What Is Higher Steps℠?
This UURC intervention model is designed for struggling readers who are reading at early grade 3 level and above. Higher Steps℠ addresses the last major developmental transition in the reading process and provides students with assisted reading at instructional level, advanced phonics/spelling and fluency work. This more advanced model emphasizes oral reading rate and prosody - two aspects of fluency that likely influence comprehension, and explicit instruction in how to use the syllable structure of written English to parse through unfamiliar multi-syllabic words successfully.
Recommended twice per week - 45 minutes per session
Components:
- Word Bank
- Flash presentation of difficult high frequency words (e.g., through, thought, though)
- Fluency Work
- Conduct trials 3 & 4 of last session's repeated readings text (200 - 350 words).
- Graph correct # of words read and errors on repeated reading chart.
- For repeated readings, use text the student has read recently on their instructional level. Conduct 2 two-minute timings.
- Assisted Reading of New Text on Instructional Level
(Most texts require many lessons to complete. After 5 or so sessions, a tutor may choose another book at the appropriate level. I.e., it is not necessary to finish a book.)- Tutor introduces book with a short preview (build/activate background knowledge, point out difficult vocabulary, review previous day's reading when appropriate).
- Echo and/or partner read when necessary (student shows signs of fatigue: yawning, wiggling, sudden increase in errors).
- FOCUS ON COMPREHENSION! Tutor frequently asks student to answer who-what-when-where-why type questions, to confirm prior predictions, to retell, and/or to summarize.
- Word Study
- Tutor begins with Module 1 (closed syllable) of Advanced Word Study, using whiteboard and questioning to teach concept
- Tutor chooses an Accuracy or Fluency activity based on focus, to play with word cards.
- Tutor chooses 4 words from module for spelling. Tutor dictates words; student spells aloud while writing. Then scoops & reads. Student "marks up" each word.
- Fluency Work
- Conduct trials 1 & 2 from today's assisted reading (200 - 350 words).
- Graph correct # of words read and errors on repeated reading chart.
- For repeated readings, use text the student has read recently on his/her instructional level. Conduct 2 two-minute timings.
