Academic and Behavioral Interventions

Are you looking for hacks to support students who do not comprehend when they read silently? If so, keep reading.

1. Get the student to outline reading content using the Outline Form.

2. Get the student to practice reading and following written instructions to enable comprehension (e.g., following a recipe, following instructions to put together a model, etc.).

3. Get the student to record what they read to enable comprehension by replaying and listening to the content read.

4. Prior to reading a selection, acquaint the student with the general content of the story (e.g., if the story is about elephants, brainstorm and discuss elephants to create a point of reference).

5. Get the student to dictate stories that are then put in print for them to read, placing emphasis on comprehension skills.

6. Compose paragraphs and short stories requiring reading skills the student is presently developing. The passages must be of interest to the student using their name, family members, friends, pets, and exciting experiences.

7. Do not require the student to learn more information than they are capable of learning at any time.

8. Outline reading content the student reads silently using words and phrases on their reading level.

9. Create a learning center for the student where an assortment of information is available in subject areas.

10. Make sure that the student’s knowledge of a particular skill is being assessed rather than the student’s capacity and ability to read instructions. Reading instructions to the student may enable their success.

11. Minimize distracting stimuli in their surroundings to enable the student’s capacity and ability to concentrate on what they are reading (e.g., place the student in the front row, give a table or “office” space away from distractions, etc.). This should be used as a way to lessen distractions, not as a punishment.

12. On occasions where reading orally with the student, pause at several points to discuss content read up to that point. Get the student to forecast what will happen next before proceeding.

13. Compose notes and letters to the student to give reading content that they will want to read for comprehension. Learners should be urged to write notes to each other at the same time each week.

14. Provide the student time to read a selection more than once. Place emphasis on comprehension rather than speed.

15. Teach the student to think about the reading selection and forecast what will happen next, prior to finishing the selection.

16. Get the student to outline, underline, or highlight essential points in reading content.

17. Teach the student to use context clues to find words and phrases they do not know.

18. Separate at several points while the student is reading silently to check for comprehension.

19. Utilize reading sequence learning materials with high interest (e.g., adventure, romance, mystery, sports, etc.) and low vocabulary.

20. Consider using AI to teach reading comprehension.

21. Consider using Alexa to teach reading skills.

22. Try using one of our many apps designed to teach literacy skills and help students with reading issues:

10 Apps That Teach Your Child to Read

7 Must-Have Apps to Make Learners Love Reading

7 Must-Have Phonics Apps and Tools

9 Reading Apps and Tools for the Elementary Classroom

The Tech Edvocate’s List of 24 Literacy Apps, Tools & Resources

10 Apps to Teach Children Early Literacy Skills

Are you looking for strategies to teach students sequencing skills? If so, keep reading.

1. Inspect the student’s comprehension of first, next, and last by having the student tell what happens during daily activities in first, next, and last order.

2. Give the student a recording of the story to listen to as they read along.

3. Get the student to write the main activities of stories as they read them.

4. Get the student to read one paragraph of a new account and make notes on the activities; then read the next section and make notes, etc.

5. Model making notes of a the series of activities as you read selections with the student.

6. Get the student to rephrase the series of activities in each paragraph read. The teacher can transcribe the paraphrased sequence, or the student can record it.

7. Assess the student’s auditory and visual short-term memory skills to ascertain which is stronger. Utilize the student’s stronger mode to enable the retention of sequential information.

8. Provide the student one task to perform at a time. Present the next task only when the student has successfully finished the prior task.

9. Teach the student to visualize information as if it were a movie; then play it back mentally when they need to verbalize it.

10. Get the student to practice repetition of information to increase short-term memory skills (e.g., repeating names, telephone numbers, dates of activities, etc.).

11. Teach the student to find the main idea of a story and causal relationships within the story to enable the recall of information in the correct order.

12. Get the student to practice remembering sequences by engaging in sequential learning activities that are purposeful to them (e.g., operating equipment, following recipes, opening a combination lock, etc.).

