IRI for Grades 9-12

In this assignment for American College of Education, I went out of my comfort zone and wrote two Diagnostic Plans for students in grades that I haven't taught. Through the experience, I had to research different methods and activities. I feel that this has made me a better literacy instructor with more tools in my strategy bank.

1. LIT5233 Prescriptive Intervention for Reading Difficulties
Name: Jasmine Belin
Intervention Plan Form
Phase I – Diagnostic Plan for __Jessica________
Introduction
Jessica is a 9
th
grade student at South High School. She is a very sweet girl who
genuinely cares about everyone that she meets. She enjoys horses, drawing, and
writing letters. Jessica is one of three children in her family; her older brother just
graduated high school and is attending the local community college. Her younger sister
is in second grade.
Jessica is struggling with being in high school. She has an IEP and although her
needs are being met, she is adjusting to less support than she has had in previous
school years. She used to have a one on one para who would be with her from the
moment she got to school, to the moment she left. However, it was deemed that she no
longer needed this service and it is no longer on her plan. She now only has a para with
her during class time. Her organization is not what it used to be and she is
forgetting/losing assignments. However, the resource teacher and her parents feel that
she can do it on her own, but was used to having someone “do it all for her” that she is
creating her own struggle.

Information
Student Name: Jessica
Grade: 9 Age: 14
Background
School. Jessica is a 14 year old young lady who just began high school this year. She
is very sweet; liked by her teachers and her peers who she genuinely cares greatly for.
She enjoys art (most of her art projects are about horses) and writing letters. This is her
first school year without a one on one para, all day long and she is not adjusting well.
Her parents and the resource teacher believe that she can do it on her own, but that
she is being somewhat defiant.
Home. Jessica is one of three children at home with her mom and dad. She likes to
read at home and draw. When she is not doing either of those activities, she is playing
games with her 2
nd
grade age sister.
Current Behavior
School. Recently, at school, Jessica has expressed frustration. She has been losing
her assignments due to her lack of organization. She used to have para with her at all
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2. LIT5233 Prescriptive Intervention for Reading Difficulties
times of the day. This para helped keep Jessica organized, scribed for her during
lessons, read to her during tests, sat with her at lunch… everything. In last year’s IEP
meeting, it was decided that Jessica no longer needed that support and is now only
with a para during class time.
Home. At home, Jessica’s behavior has not changed. Her frustration from school
seems to stay at school. She reads every night and does her homework when
she remembers to bring it home. She plays with her younger sister and helps
mom around the house.
Assessment Information
This section contains specific information gathered from different assessment approaches.
Pre-Assessment Results
Listening Level: Passage Form: _______ Results: _______ (Listening)
Present Standardized
Reading Score:
(if known; posted as grade
level or percentiles)
N/A
IRI Results: (Posted as
grade levels OR include the
IRI summary page)
Word List Form: ___B____ Results: ____6
th
grade 90%___
Passage Form: __Level 6_____ Results: ____96%___ (Oral)
Passage Form: __Level 6_____ Results: ____90%___ (Silent)
Overall:
Frustration Level: __8___
Instructional Level: ___7__
Independent Level: ___6_
Miscue Analysis Results:
Jessica made 3 miscues, all of which were omissions of the words the. She
did not self-correct and the miscue did not change the meaning of the
passage.
Observation Comments: When Jessica would omit the word the she would
hesitate as if she knew that she had skipped a word but did not go back to
correct herself. She seemed to be rushing through her reading, and would
get frustrated when she would pause. When she was asked to slow down,
she showed great expression in her reading.
Handwriting Sample: N/A
Chunking Size: N/A
Thinking Style: Mental speaking? Y Visualize pictures? Y Combination? Y
Problem Solving: Jessica did not display problem solving skills during oral reading passage.
When she skipped a word, she seemed to know that she did, but did not go
back and fix her mistakes. When reading the word lists, she struggled to
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3. LIT5233 Prescriptive Intervention for Reading Difficulties
sound out words that she did not know.
Other Tests: (Type
and results)
Preliminary Summary
This IRI showed that Jessica works independently at a 6
th
grade level. She enjoys reading, so
trying to raise her reading levels will not be a fight. When testing, she seems to try to impress and
speeds through reading. However, when she is asked to slow down, she reads fluently at her level and
uses great expression.
