Understand Six Types of Reading Profiles
Key Concepts
Become knowledgeable about reading profiles typically found in elementary school classrooms.
Universal screeners are very helpful in determining the general level of performance within a school, grade level, or classroom. It is important to realize that within each of these broad categories there will still exist a range of performance levels. Creating subgroups or “instructional profiles” will provide guidance on the type of instruction that will best match each student's literacy needs.
Error on the side of caution when working with “borderline” students.
Look beyond the raw numbers when analyzing reading performance for students whose scores fall just above a major classification category. Often these students do not consistently exhibit the skills expected of them and may have difficulty passing some in-program assessments. Students in these groups would most likely benefit from extra instruction.
Determine the profile of EL students individually.
English Learners can fit into any one of the profiles depending on individual characteristics of each student. In general, ELs will need extra language support, including explicit instruction dedicated to expressive and receptive vocabulary development, building background knowledge, and academic language.
Professional Development Presentation
- Part 1 (8:26)
As teachers well know, every classroom is composed of a wide range of learners. This presentation presents a framework flowchart of six instructional profiles, which can be viewed as more specific sub-groups of the typical three broad categories – Grade Level, Some Risk and High Risk learners. You will see how examining universal screening data in conjunction with additional data and observations, provides teachers with powerful information to provide targeted instruction to students with differing literacy needs.
Apply the Concepts
Practice Activities
1. Practice Identifying Student Profiles
Review and study the K-6 Instructional Profiles Flowchart handout. Then examine the data on each student from Student Scenarios handout. Work in teams to determine each student’s instructional profile.
Resources
1. More Information on Student Profiles
This resource provides an overview of the six major instructional profiles. Included is a flow chart depicting the decision-making process in assigning student profiles, a description of each instructional profile, and instructional notes matching each of the six profiles.
Links
1. IES Practice Guide - Assisting Students Struggling with Reading: Response to Intervention (RtI) and Multi-Tier Intervention in the Primary Grades
This guide developed by a panel of experts for the Institute of Education Sciences offers recommendations to help educators identify struggling readers and implement evidence-based strategies. Recommendations cover how to screen students for reading problems, design a multi-tier intervention program, adjust instruction to help struggling readers, and monitor student progress.
2. Differentiated Instruction for Reading
The Access Center is housed at the American Institutes for Research in Washington D.C. Its mission is to provide technical assistance that strengthens state and local capacity to help students with disabilities learn effectively in the general education curriculum. This particular site within The Access Center provides examples and general strategies for differentiated instruction in reading.
