levels above N – teachers have more work to do to find the text, but they do follow the same structure – poetry for the upper grade is appropriate. Text selection - check book wizard

10 Successful Intervention tips:

1. Daily intervention - schedule it every daya. Every day vs every other dayb. Timetable optionsc. Missed classes

Not pulled out of Math or ELA – if they are pulled out of SS, then it is ALL ss classes, not a science, a math, a health etc. The child will miss that particular class for 10 weeks – they are not responsible for content missed.

2. Small groupsa. Research for group sizes of 2-6 (groups of 3 or 4 is optimal) two is too few, 5 or 6

become behavior issues. This way 3-4 kids can go faster and more progress. Get 3-4 through quickly.

b. Individual learningc. Faster progress

3. Short and Fasta. Twelve to twenty weeks (usually around 16 weeks)b. Grade level expectation c. “Slowed down “ teaching not supported – we need a quick lesson for them, not slower

speedd. Timer on hand

4. Deep Comprehensiona. Re-reading and new reading must be supported comprehension strategyb. Comprehension focus – in list of key understandings for each book

Rereading every book – the lesson is for deep comprehension

5. Writinga. Well rounded curriculumb. Compose, construct and develop deeply essential strategies for writing in the

classroom. – these skills are needed to go back into the classroom and use it in the classroom

c. Many systems miss this part

6. Fluencya. Rereading is one of the best ways to improve fluencyb. Not fluent-do not move on to the next levelc. Critical for low-achieving students(before they become discourages and perpetuate

slow processing)

Kids buy in more

7. High Quality Textsa. Not used in regular classroomsb. Texts in LLI have been specifically written for the systemc. Detailed analysis of each book is provided.

Older student s will need a buy in – high interest text

8. Communicationa. Classroom connectionsb. Home connectionc. Help enhance self-esteem – share successes at home.

Letters, calls home, share progress with parents. With home, children will read with mom and dad, not ‘do homework’

Learning Achievement Coaches – 3 / 4 periods of the day is working with intervention

Tier 1 – is the support (the fourth period) helps the teacher be effective, one period for help with the classroom teacher – share what is working with the classroom teacher

9. Structured Frameworka. Learn framework early= more efficiencyb. Day one – rereading, phonics, new book, word work c. Day two – rereading/assessment, phonics, writing and reading, new book, word work

Stick to the time frameThe structure works with ALL grades – 1-9!

In 6 days you will have a running record with all kids – updates levels frequently because every second day you have done an assessment on a child while the other group members are rereading. Communication of increased level goes back to classroom teacher to keep levels consistent.

Transferred to math – reread – review last day problem//phonics – the building skills//new book – new concept// word work

10. Intervention is a Supplementa. Classroom small group is criticalb. Fountas & Pinnell suggest a teacher contract

Teacher signs a contract – teacher to provide small group or Guided Reading

Christ the Teacher Catholic School Division results

Some kids increased 8 levels between

Grade 1 – March to June Tier 2 Intervention, half were at level by the end of June (ex, after 3 months, only half were still below level)