Comments: Jessica could benefit greatly from reviewing long and short vowel sounds. I also
believe that working on fluency would help to eliminate her problem with skipping over words while she is
reading. Finally, as comprehension is the purpose of reading, Jessica would benefit working on
comprehension skills to help her understanding of the more complex texts that she encounters in high
school.
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4. LIT5233 Prescriptive Intervention for Reading Difficulties
Phase II – Prescriptive Intervention
Target Area 1: Long/Short Vowel sounds “ A solid understanding of the vowels and
their sounds proves a useful skill as kids begin reading and deciphering new words”
(Frost, n.d.). Because vowels are in every word, it is important the readers, such as
Jessica, understand the different sounds they make in order to sound out words.
Strategy A: Vowel Word Sort- In this activity, which is easy to do independently, the
student sorts cards with words and pictures into long and short vowel sounds. This is something
Jessica could do daily during her intervention time, but also something she could do at home.
As she reads the words (with the assistance from the picture) she can hear the vowel sound
that the word makes. This may seem like a younger student activity, but it would be beneficial to
remind her of the rules that she learned so very long ago.
Strategy B: Creating a Vowel Book- This is beneficial to Jessica in two ways:
organization and relearning the vowels. Because Jessica enjoys art and creating things, she
might enjoy creating a vowel book. In the book, she would include different words that follow the
different sound, as well as different spelling patterns that effect the vowel sounds.
Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.5.3
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Target Area 2: Fluency
Strategy A: Reader’s Theater-
According to Zachary and Rachel Hamby (2017) “Reader’s Theater sessions create an open
environment where students feel comfortable asking questions”. In Jessica’s case, she would
not only be getting practice with fluency while having fun, but she could also be an excellent
model to students on using proper expression. Using her as an example for expression would
be a great way to show her that even though she is a struggling reader, she also does some
things very well.
Strategy B: Partner/Group Reading
According to Reading Rockets (n.d.), partner reading is beneficial in many ways for helping
students become more fluent readers. This strategy “allows students to take turns reading and
provide each other with feedback.” When partnering one less fluent reader with a fluent reader,
the fluent student becomes a mentor and models the way reading fluently should look. The two
students can also share ideas on what strategies the other uses when running into an unknown
word.
Standards Addressed:
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5. LIT5233 Prescriptive Intervention for Reading Difficulties
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.5.4
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
____________________________________________________________________________
Target Area 3: Comprehension- “Surprisingly, many students who struggle with
reading comprehension can decode text quite fluently, masking their frustration for long
periods of time. In the later elementary grades, these students may begin to stand out
as learning materials and expectations become more complex, and their self-esteem
has probably already suffered” (Rose, 2014).
Strategy A: In this activity, suggested by Delivers (n.d.) the student traces their hand on
a piece of paper and then cuts it out. Starting with the thumb and working their way to the pinky,
they write these words: Who? Did what? Where? When? Why?
When a student answers these questions after reading a passage or a story, they can identify
what the main idea is. For Jessica, this would be a great way to remind her of the details that
make up a main idea. This could help her track the ideas that she can put together to show her
comprehension. She would also enjoy making this.
Strategy B: Use KWL Chart
Using a graphic organizer of a KWL Chart, Jessica can use the reading strategy “activate and
connect” to increase her comprehension. Regardless of what the topic is, she can begin by
filling out the “What I know” section before reading. This allows her to remind herself that she
already has some background knowledge of what she is reading. Then, again before reading,
she can write what she wants to know. This will open her mind up to learning new material. As
she is reading, she will write what she learns. After she is done, she can review her notes to see
what she learned and if all of what she wanted to know was answered. This is a way for her to
monitor her comprehension.
Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.10
By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 9-10 text
complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range
Summary for Phase I & II
When assessing Jessica, it was difficult for me to pinpoint exactly what she needed. I believe
there are a few reasons for this. First, I have not worked with any students at this grade level
before. Therefore, I believe that I have my own sort of mental block because I couldn’t think of
what 9
th
graders might need support in. The second reason I believe I struggled, is that Jessica
is still a good reader. She simply struggles with her age specific skills. This is understandable as
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6. LIT5233 Prescriptive Intervention for Reading Difficulties
the content is completely different and more complex as students get older and enter into high
school. I wanted very badly to help Jessica with her organization, because I feel that that would
bring down a lot of her current frustrations with school. It was difficult for me to focus on
organization when I wanted to fine tune her other reading skills as well.
