Academics · Subject Resources

Your child is in a reading group.
Ask these.

When a school offers reading intervention, the details decide whether it helps: how many children, how many minutes, which skills and how progress is measured. Note what the school offered, compare it with what the federal practice guide describes and keep track of the nine questions worth asking.

Start the questionsWhat you get

Interventions

The worked example is made up: a first grader in a phonics group, a third grader in a group of eight and a fifth grader eleven weeks in. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Academics · Subject ResourcesFree

What you finish with
A record per intervention: the child’s code, grade, program, target skills, group size, minutes, sessions a week, start date and progress checks, with nine questions and the school’s answers. Works out minutes a week and weeks so far; flags large groups, under an hour a week, too many skills at once, infrequent progress checks and ten weeks with no data shared.
Who it is for
Parents and caregivers of children in kindergarten through middle school who have been offered, or are already in, reading intervention.
Format
Browser checklist with a saved record per intervention. Prints one record with its questions, every record in a table or a blank copy for the meeting; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Subject Resources space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Note what the school offered.
  2. Enter group size and minutes.
  3. Read how it compares.
  4. Ask the open questions.
  5. Write down the answers.

Start the questions

What good intervention looks like

Small-group reading help, by the researchFeatureIn the guidanceAsk if you seeGroup sizeAbout 3 to 4 studentsMore than 5Time20 to 40 minutes, 3 to 5 daysUnder an hour a weekFocusUp to 3 foundational skillsEverything at onceProgress checksAt least once a monthNot describedSmall-group reading help, by the researchGroup sizeIn the guidance: About 3 to 4 studentsAsk if you see: More than 5TimeIn the guidance: 20 to 40 minutes, 3 to 5 daysAsk if you see: Under an hour a weekFocusIn the guidance: Up to 3 foundational skillsAsk if you see: Everything at onceProgress checksIn the guidance: At least once a monthAsk if you see: Not described
From the federal practice guide on response to intervention in the primary grades. Schools may do more; these are useful starting questions.

Extra, not instead

In a tiered approach, every child gets core reading instruction, and children who need more get small-group help on top of it. The federal practice guide describes groups focused on up to three foundational skills, such as phonemic awareness, decoding and fluency, taught directly and systematically, with progress checked at least monthly.

An evaluation is always an option

Under federal special education law, a parent may ask for an evaluation at any time. Federal guidance to states says a response-to-intervention process cannot be used to delay or deny an evaluation of a child suspected of having a disability. Put the request in writing and keep a copy.

Sources

  1. Gersten, R., and others (2009). Assisting Students Struggling with Reading: Response to Intervention and Multi-Tier Intervention in the Primary Grades. Institute of Education Sciences practice guide, NCEE 2009-4045 (ies.ed.gov).
  2. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. Memo 11-07: a response-to-intervention process cannot be used to delay or deny an evaluation (2011).
  3. What Works Clearinghouse. Reviews of reading interventions (ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc).
  4. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act regulations, 34 CFR 300.301: parent requests for an initial evaluation.

The worked example is made up. The comparisons describe the research, not a rule your school must follow; state and district policies vary. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.