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is used not only to identify the need for tal Literacy Instruction. Students who
literacy support, but it is also employed receive basic skills instruction work on This literacy matrix is
to establish depth, scope, and sequence areas of identified weaknesses through used not only to identify
of literacy intervention. This process curriculum-based instruction. Those
targets a larger number of students than who qualify for Supplemental Literacy the need for literacy
is required by the first level of screening Instruction access a more prescribed, support, but it is also
as outlined by PL 2013, c. 105. multi-sensory learning experience where employed to establish
The Intervention and Referral Services lessons are developed and implement- depth, scope, and
Committee (I&RS) operates as both a ed by a reading specialist, who is also a
clearinghouse, which holds all of the master Orton-Gillingham Teacher, with a sequence of literacy
collected data, and a response to inter- special education background. intervention.
vention decision making center. Every Supplemental Literacy Instruction is
student who is reading below grade delivered in a variety of ways ranging To recap, once literacy gaps are identi-
level, presents with weaknesses in any from one-to-one instruction, small group fied, the process of intervening, moni-
of the aforementioned target areas, and/ instruction, or instruction that is integrat- toring and re-assessing is continual.
or whose deficits are identified as being ed within their general education class- Interventions and monitoring continue
statistically significant, is monitored by room. The choice of setting and service until deficits have been appropriately
the I&RS. Committee members are delivery is dependent on the identified addressed. Each tier leads to further,
actively involved in providing options gap in the student’s literacy skills. The more in-depth screening. This pro-
and guidelines for executing classroom- district supports Sally Shaywitz’s notion vides the clinician with a prescriptive
based interventions dependent on areas that “reading instruction for the dyslexic academic plan to use while developing
of weakness. If necessary, the reading reader must be delivered with great in- and implementing interventions. If it
specialist is available on a consultation tensity. A child who is struggling to read becomes evident that the level of aca-
basis to demonstrate how to deliver should be in a group of three to four demic support must be augmented for
specific research-based interventions or students, and should receive a special- a student to be able to access the cur-
to help staff members understand de- ized reading instruction at least four, and riculum, a referral is made to the child
velopmental trajectory of literacy skills. preferably five days a week.” study team. Supplemental Literacy
For example, students should recognize Several studies have proven that when Instruction, delivered as a related ser-
rhymes and alliterations by the age of 4. children with reading difficulties are vice, is delineated within the student’s
A typically developing 9-year-old should identified early and are provided with Individual Educational Plan (IEP). The
be able to engage with longer and interventions, their chance of achieving student’s reading gap is the center of
more complex phonological awareness academic success increases. As such, the decision making process as to fre-
deletion tasks. Additional interventions pupils are monitored weekly to track quency and duration of Supplementary
provided include, but are not limited to: progress, which guides instruction. Af- Literacy Instruction. Special education
1. An inclusive classroom that ter 6-8 weeks of intervention, students’ students will typically require more
follows a co-teaching model. skills are surveyed and compared to frequent reading intervention sessions
2. A collaborative teaching model baseline data to determine effective- than their general education peers.
to support both the teacher and ness of instruction. If students are Services are delivered on a one-to-
students. In this model, an inter- performing at the same percentile and/ one/small group basis. Worthy of note,
vention specialist demonstrates or lower, a second level screener is ad- the delivery of reading services is
teaching strategies and accom- ministered to further dissect reading dif- continual regardless of the outcome
modations to assist students that ficulties and to gain a fuller understand- of a comprehensive education evalua-
are at risk of reading failure. ing of need. This screener is employed tion. Supplemental Literacy Instruction
3. Reading instruction and small to scrutinize students’ phonological as a related service can be accessed
group tutelage to be provided awareness abilities because, according by either general education or special
within the student’s classroom to the CTOPP, “a deficit in phonological education students. This coordina-
setting to reinforce previously awareness is viewed as the hallmark tion and interplay of reading services
taught skills. of a reading disability or dyslexia” across all student abilities and aca-
Although a concerted effort is made to (Wagne, R., Torgesen, J., Rashotte, demic environments is a differentiating
C.). If phonological weaknesses are ob-
provide interventions within the general served, a more comprehensive evalu- factor that has positively impacted our
education environment, there are times ation is conducted, which provides students’ ability to access interven-
tions, experience literacy growth, and
when a more individualized approach normative data used to pinpoint reading gain confidence in their ability to inter-
is necessary. In such cases, the read- and writing concerns and develop an
ing specialist, the child study team, and intervention plan. In grades three and act with grade level curriculum.
general education teachers examine a up, a fluency and comprehension as-
student’s rate of learning given class- sessment is also administered along
room-based reading intervention. At this with the comprehensive reading and
point, struggling students will be referred writing evaluation.
to either Basic Skills or Supplemen-

Educational Viewpoints -36- Spring 2020