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7. LIT5233 Prescriptive Intervention for Reading Difficulties
Name: Jasmine Belin
Intervention Plan Form
Phase I – Diagnostic Plan for __Gabby________
Introduction
Gabby is a Sophomore at East High School. She is a very quiet and shy individual.
She is by no means a “bad student” but she often does not turn in her work. When she
does turn in her work, it is often unfinished or not done correctly. She has struggled with
reading all of her schooling career and “hates to read”.
At home, she is the oldest of five children (and the only girl). Her mother and father
both agree that she has been the best older sister to her brothers but that she might feel
left out sometimes because all of the boys have so much in common, such as their
interests. She used to play volleyball and was very good at it, but due to girl drama, she
has quit and not returned to the sport. When she isn’t at school, she hangs out with her
group of friends and does “normal teenage girly things”.

Information
Student Name: Gabby
Grade: 10 Age: 16
Background
School. Gabby hates to read. She has been in a tutoring class for reading every year
since 5ht grade. She does not turn in a lot of her work, and when she does, it is often
not finished or done correctly. She scores fairly well on reading assessments, but her
questions and passages are read to her. She recently quit sports due to girl drama.
Home. At home, Gabby is the oldest child of 5 and is the only girl. Her parents agree
that she has been a wonderful big sister, but sometimes feel bad for her because she
doesn’t have a girl (other than mom) at the house to hang out with. She hangs out with
her friends often and does typical 16 year old activities.
Current Behavior
School. While not at all considered a bad student, Gabby is having a hard time getting
assignments turned in on time and complete. This is effecting some of her grades. She
is shy and quiet and doesn’t talk very much or participate during class time.
Home. Gabby’s parents say that they don’t remember the last time that they saw her
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8. LIT5233 Prescriptive Intervention for Reading Difficulties
reading. Because of their busy work schedules and carting the boys to their
various practices, they don’t spend a lot of time doing homework with Gabby.
When they do, they feel that she is doing okay with it, but they are also reading
the passages and questions to her. (This is similar to assessment
accommodations that Gabby uses).
Assessment Information
This section contains specific information gathered from different assessment approaches.
Pre-Assessment Results
Listening Level: Passage Form: _______ Results: _______ (Listening)
Present Standardized
Reading Score:
(if known; posted as grade
level or percentiles)
N/A
IRI Results: (Posted as
grade levels OR include the
IRI summary page)
Word List Form: ___B____ Results: ____7
th
grade 95%___
Passage Form: __Level 7_____ Results: ____60%___ (Oral)
Passage Form: __Level 7_____ Results: ____90%___ (Silent)
Overall:
Frustration Level: __9___
Instructional Level: ___8__
Independent Level: ___7_
Miscue Analysis Results:
Gabby made 4 miscues while reading. Twice she omitted a word that
changed the meaning of the sentence. Both times, she got to the end of the
sentence before going back and correcting herself. She mispronounced two
words and did not go back to fix her mistakes.
Observation Comments:
Gabby read very slowly. This made her miscues of omitting words very
confusing, because it didn’t seem that she could have overlooked them. It
almost seemed that she was purposefully skipping the word and would finish
the sentence to help her decide what the word was. She also did not have
any expression during her reading and would pause for a long time at the
sight of punctuation.
Handwriting Sample: N/A
Chunking Size: N/A
Thinking Style: Mental speaking? Y Visualize pictures? N Combination? N
Problem Solving:
When Gabby omitted words, she would realize that the sentence did not
make sense once she finished it. It seemed that she was doing this as a
method of figuring out what the word could be.
Other Tests: (Type
and results)
Preliminary Summary
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9. LIT5233 Prescriptive Intervention for Reading Difficulties

The results from the IRI suggest that Gabby should work on a few skills: fluency, comprehension, and
decoding. Each of these skills are dependent on one another and would be all around useful for Gabby
becoming a better reader. Her frustration level is 9
th
grade; a grade level below her actual grade. This
could cause issues as reading material gets more complex.
Comments: It would be beneficial to find reading passages and materials that have something to
do with Gabby’s interests. Because of her struggles with reading, she already has a very negative outlook
on reading in general. Sparking her interests could help to motivate her.