13. Utilize a flannel board to practice sequencing a familiar story or an ordinary action.

14. Get the student to be a peer tutor to teach another student a concept they have learned.

15. Give practice in sequencing using an app that gives the student instant feedback.

16. Make sure the student has mastery of reading ideas at each level before introducing a new skill level.

17. Make sure the student is not required to learn more information than they are capable of learning at any time.

18. Minimize the emphasis on competition. Competitive learning activities may cause the student to hurry and commit errors.

19. Minimize the amount of information on a page if it is causing visual distractions for the student (e.g., have less print to read, isolate information that is presented to the student, etc.).

20. Find the student’s most efficient learning mode and use it continuously to increase the likelihood of comprehension (e.g., If the student fails to understand the information presented orally, present it in written form. If the student has difficulty comprehending written information, present it orally.).

21. Consider using AI to teach reading comprehension.

22. Consider using Alexa to teach reading skills.

23. Try using one of our many apps designed to teach literacy skills and help students with reading issues:

10 Apps That Teach Your Child to Read

7 Must-Have Apps to Make Learners Love Reading

7 Must-Have Phonics Apps and Tools

9 Reading Apps and Tools for the Elementary Classroom

The Tech Edvocate’s List of 24 Literacy Apps, Tools & Resources

10 Apps to Teach Children Early Literacy Skills

Are you looking for ways to teach students story sequencing skills? If so, keep reading.

1. Provide the student with time to read a selection more than once, emphasizing comprehension rather than speed.

2. Utilize reading sequence learning materials with high interest (e.g., adventures, romances, mysteries, athletics, etc.).

3. Compose notes and letters to the student to give reading content that they will want to read for comprehension. Learners should be urged to pen notes at the same time each week.

4. Compose paragraphs and short stories requiring skills the student is presently developing. The passages must be of interest to the students.

5. Make sure that the reading requirements of all subjects and tasks are within the capacity and ability level of the student. If not, modify or adjust the reading content to the student’s capacity and ability level. A lower-level text may be an alternative.

6. Get the student to practice a new skill or task alone or with an aide, the teacher, or a peer before the entire group attempts the learning experience or before performing for a grade.

7. Converse with the student to explain (a) what the student is doing wrong and (b) what the student should be doing.

8. Praise the student for sequencing: (a) give the student a concrete reward (e.g., privileges such as leading the line, handing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the student an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.) for accurately demonstrating correct sequencing learning activities.

9. Connect with parents to disseminate information about the student’s progress. Parents may reinforce the student at home for improvements in sequencing activities at school.

10. Assess the appropriateness of the task to ascertain (a) if the task is too complicated and (b) if the duration of time scheduled to finish the task is sufficient.

11. Select a peer to model sequencing of activities for the student and also to assist the student with instructions.

12. Let the student perform alternative versions of the tasks. As the student shows success, slowly introduce more components of the regular tasks until those can be delivered successfully.

16. Consider using AI to teach reading comprehension.

17. Consider using Alexa to teach reading skills.

18. Try using one of our many apps designed to teach literacy skills and help students with reading issues:

10 Apps That Teach Your Child to Read

7 Must-Have Apps to Make Learners Love Reading

7 Must-Have Phonics Apps and Tools

9 Reading Apps and Tools for the Elementary Classroom

The Tech Edvocate’s List of 24 Literacy Apps, Tools & Resources

10 Apps to Teach Children Early Literacy Skills

Are you looking for strategies to help students who do not comprehend alphabetical order? If so, keep reading.

1. On occasions where lining up or dismissing the students, ask each student to tell the letter that comes next in alphabetical order. The students are dismissed as they correctly name each letter.

2. After students are proficient at telling “next” letters, try having students name “before” letters.

3. Using a small group, have one student begin saying the alphabet. On occasions where the teacher points to another student, the first student becomes quiet, and the second student starts saying the alphabet where the first student stopped.

