Part 2 – Preparing for intervention teaching
The type of support that can be provided in schools around the world varies a great deal. Several suggestions are made in this section.
The type of support that can be provided in schools around the world varies a great deal. Several suggestions are made in this section.
Part 2: Preparing for intervention teaching
Ideas for intervention in small groups
In the UK, classes with young children usually have a teaching assistant who is available to give intervention activities, and most assistants are very capable and extremely good at the task. Alternatively, the teacher will sometimes give the intervention while the assistant helps the other children with their tasks. If a teaching assistant is not available, however, the children at risk still need the extra help. Somehow, adjustments have to be made.
For example, teachers could:
Situations around the world will vary enormously; it is a matter of adjusting to the differing circumstances. In the end, if everyone in the class is to succeed, a body of knowledge and skills has to be taught and mastered. Ideally, each intervention session should concentrate only on the essential decoding and encoding skills, namely:
Some people might wonder why comprehension is not part of the intervention. It is a good point, especially as we know that comprehension is just as important as decoding. The fact is that at this stage in the teaching, comprehension is not the main problem for most English-speaking children; children nearly always understand the simple text that is used in their reading books. Instead, the children have problems because they cannot read the words easily; it is a word reading problem – a decoding problem. That is why this website concentrates on how to teach children to master decoding. It is this that will enable them to read words fluently, which in turn will lead them to read for pleasure and information. Being able to read easily is one of the best ways to improve comprehension.
Naturally, if children are learning to read in a non-English speaking country, then they need more listening and speaking practice to improve their spoken English and to develop their vocabulary and comprehension.
It is recommended that the children who are potentially at risk of having…
Several intervention activities for improving letter-sound knowledge are demonstrated.
Many intervention activities are provided for developing the skill of blending, including auditory…
The intervention activities in this section are geared to identifying the sounds in…
Before using intervention teaching it is important to have evidence of effectiveness. In…
Print the letter sounds on one side of thin card or paper, and the appropriate words on the other side. Cut up. Use as recommended.
Print the letter sounds on one side of thin card or paper, and the appropriate words on the other side. Cut up. Use as recommended.
It is helpful to blend the consonant blend and learn to say it joined together.
It is helpful to blend the consonant blend and learn to say it joined together.
It is helpful to blend the consonant and short vowel and learn to say them joined together.
It is helpful to blend the consonant and short vowel and learn to say them joined together.
It is helpful to blend the consonant blend and short vowel and learn to say them joined together.
It is helpful to blend the consonant blend and short vowel and learn to say them joined together.
Words are in squares for the children to use for blending practice. They are in the same order that is used for teaching the letter sounds. As each new letter sound is taught more words that use the new letter sound, and the previously taught ones, become available.
Words are in squares for the children to use for blending practice. They are in the same order that is used for teaching the letter sounds. As each new letter sound is taught more words that use the new letter sound, and the previously taught ones, become available.
Useful words for blending practice. More words are provided as each letter sound is taught. It helps to ensure the words are decodable.
It is well worth reading the whole report. It demonstrates what can be achieved with good synthetic-phonics teaching in the classroom and, if necessary, in intervention groups.