Academic and Behavioral Interventions

Are you looking for strategies to help students who have trouble using phonics while reading? If so, keep reading.

1. Establish a system of motivators, either concrete (e.g., extra computer time, free time, etc.) or informal (e.g., smile, handshake, praise, etc.), to urge the student to be more successful in reading.

2. Develop a list of words and phrases from the student’s reading content that they do not recognize. Get the student to practice phonics skills using these words.

3. Get the student to find words and phrases that they do not recognize. Make these words the student’s word list to be learned.

4. Teach the student word attack skills using a root word sight vocabulary to which several prefixes and suffixes may be added.

5. Praise the student every time they attempt to sound out a word. As the student shows success, slowly increase the number of attempts required for reinforcement.

6. Utilize a peer tutor to review phonics ideas previously taught by utilizing games and learning activities

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

8. Make sure the student uses a sight vocabulary to support weaknesses in phonics skills.

9. Make sure the student develops an understanding of hearing word sounds (e.g., say, “Listen to the following words. They all start with a /bl/ blend: blue, black, block, blast.”).

10. Make sure the student develops an understanding of seeing letter combinations that produce sounds (e.g., have the student circle all the words in a reading passage that begins with the /bl/ blend).

11. Give practice with reading /bl/ words, /pl/ words, /pr/ words, etc., by presenting a high interest paragraph or story that contains these words.

12. Show skills in decoding words (e.g., using contractions from conversation, write the abbreviated form of the word and the two finished words to show how to recognize the contraction, etc.).

13. Urge the student to try several sounds to arrive at a correct answer (e.g., omit letters from a word that is used in context and provide a few choices that are to be filled in).

14. Urge the student to scan newspapers, magazines, etc., and underline learned phonics elements.

15. Create a list of phonics sounds the student needs to master. Eliminate sounds from the list as the student shows mastery of phonics skills.

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 ways to support students who lose their place while reading? If so, keep reading.

1. In a small cooperative learning setting, have the students point to all words as they are read orally. Get a student to read just one sentence, then move automatically to the next student without a break for discussion.

2. Widen the print the student is reading.

3. 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.

4. Give extra time for the student to read instructions.

5. Create a list of those words in which the student makes omissions. Get the student to practice reading these words.

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

7. Get the student to point to every word read to hold their place.

8. Get the student to point to syllables, words, etc., while reading to recognize omissions.

9. Get the student to point to syllables, words, etc., as they read them to keep their place.

10. Utilize a highlighter to find crucial syllables, words, etc., for the student. These words and phrases become the student’s sight-word vocabulary.

11. Get the student to outline, underline, or highlight essential information in printed learning materials.

12. Correct the student’s omissions orally as often as possible so that they hear the correct version of the reading content.

13. Show the student when they do not keep their place when reading what they did wrong, what should have been done, and why.

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 hacks to help students who lose their place while reading? If so, keep reading.

1. Create an environmental setting for the classroom that promotes optimal individual performance (e.g., quiet room, background music, fresh air, etc.).

2. Create a reading “window” for each textbook the student uses. The student moves the reading “window” down and across the page as they read.

3. Give a quiet space for the student to work (e.g., “office” space, a study table, etc.).

4. 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.).

5. Minimize the amount of information on a page (e.g., less print to read, fewer problems, separate information that is presented to the student, etc.) if it is visually distracting for the student.

6. Make sure the student is paying attention when they are reading instructions. Get them to repeat the instructions to check for comprehension.

7. Minimize the amount of content the student reads at one time

8. Orally correct the student’s omissions as often as possible so they correctly read the reading content.

9. Get the student to highlight or underline the content as they read.

10. Get the student to read orally and strive for 95% to 100% accuracy in keeping their place.

11. Get the student to read orally, working for 95% to 100% accuracy with no omissions.

12. Record the student’s reading so they can hear errors.

13. Record the student reading aloud. Play it back so that they can hear how successfully they maintained their place when reading.

14. 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.

15. Support the student in reading instructions. As the student shows success, slowly lessen the assistance, and require the student to independently assume more responsibility.

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 lose their place while reading? If so, keep reading.

1. Get the student to self diagnose why they lose their place while reading.

2. Get the student to place a ruler or paper strip under each line as they read it. The student then moves the ruler or paper strip under the next line and so on.

3. Take into account the student’s capacity and ability level and experience when expecting them to read large amounts of written information independently.

4. Get the student to read aloud to keep their place.

5. Get the student to read aloud to the teacher each day. Give evaluative feedback relative to keeping their place while reading.

