Identify the specific reading skill

“Struggling with reading” can involve decoding, accuracy and fluency, vocabulary, or comprehension. Use classroom work and screening information to identify the area to investigate. A screening result alone does not diagnose a disability or establish the cause.

Plan targeted instruction with a measurable goal

The WWC RTI guide for primary grades recommends small-group reading intervention matched to student needs and monitoring progress. Its grades 4–9 guide addresses multisyllabic word reading, fluency, comprehension practices, and stretch text. Select practices for the student’s grade and identified skill, set a near-term goal, and provide explicit explanation, modeling, and guided practice.

Use progress evidence to adjust

If the target is multisyllabic decoding, for example, have the learner read new words of the taught pattern on a regular schedule and record accuracy and error types. If progress is limited, review instructional intensity, attendance, language and access conditions, and whether the target skill is correct before repeating the same material indefinitely. This is a hypothetical process example, not a diagnosis or prescription for an individual student.

Review questions

Which reading skill does the current intervention target? What measure will show progress, and when will the team review whether to adjust instruction or seek further assessment? RTI operations and eligibility rules also depend on local requirements.

Scope: The cited WWC guides concern U.S. English-language reading intervention research. The multisyllabic-word example is for English; do not transfer its decoding procedure unchanged to Korean or Japanese. Choose reading measures and methods that fit the language, writing system, and curriculum being taught.

Sources: WWC: Assisting Students Struggling with Reading (RTI) · WWC: Providing Reading Interventions for Grades 4–9