Structured Literacy Interventions

This guide was created for teachers who are learning how to support students in literacy development, especially those who may need extra help through intervention. Whether you’re teaching in a small group, one-on-one, or supporting students during core instruction, this guide is designed to help you implement research-based, effective strategies with clarity and confidence.

You don’t need fancy tools or specialized programs to make an impact. You need strong instruction, thoughtful planning, and a willingness to adjust based on what your students know and need. This guide will walk you through the foundational skills of reading and provide practical ideas, routines, and resources to make intervention doable and effective.

You’ll also find links to trusted tools, favorite go-to resources, and simple explanations of key skills that are aligned with structured literacy and the science of reading.
 

Each section focuses on a foundational reading skill. For each skill area, you’ll find:

• What It Is: A simple definition of the skill
• Why It Matters: How it supports reading development
• Key Skills & Strategies: What to teach and how to teach it
• Our Favorite Resources: Tools, programs, and materials we love

You can use this guide to:

• Plan a small-group or one-on-one lesson
• Select strategies to reteach or reinforce a skill
• Connect interventions to the Tier 1 curriculum
• Quickly review key terminology and teaching approaches

• Stick close to what students already know. The best strategy is starting from where your students are—don’t stray too far. Explicitly teach, reteach, and practice.
• Smaller groups + stronger feedback = more learning. If a student didn’t succeed in Tier 1, it doesn’t mean the strategy was wrong. They may just need clearer modeling, more repetition, and more feedback.
• Use the Tier 1 curriculum as your foundation. Interventions are most effective when they are connected to what students are learning in core instruction. If your Tier 1 program has Tier 2 or Tier 3 supports, use them!
• Follow a structured literacy approach. Intervention should be explicit, systematic, and cumulative—teaching skills in a logical order and building on what’s already mastered.
• Let assessment guide you. Use data to determine what to teach. Observation, screening, and progress monitoring will show you where to focus.
• Use multisensory techniques. Integrate visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile methods to deepen learning and support memory and engagement.
• Maximize instructional time. Keep your lessons focused. Every minute should be intentional and connected to your goal.
• Differentiate between phonological awareness and phonics. Know if students need help hearing sounds, connecting sounds to letters, or both—and adjust your teaching accordingly.
• You don’t need new materials—you need good instruction. Sometimes a simple shift in pacing, modeling, or practice makes the biggest difference.
• Stick to the skill—not the theme. Intervention time is for focused skill-building. Save the themes for classroom enrichment. Here, we’re laser-focused on helping students build reading skills that stick.