4. Give the student an alphabet strip at their desk to use as a reference.

5. Get the student to say the alphabet as they point to each letter in alphabetical order.

6. Get the student to alphabetize 26 words, each beginning with various letters of the alphabet.

7. After the student has learned alphabetizing by the first letter of words, have the student alphabetize 26 words that begin with the same first letter but have each letter of the alphabet represented as the second letter (e.g., Aaron, able, acid, adapt, etc.).

8. Get the student to begin alphabetizing with only two words. Add a third word and so on as the student further develops a comprehension of alphabetical order.

9. Get the student to be a peer tutor to teach another student a concept they have learned.

10. Give practice in alphabetizing by using an app that gives the student instant feedback.

11. Make sure the student has mastery of alphabetizing ideas at each level before introducing a new skill level (e.g., alphabetizing to the first letter, second letter, third letter, etc.).

12. Make sure that the student is not required to learn more information than they are capable of learning at any time.

13. Minimize the emphasis on competition. Competitive learning activities may cause the student to hurry and commit errors.

14. Daily, examine those skills, ideas, tasks, etc., that have been previously introduced.

15. Praise the student for alphabetizing: (a) give the student a concrete reward (e.g., privileges such as leading the line, handing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the student an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.) for demonstrating comprehension of alphabetizing.

16. Converse with the student to explain: (a) what he/ she is doing wrong and (b) what they should be doing.

17. Assess the appropriateness of the task to ascertain (a) if the task is too complicated and (b) if the duration of time scheduled to finish the task is sufficient.

18. Select a peer to model alphabetizing for the student and also to assist the student with instructions.

19. Get the student to practice a new skill or task alone or with an aide, the teacher, or a peer before the entire group attempts the learning experience or before performing for a grade.

20. Try using one of our many apps designed to teach literacy skills and help students with reading issues:

10 Apps That Teach Your Child to Read

7 Must-Have Apps to Make Learners Love Reading

7 Must-Have Phonics Apps and Tools

9 Reading Apps and Tools for the Elementary Classroom

The Tech Edvocate’s List of 24 Literacy Apps, Tools & Resources

10 Apps to Teach Children Early Literacy Skills

Are you looking for strategies to help students who have trouble finding the main idea and topic sentence? If so, keep reading.

1. Make sure the student knows that the first sentence of a paragraph should always be considered as a possible topic sentence and main idea.

2. Make sure the student knows that a topic sentence or main idea for a paragraph will always contain one or more of the following, that will be the whole idea of the paragraph: Who, What, Where, On occasions where, How.

3. Make sure the student knows that the topic sentence or main idea can be determined by choosing the one sentence in a paragraph that makes sense when it stands alone (e.g., in the process of elimination, isolate each sentence and decide if it tells what the whole paragraph is about).

4. Get the student to write a paragraph about a favorite topic and use a triangle to ascertain the hierarchy of sentences: (1) Most essential (theme), (2) Most essential detail, (3) Less essential detail, and ( 4) Incidental detail (e.g., could be left out without changing the paragraph meaning).

5. Get the student to use the “satellite system” to find the main idea of a paragraph. The student should select the one word or phrase around which the entire paragraph is built. Then the student should name the other details that describe that word or phrase. This allows the student to focus on the subject to spot the main idea.

6. Praise the student for identifying the topic sentence and/or the main idea: (a) give the student a concrete reward (e.g., privileges such as leading the line, handing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the student an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).

7. Converse with the student to explain (a) what the student is doing wrong and (b) what the student should be doing.

8. Draft an agreement with the student stipulating what behavior is required and which reinforcement will be implemented when the agreement has been met.

9. Get the student to question any directions, explanations, and instructions not grasped.

10. Connect with parents to disseminate information about the student’s progress. The parents may reinforce the student at home for correctly identifying topic sentences at school.

11. Assess the appropriateness of the task to ascertain (a) if the task is too complicated and (b) if the duration of time scheduled to finish the task is sufficient.

12. Select a peer to model identifying topic sentences for the student and also to assist the student with instructions, etc.

