The Reading Club

As a result of recent federal legislation, school districts are being required to have all students reading at grade level by the year 2012. Such an exceedingly lofty goal cannot be achieved without powerful intervention programs. Here is a guide for districts and schools that outlines an intervention program for students in grades 1-3 who struggle in their literacy development. Offered in English and/or Spanish, it is designed for small groups of four or less to provide more individualized instruction. The program is easily adaptable for use by educational assistants, classroom teachers, and/or reading specialists. The Reading Club has the potential to help the majority of its students achieve grade level literacy skills within a single academic year. It addresses all of the reading components of the Reads First Initiative, including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. In addition, there is a well-developed emphasis on strategy development and assessment of student progress. The format of the lessons involves daily thirty-minute intervention sessions which complement but do not replace classroom literacy instruction. For principals, curriculum specialists, reading coordinators, teachers, inservice and preservice teachers, and educational assistants.