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Trisha Katsuno

SPED 638

3 September 2018

RTI (Part 3) Reading Instruction Module

1. How is a comprehensive core reading program related to high-quality instruction?

Why is it important to implement high-quality instruction?

A comprehensive core reading program is the main instructional tool used by teachers to

carry out successful reading instructions. Most schools use a core reading program as their

Tier 1 reading instruction to make sure there is high-quality instruction given to all students.

Comprehensive core reading programs have a scope and sequence, create consistency within

a school, are research based to meet diversity, teaches transferable skills, and reflects

standards for each grade level. Also, comprehensive core reading programs teach the five

critical components of literacy which are phonemic awareness, phonics and word study,

fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. It is important to implement high-quality

instruction because it can “prevent reading failure in the lower grades”.

2. List the five critical components of effective reading instruction, and briefly describe

how each contributes to reading success.

The five components of effective reading instruction are phonemic awareness, phonics and

word study, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. First, students with a sound

understanding of phonemic awareness generally have an easier time learning to read, have

better reading comprehension, spell correctly, and learn to decode words. Second, phonics

and word study help with word recognition, reading, and spelling. It helps students sound out

and identify words which greatly impacts text comprehension, turn written language into
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spoken word, and concentrate on reading to understand. Third, fluency requires reading

accurately, with appropriate rate and expression. Those who struggle with fluency are usually

not comprehending, because they are concentrating on decoding and sight-word recognition;

instead of making sense of text. Fluency increases not only comprehension, but also reading

confidence, motivation, and engagement. Next, vocabulary includes oral and reading

vocabulary. Students must recognize words heard, read, and written. Students with a larger

vocabulary tend to have an easier time identifying words in text. Larger vocabularies

increase reading comprehension. Lastly, reading comprehension according to the NRP is

“the essence of reading”. It is essential for academic learning and in becoming a lifelong

learner. Better understanding occurs when students use a variety of reading comprehension

skills.

4. Mrs. Harrison is practicing fluency instruction with her first graders during whole-

class instruction every day. Her students’ reading ability levels range from

kindergarten level to third-grade level. Choose a flexible grouping practice that Mrs.

Harrison could implement to more adequately teach fluency to all her students.

Describe how Mrs. Harrison will implement this grouping practice for fluency

instruction.

A flexible grouping practice that Mrs. Harrison could implement to more adequately teach

fluency to all her students is paired instruction. During this time, students read with a partner

and practice reading words or text from the reading lesson. They model good reading and

give corrective feedback. Students are paired heterogeneously. Mrs. Harrison will rank

students based on their fluency or number of words read correctly per minute. She will split
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the class list in half, place the two lists side by side, and partner the students based on the list.

She may make some partnership changes based on progress, behavior, and students’ needs.

5. Develop a 90-minute schedule of reading instruction that includes learning centers,

small-group instruction, whole-group instruction, paired instruction, independent

practice, and progress monitoring.

90-minute Daily Reading Instruction Plan

Whole-group instruction
8:15 - 8:25
10 minutes
Small-group instruction Learning centers Independent practice
8:25 – 8:45 Group 1 Group 2 Group 3
20 minutes 20 minutes 20 minutes
Small-group instruction Learning centers Independent practice
8:45 – 9:05 Group 2 Group 3 Group 1
20 minutes 20 minutes 20 minutes
Small-group instruction Learning centers Independent practice
9:05 – 9:25 Group 3 Group 1 Group 2
20 minutes 20 minutes 20 minutes
Pair instruction
9:25 – 9:35 progress monitoring with 5 students per day
10 minutes
Whole-group instruction
9:35 – 9:45
10 minutes

6. Discuss at least three different ways in which high-quality reading instruction in Tier 2

will differ from that in Tier 1.

One way in which high-quality reading instruction in Tier 2 will differ from that in Tier 1, is

who receives instruction. All students receive Tier 1 instruction, while students who are not

making enough progress with Tier 1 will receive Tier 2 instruction. Another difference is the

amount of daily instruction. Tier 1 instruction is given at least 90 minutes. Tier 2 includes

Tier 1 plus 30-45 minutes per day. Younger students will have closer to 30 minutes because

they have shorter attention spans, while older students could have up to 45 minutes. Lastly,

they differ in when the instruction is provided. Tier 1 instruction is given during core
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reading time. Tier 2 instruction needs to be scheduled by taking time from two consecutive

classes or from “specials” such as music or art.