Reading levels are a leading indicator of later academic success, especially among elementary-aged students. Unfortunately, only around two-thirds of children read at grade level by third grade as of 2022. Students who struggle with reading in elementary school face immense obstacles in middle school and their later academic life. In fact, a low reading level by third grade substantially increases the chances of dropping out in a student’s high school years.
Early intervention programs such as literacy tutoring can support young learners and boost their reading skills during the critical early elementary phase. Nine out of 10 children who enter an effective tutoring program before third grade eventually develop into proficient readers. Creating a high-quality literacy intervention program requires careful preparation, resources, and collaboration between different entities.
Here are four of the most important components of an effective literacy program.
1. Tutor Training
Tutors are the primary source of education and support within a literacy intervention. An effective tutoring program must provide its tutors with the necessary baseline skills to carry out the program, as well as ongoing support. Tutors can come from any background, from primary school teachers to experienced professionals to volunteers from the community. Programs may opt for less experienced tutors who can bring other benefits, such as similarly aged peers to support social skill development, or community members who speak languages other than English to benefit bilingual learners.
While there are advantages to tutors with varying skillsets, training opportunities should align with and build upon their prior experience. A tutoring program made up of reading specialists and elementary school teachers may require training on how to measure and report student progress. Non-specialized tutors may be interested in literacy teaching techniques, theories of child development and cognition, and classroom management. Generally, the less experience the tutoring pool has, the more training is required to deliver a consistently high-quality program.
All tutors will need training on any resources designed for the program. This can include virtual platforms, curricula, or applicable state learning standards.
2. Baseline Measurements
As with any other intervention, literacy tutoring programs must be able to demonstrate effectiveness. This is only possible by comparing student reading levels before and after tutoring. Many programs gather this information through a process known as a baseline assessment. The baseline is the child’s level of attainment before the intervention. For the baseline to accurately measure the literacy program’s effectiveness, it must assess the same skills that tutoring will develop.
For example, an intervention designed to improve sight word recognition may use a sight word test as a baseline measurement. In this case, comparing the child’s score before and after the intervention can determine if tutoring increased sight word recognition. Baseline measurements can also assess qualitative data like attitudes and beliefs. For example, before the intervention, children might complete a questionnaire about their reading habits and comfort level reading aloud.
Recording these data points can also demonstrate an intervention’s capacity to build self-confidence and self-efficacy, which can both improve academic performance.
3. Collaboration with Schools
Literacy intervention programs do not always take place in schools. Nonprofit organizations, after-school programs, and libraries offer their own tutoring programs. While these approaches can be highly effective, there are benefits to collaborating closely with educators and school administrators.
First, schools can ensure that the students who stand to benefit the most are being referred. Collaborating with educators also creates continuity in learning approaches, standards, and assessments, which can improve student outcomes. Educators can create individualized learning plans that the tutors and caregivers can use to improve the child’s skills.
Educators and school leaders can also offer essential resources, such as specialist oversight for tutors or funding. In some cases, schools can serve as the program site and provide supplies and learning materials.
4. Research-Based Approaches
Literacy interventions may use one or more methods to boost student reading skills. For example, some programs may focus on phonics and decoding, while others base their program on principles from the whole language model. Studies have linked a few criteria with more significant outcomes. Students who meet with their tutors three times per week for at least half an hour show the largest literacy gains. Smaller group sizes also correlate with higher improvements, with younger students benefiting the most from individual attention.
Programs should use techniques backed by substantial evidence with similar student demographics. Approaches that may work well with young readers may not be suitable for students in late elementary. Likewise, learners who speak English as a second language may need different support to make the same reading level gains as monolingual children. Other factors that can affect a tutoring program’s effectiveness include tutor training, frequency and duration of the intervention and individual student risk factors.
While programs should start with evidence-based approaches, even a proven approach may not work. For this reason, the best literacy programs continuously monitor and assess student progress and adapt the approach, as necessary.