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10. LIT5233 Prescriptive Intervention for Reading Difficulties
Phase II – Prescriptive Intervention
Using the data reported above, these sections specifically address areas identified as needing additional
instruction. The target areas should be identified and linked to research by using a citation. A specific
strategy should be briefly described and rationale given with a citation, directly linking research with
application. The strategy should address the question: How does this specific strategy meet the needs of
this particular reader?
Target Area 1: Fluency
Strategy A: Reader’s Theater- I favor this strategy because it allows students to
work with their peers while getting stronger with their skills. Zachary and Rachel Hamby
(2017) state that “Reader’s Theater sessions create an open environment where
students feel comfortable asking questions”. Given her shy nature, Gabby might feel
more open learning and trying to be more fluent in this type of environment.
Strategy B: One on One Guided Reading- “Guided reading gives students the
chance to apply the strategies they already know to new text” (Scholastic, n.d.). With
the support from the teacher, Gabby can strengthen skills she already has, as well as
gain confidence. I think doing this one on one, before doing this in a small group setting,
would be beneficial to her confidence. I also think that the teacher can cater more to
Gabby’s interests (such as volleyball) with just her in the group. This provides her more
of an opportunity to make connections.
Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.5.4
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
Target Area 2: Comprehension- “Strong readers think actively as they read. They use
their experiences and knowledge of the world, vocabulary, language structure, and
reading strategies to make sense of the text and know how to get the most out of it”
(Reading Rockets, n.d.).
Strategy A: KWL Chart- Because Gabby struggles to think actively while reading, she
doesn’t connect her background knowledge with what she is reading. Using a graphic organizer
while she is reading, such as a KWL chart, she can keep track of what she knows, what she
wants to know, and what she has learned. Writing this down as she goes, might help her later to
visually see what she comprehended while reading. This is something that she can do
independently and won’t need as much guidance.
Strategy B: Questioning- In this activity, Gabby would focus on asking questions before,
during, and after reading. Asking questions before reading allows Gabby to explore the text and
prepare her mind for what she is about to read. During reading, Gabby writing down her
questions shows that she has comprehended enough to create a question. After the reading is
complete, Gabby can show that she still has questions that she can research to find the
answers to. When she has done this, she will have a better understanding of what she has read.
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11. LIT5233 Prescriptive Intervention for Reading Difficulties
Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.10
By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 9-10 text
complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range
____________________________________________________________________________
Target Area 3: Decoding- “Decoding is the ability to apply your knowledge of letter-
sound relationships, including knowledge of letter patterns, to correctly pronounce
written words. Understanding these relationships gives children the ability to recognize
familiar words quickly and to figure out words they haven't seen before” (Reading
Rockets, n.d.).
Strategy A: Chunking Sheet- On this work sheet, Gabby would identify the different
chunks in a word to help her sound out longer words. The more familiar she gets with chunking,
the better she will get at sounding out the longer words that she will encounter in her high
school reading texts. This could also be a good visual for her to reference later while reading.
Strategy B: Roots, Prefix, Suffix study- Most unknown words that Gabby is going to
come into contact with now that she is in high school, are made up of common prefixes,
suffixes, and root words. As she studies these and becomes more familiar with them, she will be
better a decoding similar words. This activity also is helpful for her knowledge of vocabulary.
Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.5.3
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Summary for Phase I & II
Like Jessica, working with Gabby was very different because she is in a grade level that I do not
have experience in. This made it hard to decide what target areas we would be working on, as
well as finding appropriate activities to work on these skills. Because of this, I was forced to do
more research which will ultimately help me in being a better reading instructor.
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12. LIT5233 Prescriptive Intervention for Reading Difficulties
References
Delivers, D. (n.d.) I’ve got the main idea in my hand. [Blog] MaryRuth Books. Retrieved
from https://www.maryruthbooks.com/reading-comprehension-finding-main-idea/
Frost, S. (n.d.) Teaching Vowels. Lovetoknow. Retrieved from https://home-
school.lovetoknow.com/Teaching_Vowels
Reading Rockets (n.d.) Word Decoding and Phonics. Reading Rockets. Retrieved from
http://www.readingrockets.org/helping/target/phonics
Rose, S. (2014). Reading Comprehension Strategies for Middle Schoolers. Bright Hub
Education. Retrieved from https://www.brighthubeducation.com/middle-school-
english-lessons/123427-reading-comprehension-strategies-for-middle-schoolers/
Scholastic (n.d.) What is Guided Reading? Scholastic. Retrieved from
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/17-18/what-is-guided-reading/
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