CORRECTIVE READING - DECODING

SRA - McGraw Hill

Goal of the Program:

The goal of the SRA Corrective Reading Decoding program is to increase students’ decoding skills so they are able to read with greater fluency and comprehension. This program also includes extensive practice in comprehension that helps students read carefully and attend to details.

Grade Level: 4th – 12th

The program targets students who are reading two or more years below grade level.  Students who place in Level A read from approximately 200 to 300 Lexile, Level B1 = 200 to 450 Lexile, Level B2 = 300 to 600 Lexile, and Level C = 400 to 800 Lexile.

Type of Program: 

Supplemental, core supplant, or possibly both replacing working with words. If used as a core supplant, writing and independent reading will need to be addressed through the core program. Additionally, if used as a core supplant, both SRA Decoding and SRA Comprehension will need to be implemented.   

The program is designed to change the behavior of the poor decoder.  These behaviors may include: frequent word-identification errors;  word omissions, word additions, and/or confusion of high frequency words; misunderstanding about the relationship between the arrangement of letters in a word and the pronunciation of that word; inability to read a passage with the degree of accuracy needed to understand what the passage actually says; a rate of reading so poor that the various details of the passage are forgotten, even if they were decoded accurately; and poor motivation.

Instructional Delivery Mode: Teacher-directed

Direct Instruction, the methodology used by Corrective Reading, is a scripted presentation approach that uses a brisk pace, carefully chosen exercises and examples, and other special presentation techniques to engage even reluctant learners.

Technology Required:  None

Reading Components Addressed: Phonics, Fluency, and limited Comprehension and Vocabulary

Recommended Instructional Minutes: 45 to 50 minutes DAILY

Student/Teacher Ratio:

Level A:              5-10 but never more than 10

Level B1:             10-15

Level B2:             15-20

Level C:               20 and above

(SRA states: “Lessons can be presented to large groups, but students are best served when in groups of 15 or less.”)

Overall Design and Instructional Sequence of the Program:

The program progresses from teaching letter sounds and blending to reading passages typical of textbook material. Detailed data on performance allows students to monitor their own improvement and experience success.

Level A: Word-Attack Basics
Appropriate for non-readers. Emphasizes basic decoding skills: rhyming, sounding out, sentence reading, and story reading. (65 lessons)

Levels B1 & B2: Decoding Strategies

Students at this level would be placed in Level A – SRA Comprehension
Designed for struggling readers who do not read fluently or who confuse similar words. Teaches students to become automatic decoders, with the increased self-confidence to; read 90 words a minute by the end of B1 (65 lessons) and 120 words a minute by the end of B2. (65 lessons)

Level C: Skill Applications
Created for those who experience difficulty with vocabulary and complex sentence structures, this program bridges the gap between advanced word-attack skills and the ability to read information material. When students complete Decoding C; they read with 98 percent accuracy, and at a rate similar to their peers. (125 lessons)

Assessments: Manual

• Decoding Placement Test (measures decoding accuracy and rate of oral reading)
• Each level contains ongoing Mastery Tests and Individual Reading Checkouts. There are separate mid-program and end-of-program Mastery Tests available to assess individual student achievement in meeting specific learning objections.

Professional Development Requirements and Cost:   

Approximately 3.5 hours of staff development in how to deliver direct instruction, as well as how to use the SRA Corrective Reading Decoding materials.  Follow-up observations and coaching is recommended.

Who Can Deliver Program:  Classroom teacher, trained aide, or interventionist  

Strengths of the Program:

Numerous studies document the effectiveness of this program, showing that percentile scores for students in the program increase rather than remain the same, and that the slope of their learning is sharply steeper than expected. The program has proven to work effectively with a range of students, including those who are traditionally identified as learning disabled, educationally handicapped, or perceptually handicapped.  The scripted, direct instruction model provides the teacher with precise directions for each minute of each class period, and also has built in classroom management.

Weaknesses of the Program:

This program is not designed to be used with students who do not speak English, or whose grasp of English is quite weak. Teachers may be resistant at first to the direct instruction model that require strict adherence in order to prove successful. This program is also not appropriate for students whose lack of comprehension skills prevents them from understanding most words or the details in the stories they read.

Cost:  Initial cost of approximately$100.00 per student