13. Indicate what is to be done for the conclusion of the task (e.g., indicate definite starting and stopping points, indicate a minimum requirement, etc.).

14. Consider using AI to teach reading comprehension.

15. Consider using Alexa to teach reading skills.

16. Try using one of our many apps designed to teach literacy skills and help students with reading issues:

10 Apps That Teach Your Child to Read

7 Must-Have Apps to Make Learners Love Reading

7 Must-Have Phonics Apps and Tools

9 Reading Apps and Tools for the Elementary Classroom

The Tech Edvocate’s List of 24 Literacy Apps, Tools & Resources

10 Apps to Teach Children Early Literacy Skills

Are you looking for ways to teach students to find the main idea and topic sentence of the story? If so, keep reading.

1. Get the student to be a peer tutor to teach another student a concept they have learned. This can serve as reinforcement for the student.

2. Give practice in identifying the topic sentence and/or the main idea using an app that gives the student instant feedback.

3. Make sure the student has mastery of reading ideas at each level before introducing a new skill level.

4. Make sure the student is not required to learn more information than they are capable of learning at any time.

5. Minimize the emphasis on competition. Competitive learning activities may cause the student to hurry and commit errors.

6. Minimize the amount of information on a page if it is causing visual distractions for the student (e.g., have less print to read, isolate information that is presented to the student).

7. Spotlight essential information the student reads (e.g., instructions, tasks, etc.).

8. Provide the student time to read a selection more than once, emphasizing comprehension rather than speed.

9. Separate at several points during the presentation of information to check the student’s comprehension.

10. Utilize reading sequence learning materials with high interest (e.g., adventures, romances, my stories, athletics, etc.) and low vocabulary.

11. Compose paragraphs and short stories requiring skills the student is presently developing. The passages must be of interest to the student using their name, family members, friends, pets, and exciting experiences.

12. Make sure that the reading requirements of all subjects and tasks are within the capacity and ability level of the student. If not, modify or adjust the reading content to the student’s capacity and ability level.

13. Minimize the amount of content the student reads at one time (e.g., lessen reading content to individual sentences or one paragraph, etc.). As the student shows success, slowly increase the amount of content.

14. Consider using AI to teach reading comprehension.

15. Consider using Alexa to teach reading skills.

16. Try using one of our many apps designed to teach literacy skills and help students with reading issues:

10 Apps That Teach Your Child to Read

7 Must-Have Apps to Make Learners Love Reading

7 Must-Have Phonics Apps and Tools

9 Reading Apps and Tools for the Elementary Classroom

The Tech Edvocate’s List of 24 Literacy Apps, Tools & Resources

10 Apps to Teach Children Early Literacy Skills

Are you looking for strategies to help students who do not understand contractions and compound words? If so, keep reading.

1. Get the student to find the words that are used to make the most common contractions they use (e.g., can’t, won’t, wouldn’t, etc.).

2. Give the student a list of the most common contractions and compound words with the corresponding words from which they are created. Let the student keep the list at their desk as a reference.

3. Get the student to make their own dictionary of contractions and compound words with the corresponding words from which they are created.

4. Include a contraction and/or compound word in each week’s spelling list for the student to learn.

5. Teach the student how compound words are made by writing two words on construction paper and sliding them together.

6. Get the student to be a peer tutor to teach another student a concept they have learned. This can serve as reinforcement for the student.

7. Give practice in compound words and contractions by using a computer program that gives the student instant feedback.

8. Make sure the student is not required to learn more information than they are capable of learning at any time.

9. Minimize the emphasis on competition. Competitive learning activities may cause the student to hurry and commit errors.

10. Get the student to question any directions, explanations, and instructions not grasped.

11. Give the student an increased chance for help or assistance on academic tasks (e.g., peer tutor, instructions for work sent home, frequent interactions, etc.).

12. Praise the student for beginning, staying on, and finishing tasks.

13. Get the student to practice a new skill or task alone or with an aide, the teacher, or a peer before the entire group attempts the learning experience or before performing for a grade.

