Bridging the Gap: Helping Students Excel with Reading Intervention
Imagine a student sitting in class, staring at a textbook. To their left, a peer flips the page effortlessly. To their right, another student is already highlighting key points. But for the student in the middle, the words on the page aren't cooperating. They seem to float, dance, or lock together in a jumble of letters. The intelligence is there, the desire to learn is there, but there is a disconnect—a gap between their potential and their reading performance.
For parents, watching this struggle is heartbreaking. You see the late-night frustration over homework, the dipping self-esteem, and the avoidance of reading aloud. But here is the good news: reading is a skill that can be engineered. It is not a magical talent you are either born with or without.
At Educational Resources, we specialize in bridging that gap. By using research-based, multisensory intervention programs, we help students overcome specific hurdles like decoding and fluency to become confident, capable readers.
Identifying the Gap: It’s Not About Intelligence
The first step in effective intervention is understanding that reading difficulties are rarely a reflection of intelligence. Many students with high IQs struggle with reading because their brains process language differently.
The "gap" usually manifests in three specific areas:
Decoding: The ability to sound out words. Students struggling here often guess at words based on the first letter or shape.
Fluency: The speed and accuracy of reading. When a student has to fight for every word, their reading becomes choppy and robotic.
Comprehension: Understanding what is read. If a student spends all their mental energy decoding the words, they have no brainpower left to understand the meaning behind them.
Standard tutoring often focuses on "more practice." But if a student has a fundamental gap in how they process sounds or symbols, more practice is just reinforcing bad habits. They don't need more reading; they need different reading instruction.
The Foundation: The Orton-Gillingham Approach
Effective reading intervention must be structured, sequential, and cumulative. This is why our programs are rooted in the Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach. Developed in the 1930s, this method remains the gold standard for teaching reading to students with dyslexia and other language-processing differences.
The core of OG is multisensory learning. We don't just ask students to look at a letter; we ask them to hear the sound, say the sound, and write the symbol simultaneously. This engages visual, auditory, and kinesthetic pathways in the brain, creating stronger neural connections. It turns abstract concepts into tangible skills.
At Educational Resources, we tailor this approach through specific programs designed to target different types of reading gaps.
Cracking the Code: The Wilson Reading System
For many students, the English language feels like a chaotic mess of rule-breakers. Why does "rough" sound like "ruff" but "bough" sound like "bow"?
When students lack the tools to decode these words, they rely on guessing. They might read "house" instead of "home" because they look similar. This is where the Wilson Reading System (WRS) shines.
WRS is designed for students who have not internalized the sound-symbol system of English. It is rigorous and highly structured.
Decoding: We teach students specifically how to break down and blend syllables. We move beyond basic phonics into the six syllable types of English, giving students a reliable strategy to tackle any word, no matter how long.
Encoding (Spelling): Reading and spelling are two sides of the same coin. WRS forces students to apply the rules they learn in reverse, solidifying their understanding of language structure.
This program is particularly effective for students who are reading below grade level and have simply "hit a wall" with traditional instruction. It replaces guessing with certainty.
Hearing the Difference: Lindamood Phonemic Sequencing (LiPS)
Some students struggle with reading because they cannot effectively distinguish the individual sounds (phonemes) within words. If a student cannot hear the difference between "pig" and "big," they will struggle to read or spell those words correctly. This is an auditory processing issue.
For these learners, we utilize Lindamood Phonemic Sequencing (LiPS). This program takes a unique approach by focusing on how the mouth feels when producing sounds.
Oral-Motor Feedback: Students learn to identify sounds by the position of their tongue, lips, and teeth. They might label the 'p' and 'b' sounds as "Lip Poppers" because of the way the lips pop apart.
Concrete Tracking: We use colored blocks and mouth pictures to track sounds in sequences. This allows students to "see" and "feel" the changes in words (like changing "map" to "mat") before they ever worry about the letters.
By anchoring the elusive sounds of speech to physical sensations, LiPS helps students correct their auditory processing errors, laying a stable foundation for reading and spelling.
Intervention for All Ages
There is a misconception that reading intervention is only for first and second-graders. This could not be further from the truth. The gap does not disappear with age; it often widens.
As students enter middle school, high school, and even college, the demand for reading volume and complexity increases. A student who reads slowly (fluency issues) might spend four hours on homework that takes their peers one hour.
At Educational Resources, we work with students from kindergarten through adulthood.
For the 2nd grader: We focus on foundational decoding so they don't fall behind.
For the 10th grader: We focus on advanced morphology (roots and affixes) and fluency strategies to help them tackle ACT passages and biology textbooks.
It is never too late to rewire the brain. We frequently see adolescents who have struggled for years make significant breakthroughs once they are given the correct tools.
The Confidence Shift
The most profound impact of closing the reading gap isn't just better grades; it's a shift in identity.
Students with reading difficulties often internalize their struggles. They label themselves as "slow" or "bad at school." When they start a program like Wilson or LiPS, they initially feel skeptical. But then, they decode a multisyllabic word without help. They read a paragraph without stumbling.
You can see the physical change. Their shoulders drop. They make eye contact. They realize that the code isn't unbreakable—they just needed the right key.
Take the First Step
If your child is guessing at words, avoiding reading, or spending hours on simple assignments, do not wait for them to "grow out of it." Reading gaps require intentional bridges.
At Educational Resources, we assess your child's specific needs to determine which program—Wilson, LiPS, or another multisensory method—will be most effective. We don't just teach reading; we empower students to navigate the world of words with confidence.
Ready to help your child excel?
About the Author: Lindsay O’Brien
Lindsay O'Brien is the active Executive Director of Educational Resources in Louisville, KY. Previously, she spent over 10 years as a teacher before transitioning to tutoring and standardized test preparation.