Literacy Intervention
K-8 Intervention Block
Beginning in October, 2025, all students in grades K-8 at Malden Public Schools are scheduled for a Literacy Intervention Block during each school day. This block is an important part of our commitment to meeting the individual literacy needs of every learner.
As part of this work, we administer assessments to help assign the most appropriate literacy supports for individual learners. In the first weeks of school, all students participate in the DIBELS and/or iReady reading assessment (depending on grade level). Based on the results, students are assigned to intervention groups most appropriate to their current literacy skill levels. Here's how the process works:
- Students scoring at or above grade level are placed in enrichment groups that will stretch and deepen their literacy skills, helping them continue to grow as readers and thinkers.
- Students scoring below grade level are placed in targeted intervention groups that focus on specific skill areas needed for their reading development.
To ensure each student receives the most appropriate support, we monitor student progress and adjust grouping and instructional supports accordingly. This means that as students develop skills, they will be reassigned to groups to continue receiving instruction aligned with their current needs.
During the Intervention Block, students may use a variety of tools to supplement teacher instruction. A list of Intervention Block tools and corresponding descriptions can be found below.
K-8 Digital Tools
Boost Reading (Amplify platform)
Ignite (1st grade only)
Ignite is a tutoring program that supports students to become confident, fluent readers. Only select first grade students are participating in this program. How the program works: Your child will be matched with a personal reading tutor, and their tutoring sessions will occur for 15 minutes daily over computer video. All Ignite Reading tutors are background checked, highly trained in the Science of Reading, and have completed over 100 hours of professional learning.
iReady
Project Read
Project Read features a unique AI tutor specializing in the Science of Reading. It specifically targets instruction in phonics and decoding, which are crucial prerequisite skills for fluency and reading comprehension.
Here’s how it works:
- Personalized Decodable Stories: The app creates custom reading materials based on your child’s learning needs and previous errors.
- Live Spoken Feedback: As your child reads aloud, the tutor provides immediate feedback, focusing on specific phonemes and graphemes they may struggle with, while also providing positive feedback and encouragement.
This technology offers a personalized approach to reading, enabling your child to receive individualized phonics coaching.
What Happens During a Reading Session?
When your child reads out loud, the AI tutor:
- Encourages them to try reading the word again.
- Offers hints based on the phoneme/grapheme missed.
- Provides the correct word after repeated attempts, incorporating it into future sessions for practice.
Student Assessment and Progress Tracking:
Project Read assesses your child’s decoding ability. It allows them to progress to new objectives only after mastering current ones, ensuring a solid foundation in reading skills. As their teacher, I get instant data about concepts each student is struggling with, allowing me to target those skills for additional support in class.
Privacy and Safety:
Your child’s privacy is paramount. Project Read complies with all relevant regulations, including FERPA and COPPA, to ensure the safe and secure use of student data. No student voice is recorded or stored.
We’re excited to see how Project Read can augment the reading instruction we are doing at school. For any queries or support, please contact your school’s principal
Other Intervention Opportunities
Book Clubs
Book groups allow students to read choice texts with small groups or classes in order to think, discuss, and write deeply about high-interest texts.
Morphology Intervention
The morphology intervention supports students in building their understanding of how morphemes (word parts) can help them better understand new vocabulary words and identify parts of speech.
UFLI
UFLI is a systematic phonics curriculum that allows teachers to address students’ skills in decoding, encoding, fluency, and basic comprehension. This intervention is meant to support students still building their understanding of English phonics patterns and fluency.