14. Present compound words and contractions and their meanings to the student before they read new content. These may be entered in a “vocabulary” notebook kept by the student.

15. Praise the student for demonstrating knowledge of compound words and contractions: (a) give the student a concrete reward (e.g., privileges such as leading the line, handing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the student an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).

16. Connect with parents (e.g., notes home, phone calls, etc.) to disseminate information about the student’s progress. The parents may reinforce the student at home for improved comprehension of contractions and compound words at school.

17. Assess the appropriateness of the task to ascertain (a) if the task is too complicated and (b) if the duration of time scheduled to finish the task is sufficient.

18. Select a peer to model comprehension of contractions and compound words for the student and to assist the student with instructions, etc.

19. Consider using AI to teach reading comprehension.

20. Consider using Alexa to teach reading skills.

21. Try using one of our many apps designed to teach literacy skills and help students with reading issues:

10 Apps That Teach Your Child to Read

7 Must-Have Apps to Make Learners Love Reading

7 Must-Have Phonics Apps and Tools

9 Reading Apps and Tools for the Elementary Classroom

The Tech Edvocate’s List of 24 Literacy Apps, Tools & Resources

10 Apps to Teach Children Early Literacy Skills

Are you looking for strategies to help students who do not possess glossary and dictionary skills? If so, keep reading.

1. Give the student a dictionary. Name a word and have the student look up the word in the dictionary using the guide words at the top of each page. Time the student and see if their best time can be beaten.

2. Make sure the student has a comprehension of how to use guide words at the top of the dictionary page.

3. Make sure the student main idea words to the first, second, third, etc., letter.

4. Make sure the student understands the reasons for using a dictionary or glossary (e.g., to look up the meanings of words, to look up how to spell words, to look up the connect pronunciation of words, etc.).

5. Make sure the student understands that the glossary is located in the back of the book.

6. Make sure the student is using a dictionary that is on their reading level.

7. Make sure the student main idea.

8. Assign the student words to look up in his/her textbook glossary. Begin with easier words and add words with more complicated spellings and definitions as the student shows success.

9. Get the student to find the target word of a paragraph, sentence, story, etc., and look it up in the glossary of the book.

10. Get the student to choose words from a spelling list and write a story using those words. Then have the student make a glossary to attach to the end of the story with decoding words shown in images.

11. Get the student to compare a glossary from a textbook with a student-level thesaurus for school by building a glossary of their own vocabulary.

12. Get the student to question any directions, explanations, or instructions not grasped.

13. Get the student to review the words in a textbook glossary and determine why those particular words were selected to be in the glossary and more commonly used words were not selected.

14. Consider using AI to teach reading comprehension.

15. Consider using Alexa to teach reading skills.

16. Try using one of our many apps designed to teach literacy skills and help students with reading issues:

10 Apps That Teach Your Child to Read

7 Must-Have Apps to Make Learners Love Reading

7 Must-Have Phonics Apps and Tools

9 Reading Apps and Tools for the Elementary Classroom

The Tech Edvocate’s List of 24 Literacy Apps, Tools & Resources

10 Apps to Teach Children Early Literacy Skills

Are you looking for strategies to help students learn the letters of the alphabet? If so, keep reading.

1. Establish a system of reinforcers, either concrete (e.g., computer time, helper for the day, etc.) or informal (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.), to urge the student to learn the letters of the alphabet.

2. Give the student an alphabet strip at their desk to use as a reference when reading or performing tasks.

3. Every day, have the student print those letters of the alphabet they do not know.

4. Select a peer to work with the student on one letter of the alphabet daily (e.g., tracing the letter, printing the letter, identifying the letter in words in a paragraph, etc.).

5. Get the student to read and write friends’ first names that include letters the student does not recognize.

6. Present letters to the student as partners (e.g., Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, etc.).

7. Get the student to say the letters of the alphabet in sequence. Repeat by rote several times a day.

8. Show the alphabet to the student on flash cards. This is an appropriate learning experience for a peer tutor to conduct with the student each day.