6. Get the student to read aloud to the teacher each day. Give evaluative feedback relative to omissions.

7. Provide written instructions that are specific and simple to understand.

8. Select a peer to assist the student in keeping their place during reading learning activities .

9. Urge the student to avoid ingesting any substance (e.g., drugs, alcohol, cold remedies, etc.) that might further alter their capacity and ability to track when reading.

10. Get the student’s vision reviewed if it has not been recently reviewed.

11. Minimize the emphasis on competition. Competitive learning activities may cause the student to hurry and omit words or lose their place when reading.

12. Alter or adjust reading learning materials to the student’s capacity and ability level.

13. Do not criticize when correcting the student; be honest yet compassionate. Never cause the student to feel negatively about themselves.

14. Get the student to read instructions aloud to aid comprehension.

15. Assist the student in reading the instructions and review strategies that they can use when they have difficulty following written instructions.

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 hacks to help students learn to identify grade level words? If so, keep reading.

1. Utilize a research-based handwriting method when teaching sounds by hearing, writing, and saying. This eliminates many potential reversal problems.

2. Utilize lower grade-level texts as alternative reading content in subject areas.

3. Outline reading content for the student using words and phrases on their reading level.

4. Let students use the smartboard so that teaching and learning become active. The student hears, writes, and sees the sounds in isolation.

5. Select a peer tutor to study with the student for exams, tests, etc.

6. Utilize a highlight marker to find keywords and phrases for the student. These words and phrases become the student’s sight-word vocabulary.

7. Select a peer tutor to practice sight words with the student to reinforce concepts learned.

8. Teach the student to use related learning experience s in their classes (e.g., filmstrips, movies, recordings, demonstrations, discussions, videotapes, lectures, etc.). Urge teachers to give an assortment of learning experience s for the student to enable learning grade-level sight words.

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

10. Teach the student to use context clues to find sight words they are learning.

11. Utilize a sight-word vocabulary approach to teach the student keywords (e.g., circle, underline, match, etc.) and phrases when reading directions and instructions.

12. Get the student to practice vocabulary words from required reading content by writing the words while saying the sounds.

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

14. Get the student to find words and phrases that they do not recognize. Make these words the student’s list of words to be learned.

15. Create a list of words and phrases from the student’s reading content that they will not recognize (e.g., have the science teacher find the words the student will not know in the following week’s task). These words and phrases will become the student’s list of reading words for the next week.

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 ways to teach student to identify grade level words? If so, keep reading.

1. Create a list of main points from the student’s reading content, written on the student’s reading level.

2. Give the student many high interest reading learning materials (e.g., comic books, magazines, etc.) to practice sight words.

3. 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 to be read at one time.

4. Record complicated reading content for the student to listen to as they read along.

5. Alter or adjust reading learning materials to the student’s capacity and ability level.

6. Establish a system of reinforcers, either concrete (e.g., computer time, helper for the day, etc.) or informal (e.g., smile, praise, handshake, etc.) to urge the student to be more successful in reading.

7. Record lectures to give an additional source of information for the student.

8. Urge the student to read content with many illustrations and context clues to support learning new sight words.

9. 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.

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

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

13. 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 success.

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 identify words on grade level? If so, keep reading.

1. Give the student an app or a hand-held educational device to practice sight words they are learning. Drill and repetition are often appropriate to commit words to memory.

2. Give the student a quiet area (e.g., table, study booth, etc.) where they may go to practice sight words.

3. Get the student to read aloud to the teacher each day. Give evaluative feedback.

4. Begin with simple words and sounds where the student achieves 95% to 100% accuracy. Do not move on to more complicated terms until practice, drill, and review of previous lessons produces accuracy.

5. Teach the student word attack skills using a root word sight vocabulary to which several prefixes and suffixes may be added.

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

7. Teach the student individual consonant and vowel sounds.

8. On occasions where the student has difficulty with reading words on grade level, urge them to continue working. We all have areas of weakness that we need to work on.

9. Provide mobility; be regularly near the student to give reading assistance.

10. Get the student to read high interest signs, advertisements, notices, etc., from newspapers, movie promotions, magazines, etc.; placing emphasis on reading skills.

11. Urge classroom teachers to include more unconventional learning experience s.

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

13. Make sure the student is practicing reading skills that are causally related to high interest reading learning activities (e.g., adventure, romance, mystery, sports, 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 support students who lack work attack skills? If so, keep reading.

1. Urge the student to scan the newspapers, magazines, etc., and underline words they can decode using word attack skills (e.g., phonics, context clues, image clues, etc.).

2. Make the student orally explain context clues in sentences to find words not known.

3. Get the student to use related images to help find words not known in sentences.

4. Teach the student the most common prefixes and suffixes to add to root words they can find.

5. On occasions where the student has difficulty with word attack skills, urge them to continue working on developing word attack skills. Everyone has areas of weaknesses that require extra work.

