Once my schedule was set and I had selected which students I would enroll in my pull-out support class, I needed to select programs that would help them learn the skills that they need. This left me with a conundrum, as each student is different and has different needs.
I decided to administer a Phonics Screener to see which students had gaps in their learning. The first year, I used the Quick Phonics Screener. My second and third years, I used the Phonics Screener for Intervention (PSI) because it aligned with the phonics program provided by my district. Once I finished administering the PSI, I was able to see that some of my students had phonics gaps, while others didn’t. This left me with one logical course of action.
Divide and Conquer
I decided to split my classes in half. That way I could target my instruction to meet the needs of each student. I put all the students who had phonics needs in Group A, and the ones who did not in Group B. Since my class period is 55 minutes, I have plenty of time to meet with both groups every day.
For my Group A students, I know that they have phonics gaps. My district was generous enough to provide me with many program options. I also worked with the other secondary reading specialists to research programs. We ultimately chose Phonics Lesson Library from 95% group, REWARDS Intermediate by Dr. Anita Archer, and Phonics for Reading, by Dr. Anita Archer.
Here is a summary of each program:
Phonics Lesson Library (PLL)
One of the things we really liked about the Phonics Lesson Library is that our elementary schools also use it. It allows for continuity. We have skills 10-15, which focus on multi-syllabic words. I also like that each skill has multiple decodable passages so that students can practice and apply their new knowledge.
One of the draw-backs to this program is that there are so many materials. There are word cards, chip kits, and syllable bars for each skill. It’s great to be hands-on, but it’s a lot to keep organized.
REWARDS Intermediate
Honestly, this one is my favorite. This program teaches students how to break words apart by recognizing prefixes and suffixes. It’s very structured and explicit. I love the predictable routine!
The students like this program as well. It’s easy to get into a rhythm with the word lists, and they enjoy discussing the vocabulary words.
There are reading passages in this program as well, but they don’t start until Lesson 20. I feel the passages are important, so I wish they included some in the earlier lessons.
The lessons are very long, however. Each lesson is designed to take 50 minutes. With our split class, it typically takes 2-3 days to complete a lesson.
Phonics for Reading
This program splits the middle between the previous two. It has the structure and predictability like REWARDS (because it was authored by the same person), but it covers the more basic phonics skills like the PLL.
There are passages included in this program too, but they are much shorter.
This is the least-used program in my closet, not because it is bad, but because the other programs do the same job.
Obviously, we chose programs that work for our students. I feel that it’s important to find a program that explicitly teaches the skills, but also included passages where students can put their skills to good use right away. There are many programs out there. If you use something different in your school, please send me a message and let me know.