9. Find a letter the student does not know. Get the student to find the letter in all the words in a paragraph or on a page of a book.

10. Place each letter of the alphabet on an individual card. Get the student to collect and keep the letters they know with the goal to “own” all the letters of the alphabet.

11. Begin by teaching the names of letters in the student’s first name only. On occasions where the student has learned the letters in their first name, go on to the last name, parents’ names, etc.

12. Provide the student a word that begins with each letter of the alphabet (e.g., apple, bad, cat, etc.). Go over several of the terms each day, stressing the letters of the alphabet being learned.

13. Take every chance throughout the day to emphasize a designated letter for that day (e.g., find the letter when speaking, writing, reading, etc.).

14. Utilize daily drills to help the student memorize the alphabet.

15. Refrain from placing the student in awkward reading skills (e.g., reading aloud in a group, identifying that the student’s reading group is the lowest level, etc.).

16. Try using one of our many apps designed to teach literacy skills and help students with reading issues:

10 Apps That Teach Your Child to Read

7 Must-Have Apps to Make Learners Love Reading

7 Must-Have Phonics Apps and Tools

9 Reading Apps and Tools for the Elementary Classroom

The Tech Edvocate’s List of 24 Literacy Apps, Tools & Resources

10 Apps to Teach Children Early Literacy Skills

Are you looking for strategies to help students distinguish comparable letters and words? If so, keep reading.

1. Get the student’s hearing reviewed if it has not been recently reviewed.

2. Every day, have the student practice those letters and words they cannot discriminate.

3. Take every chance throughout the day to emphasize a designated letter or word the student cannot distinguish (e.g., find the sound when speaking, writing, reading, etc.).

4. Make sure the student looks closely at word endings and beginnings to discriminate similar words (e.g., cap and cat).

5. Create a list of words the student cannot discriminate. Get the student and a peer to work together with flash cards to create the student’s capacity and ability to recognize the differences in the letters and words.

6. Record stories and paragraphs the student can listen to while reading along.

7. Get the student to read aloud to the teacher each day. Give evaluative feedback relative to their capacity and ability to discriminate letters and words.

8. Orally, correct the student as often as possible when they do not distinguish between letters and words, so they hear the correct version of the reading content.

9. Get the student to write those letters and words they have trouble distinguishing so they have a greater chance to discover the correct version.

10. Teach the student to use context clues in reading. These skills will be particularly helpful when they are unable to discriminate between letters and words.

11. Find a letter or word each day that the student has difficulty discriminating. Get the student to underline or highlight that letter or word every time they read it that day.

12. Utilize highlight markers (e.g., pink, and yellow) to have the student mark the letters and words in a passage they do not discriminate (e.g., all “m’s marked with the pink marker and all “n’s marked with the yellow tag).

13. Give the student an alphabet strip at their desk to use as a reference when reading or performing tasks.

14. Minimize the emphasis on competition. Competitive learning activities may cause the student to hurry and not discriminate between similar letters and words.

15. Get the student to cut letters out of publications and glue the letters in sequence to make words, sentences, etc.

16. Make sure that the student’s knowledge of a particular skill is being assessed rather than the student’s capacity and ability to read instructions.

17. Make sure that the reading requirements of all subjects and tasks are within the capacity and ability level of the student. If they are not, adjust the reading content to the student’s capacity and ability level.

18. Consider using AI to teach reading comprehension.

19. Consider using Alexa to teach reading skills.

20. Try using one of our many apps designed to teach literacy skills and help students with reading issues:

10 Apps That Teach Your Child to Read

7 Must-Have Apps to Make Learners Love Reading

7 Must-Have Phonics Apps and Tools

9 Reading Apps and Tools for the Elementary Classroom

The Tech Edvocate’s List of 24 Literacy Apps, Tools & Resources

10 Apps to Teach Children Early Literacy Skills