5 + 3 + ii + iii

In order to achieve Florida's goal of having every child reading at or above grade level by the year 2012, the reading block should include all elements of the formula during an uninterrupted block of time that is at least 90 minutes in length:

Five components of reading:

• Phonemic Awareness
• Phonics
• Fluency
• Vocabulary and
• Comprehension

3 types of assessment:

• Screening
  
• Progress Monitoring
  
• Diagnostic

Initial Instruction

• Whole Group Instruction
  
• Differentiated Instruction

Immediate Intensive Intervention

• In addition to the 90 minutes

It is considered an interruption when students are pulled from instruction (either initial instruction or immediate intensive intervention). Examples of interruptions include:

• Lunch
• Special Area (art, music, P.E., media, etc.)
• ESE pull-out (during whole group or differentiated instruction)
• Mentoring (during whole group instruction)
• Trips to the library
• Counseling
• Recess
• ESOL pull-out
• Computer Lab pull-out
• School Assemblies

Schools using Success For All (SFA) or Scientific Research Associates (SRA) Reading Mastery Plus as a Comprehensive Core Curriculum Reading Program (CCRP) may move students to another classroom for the uninterrupted 90 minute reading block in order to implement the program as designed. Although students are grouped homogeneously, teachers are required to differentiate instruction (using small, flexible groups) within the 90 minute reading block. SFA and SRA Reading Mastery Plus are the only two core curricula being implemented in Florida Reading First schools with research-proven effective results based upon grouping students homogeneously for the reading block.

Research shows that reading and writing have a reciprocal relationship. Writing should be explicitly taught. It is expected that spelling, writing, and handwriting will be taught, but if the lesson does not pertain to one of the five components of reading, the lesson should be outside of the 90 minute block (i.e., outside of the reading portion of the language arts block). More specifically:

Spelling
• Yes - as an expansion of phonics instruction in letter-sound correspondences
• No - if words are not chosen as an extension of phonics instruction

Writing

• Yes - as expansion of spelling or comprehension
• No - an explicit lesson on the writing process

Handwriting

• Yes - as a part of CCRP (Comprehensive Core Reading Program) instruction
• No - as explicit, systematic letter formation instruction

Within:
As differentiated classroom intervention for those students with identified reading difficulties.

Outside:
For students that require time beyond differentiated intervention on specific targeted reading needs.

It is the clear intent of Reading First, and the philosophy of Just Read, Florida!, that all students, including special education students, receive instruction in reading that is appropriate to their needs.
In general, the most effective way to do this is by having ESE teachers serve students in their regular classroom. This means that if a student is in a pull out program, the ESE teacher will come to serve the child, instead of having the child leave his/her primary classroom.
However, there may be a small percentage of students with disabilities who have an individual educational plan (IEP) that describes special reading interventions that would be more appropriately delivered in the special education setting. (These may be students served in self contained ESE classes.) In those instances, the 90 minute block may be delivered in the special education classroom by the ESE teacher.
Instruction for ESE students needs to be focused at the appropriate level and with appropriate content, and students should receive instruction in reading that is more intensive, or extensive, than children who learn to read more easily. ESE students can profit from the instruction that is provided by the regular classroom teacher during the 90 minute block, but may also have additional instruction from the ESE teacher.
More specifically,

Can iii be delivered in the regular classroom by the ESE teacher?
Yes.

By the general education teacher?
Yes, if the classroom is organized in an effective way and the teacher can provide instruction at the appropriate level. If the student has an IEP requiring special interventions in reading, then the ESE teacher could provide additional instruction outside the 90 minute block that was coordinated with and consistent with the work of the regular classroom teacher.

Can iii be delivered in the ESE classroom by the ESE teacher?
Yes, if the local school personnel, taking into consideration the skills of all the teachers involved, think that this is the best solution. What we want to guard strongly against is a situation in which ESE students actually receive less instruction in reading than their peers because they are taken into an ESE classroom where their time is divided between content instruction, reading instruction, and math instruction in a way that actually reduces the amount of productive reading instruction they receive. This iii instruction, in most instances, should take place outside of the 90 minutes.

*We encourage schools and districts to involve as high a percentage of their special education students in the 90 minute reading instructional block as possible. In all cases, careful consideration should be given to the setting and the instructional personnel that would most effectively meet the students' needs for effective instruction in reading.

Role:
To serve as a resource for differentiated instruction and classroom intervention.

Responsibility:
To increase intensity of both classroom instruction and intervention.

• Assessment administration
  • Screening
  • Diagnosis
  • Progress monitoring
  • Outcome measures
• Data analysis
• Differentiating instruction
• Differentiating intervention
• Sharing common student reading goals

Roles
• Organize schedules between special area teachers and general education/ESE teachers in order to make at least a 90 minute block of uninterrupted time available to teachers.
• Organize schedules between general education teachers, special education teachers, resource teachers, trained paraprofessionals and ESOL teachers in order to maximize instructional density.
• Decipher when to say no in order to make reading a priority.
• Provide professional development opportunities for teachers and other staff to be thoroughly trained in the school adopted reading programs.
• Organize and make available all assessment materials.
• Appoint a trained person to give all diagnostic assessments.
• Provide all needed materials to teachers.
• Consider variables, such as a teacher's knowledge base and training in specialized reading instruction, time restrictions from lack of flexibility in scheduling, lack of coordination in instructional services, and setting and resolve on an individual basis.
• Be the instructional leader in the school

Responsibilities

To increase intensity of:
• Classroom instruction
• Differentiated instruction
• Intervention

Please see our example Elementary Reading Block