Assisting older students to read expositorytext in a tutorial setting: A case for a high-impact intervention

Students who experience literacy difficulties beyond the primary grades are challenged across the curriculum. These struggling learners deserve immediate and intentional assistance so that they are able to engage with the textual content of subjects offered in middle and high schools. In this article, a high-impact late intervention for older students with significant reading and writing difficulties is described. Rationales for decisions about the tutorial nature of the intervention, use of expository text, and the combined emphasis on reading and writing are provided. An overview of assessments for determining a starting place of instruction is described. Features of the professional development component for teachers are discussed. Effectiveness data are presented for two cohorts of students who were tutored by teachers in this research and development effort. The progress of the students is remarkable in light of the short period of tutoring. Further investigation and replication of this tutorial approach is warranted.