The Interactive Strategies Approach to Early Literacy Intervention (ISA)

Michelle EacklesRDG 692

Best Practices in Early Literacy InstructionDiane M. BaroneMarla H. Mallette

Chapter 16

•What is the Interactive Strategies Approach to early intervention?

•What is the research evidence in support of this approach to early intervention?

•How is the ISA different from other approaches?

•What are the goals and premises of the ISA?

•What are the elements of an ISA intervention lesson and what do they look like?

Guiding Questions

•requiring people to talk with each other or do things together

•mutually or reciprocally active

Interactive

•a plan of action or policy designed to achieve a major or overall aim

Strategy

The Interactive Strategies Approach?

•An approach, not a program

•Not tied to instructional materials

•Not scripted

•Skilled teachers using their knowledge of their students’ skills in combination with knowledge of the curriculum to deliver effective literacy instruction

One of the most important premises of the ISA…

Reading must be tailored and responsive to the children’s identified needs.

So, what does this mean?

3 Intervention Studies:

1st Study: (Vellutino, 1996) Children identified with severe reading difficulties in mid-first grade were assigned to a control group or a one-on-one tutoring. Children in the one-on-one tutoring significantly outperformed students in the control group; however, 15% of the children in the ISA tutoring continued to score below the 15th percentile.

2nd Study: (Scanlon, 2005) Effects of beginning intervention efforts in kindergarten for children identified as being at increased risk for reading difficulties based on assessment of early literacy skills. These students were randomly assigned to a control or a 30 minute small group instruction provided 2 times per week by a certified trained teacher. kindergarten intervention was effective in reducing the number of children who qualified for intervention in first grade.

3rd Study: (Scanlon, 2008) Explored the impact of providing kindergarten and first grade classroom teachers with ISA-based professional development as a means of helping them become more effective in addressing the needs of struggling literacy learners. (Baseline group, Implementation group, Maintenance group)

The Bottom Line: The ISA indicate that the approach is effective in helping to accelerate the progress of at-risk and struggling literacy learners when implemented in one-on-one, small group and classroom contexts by trained teachers , and when used by both interventionists and classroom teachers. (When everyone is on the same page and know the needs of the child.)

Bringing the Knowledge to the Early Literacy Classroom

Guided Reading

Guided Reading

Reading Recovery

Guided Reading•Enables children to practice strategies with the teacher’s support and leads to independent silent reading

•The teacher works with a small group of students (2-5) who use similar reading processes and are able to read similar levels of text with support

•The teacher selects 1 or 2 teaching points to present to the group after reading

•Students may be asked to take part in an extension activity

Guided Reading

•The students in the group are reading at about the same reading level with similar needs.

•The teacher is listening to each student read.

•The teacher is taking note of skills to work on while each student reads.

•The teacher provides support when the student has difficulty.

The teacher has selected a focus point for explicit instruction.

Before the reading During the reading After the reading

Teacher •Select an appropriate book

•Prepare an introduction to the story

•Briefly introduce the story

•Leave some questions to be answered through reading

•“listens in”

•Observe the reader’s behavior for evidence of strategies use

•Confirm children’s problem-solving attempts and successes

•Interact with students to assist with problem solving

•Make notes about the strategy use of individual readers

•Talk about story with children

•Invite personal responses

•Return to the text for one or two teaching points

•Assesses children’s understanding of what they read

•Sometimes engage students in extending the story through activities such as drama, writing, art, or more reading

Children •Engage in a conversation about the story

•Raise questions

•Build expectations

•Notice information in the text

•Read the whole or part of the text to self (softly or silently)

•Request help in problem solving when needed

•Talk about the story•Revisit the text at points of problem solving as guided by teacher•May reread story to a partner or independently•Sometimes engage in extension activities or reading responses

The Essential Element of Guided ReadingGuided Reading by Irene C. Fountas & Gay Su Pinnell

What are the other students doing while the teacher is working with guided reading groups?

Book Boxes

Guided Reading Library

Reading Recovery•The prevention of reading and writing difficulties

•Individually designed and individually delivered lessons to bring a child’s progress back into the average band of achievement in a short time

•Lessons are 30 minutes daily for up to 20 weeks

Step 1: The student reads a familiar book.

Fluency

Step 2: The student reads the book from the previous day while the teacher does a running record.

Fluency & Comprehension

Step 3: Working with Words

Phonics

Step 4: The teacher reads a sentence to the student. Teacher cut the sentence apart and now the student has to put it back in order.

Writing & Phonics

Step 5: The teacher introduces the student to a new book. The student reads the book, then he will take home for homework.

Strategies: Comprehension, Inferring, Drawing Conclusion

Limit telling students to sound out words. You don’t want them to develop a habit of “robot” reading trying to sound out every word.

Data-Based Progress Monitoring

•Students should be assessed regularly. (Formative & Summative)

•Document progress.

•Make instructional decision and/or changes based on the data.

•Involve students in their learning and monitoring their progress.

1. What is the Interactive Strategies Approach to early intervention?

2. What is the research evidence in support of this approach to early intervention?

3. How is the ISA different from other approaches?

4. What are the goals and premises of the ISA?

5. What are the elements of an ISA intervention lesson and what do they look like?

Guiding Questions

References

Barone, Diane M., Mallette, Marla H. (2013). Best Practices in Early Literacy Instruction

Boushey, Gail, Moser, Joan. (2006). The Daily 5: Fostering Literacy Independence in the Elementary Grades

Boushey, Gail, Moser, Joan. (2009). The Café Book: Engaging All Students in Daily Literacy Assessment & Instruction

Clay, Marie M. (1993). Reading Recovery: A Guidebook for Teachers in Training

Fountas, Irene C., Pinnell, Gay Su (1996). Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children