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

7. 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.).

8. Record complicated reading content for the student to listen to as they read along.

9. Utilize reading content with images and predictable reading to help the student master word attack skills.

10. Get the student to read aloud to the teacher each day. Give evaluative feedback.

11. Present new words and their meanings to the student before they read new learning materials. These may be entered in a vocabulary notebook kept by the student as a reference for new vocabulary words.

12. Teach the foundation for reading and writing in a sequential, systematic method with much positive reinforcement.

13. Let the student use the smartboard so that teaching and learning become active. The student hears, writes, and sees the sounds in isolation and then they slide together to make words.

14. The student should practice vocabulary words from required reading content by writing them while saying the sounds.

15. Teach the student pronunciation rules (e.g., vowel sounds, blends, etc.). Begin with simple words and sounds where the student achieves 95% to 100% accuracy. Do not move on to more complicated terms until practice, drill, and review of previous lessons produces accuracy.

16. Get the student to memorize decoding words and practice spotting the most common prefixes and suffixes. Using a sheet of paper with a window cut in it, target the base word.

17. Play a game of alphabet bingo with the student using phonics instead of letter names.

18. Teach the student individual consonant and vowel sounds.

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 word attack skills? If so, keep reading.

1. Develop a list of words and phrases from the student’s reading content that they do not recognize. Get the student to practice using phonics skills, context clues, image clues, etc., to decode these words.

2. Get the student to find words and phrases that they do not recognize. Make these words the student’s word list to be learned.

3. Teach the student word attack skills using a root word sight vocabulary to which several prefixes and suffixes may be added.

4. Praise the student every time they attempt to sound out a word. As the student shows success, slowly increase the number of attempts required for reinforcement.

5. Utilize a peer tutor to review word attack skills previously learned utilizing games and learning activities .

6. Make sure the student uses sight vocabulary to support weaknesses in phonics skills.

7. Make sure the student develops an understanding of listening to word sounds (For instance, say, “Listen to the following words, each of them starts with a /bl/ sound: blue, black, block, blast.”).

8. Make sure the student develops an understanding of seeing letter combinations that make the sounds (e.g., have the student circle all the words in a reading passage that begins with the /bl/ blend).

9. Give practice with reading /pl/ words, /pr/ words, etc., by presenting a high interest paragraph or story that contains these words.

10.Show skills in decoding words (e.g., using contractions from conversation, write the abbreviated form of the word, and the two finished words to show how to recognize the contraction).

11. Urge the student to try several sounds to arrive at the correct answer (e.g., delete letters from a word that is used in context and provide a few choices that are to be filled in).

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

13. Get the student to dictate stories that are then put in print for them to read. Make the student place emphasis on word attack skills.

14. Get the student to read high interest signs, advertisements, notices, etc., from newspapers, magazines, movie promotions, etc., placing emphasis on word attack skills.

15. Make sure the student is practicing word attack skills that are causally related to high interest reading learning activities (e.g., adventure, romance, mystery, sports, etc.).

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 cannot finish learning activities because of reading issues? If so, keep reading.

1. Minimize the amount of information on a page (e.g., less print to read, fewer images on the page, isolate information that is presented to the student) if it is visually distracting for the student.

2. Get the student to read content to the teacher to ascertain if it is on their reading level.

3. Get the student to use their finger to point to words that are being read. The teacher should observe as the student points to the words while reading. This would help to ascertain the causes of slow reading.

4. Minimize the student’s anxiety level by not requiring the student to finish a reading task within a specific period.

5. Teach the student that work not done during work time must be finished at other times such as free time, recess, after school, etc.

6. Get the student to question any directions, explanations, or instructions they do not understand.

7. Select a peer to model how to finish tasks for the student.

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

9. Connect with parents to disseminate information about the student’s progress. The parents may reinforce the student at home for finishing tasks at school.

10. Draft an agreement with the student stipulating what behavior is required (e.g., finishing tasks) and which reinforcement will be implemented when the agreement has been met.

11. Praise the student for finishing tasks based on the number of times they can be successful. As the student shows success, slowly increase the number of times required for reinforcement.

12. Praise the student for finishing tasks: (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.).

13. Create classroom rules: • Complete every assignment. • Complete assignments quietly. • Remain in your seat. • Finish tasks. • Meet task expectations. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.

14. Praise those students in the classroom who finish tasks.

15. Converse with the student to explain (a) what they are doing wrong (e.g., failing to finish tasks) and (b) what they must be doing (e.g., finishing tasks).

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