Running head: At-Risk and Struggling Readers 1
AtRisk and Struggling Readers
Grand Canyon University
SPD 580
, At-Risk and Struggling Readers 2
At-Risk and Struggling Readers
In the fall, Oakwood Elementary received transfer student Marius a third-grade child who
struggles with reading. He comes from a single parent home with strong ties, as well as a
relationship with father. Marius is a student who does well in math, the area if verbal vocabulary
and speaking.
Marius struggles with independent reading and is currently below grade-level. This led to
Marius receiving Tier 1 intervention per his previous school’s paperwork. Tier 1interventions in
reading were showing improvement through seven weeks of data. Marius’ Accidence Reading on
a third-grade level was measured three different times, at weeks 5, 6, and 7, at which times he
scored 22, 27, and 33 respectively. The seven-week benchmark is 30 with a criterion of 1.6.
Marius’ criterion was just below benchmark at 1.4.
The growth in reading shows that there is still room to grow for Marius, and that
continuing with Tier 1, and moving on to Tier 2 interventions due to his phonics diagnostic
assessment. While he is able to sound out both short vowel and CVC words, he struggles with
his CCVC words consisting of beginning blends which make it difficult to read at grade level.
Marius like other students who are being considered for tier instruction struggled with fluency
AtRisk and Struggling Readers
Grand Canyon University
SPD 580
, At-Risk and Struggling Readers 2
At-Risk and Struggling Readers
In the fall, Oakwood Elementary received transfer student Marius a third-grade child who
struggles with reading. He comes from a single parent home with strong ties, as well as a
relationship with father. Marius is a student who does well in math, the area if verbal vocabulary
and speaking.
Marius struggles with independent reading and is currently below grade-level. This led to
Marius receiving Tier 1 intervention per his previous school’s paperwork. Tier 1interventions in
reading were showing improvement through seven weeks of data. Marius’ Accidence Reading on
a third-grade level was measured three different times, at weeks 5, 6, and 7, at which times he
scored 22, 27, and 33 respectively. The seven-week benchmark is 30 with a criterion of 1.6.
Marius’ criterion was just below benchmark at 1.4.
The growth in reading shows that there is still room to grow for Marius, and that
continuing with Tier 1, and moving on to Tier 2 interventions due to his phonics diagnostic
assessment. While he is able to sound out both short vowel and CVC words, he struggles with
his CCVC words consisting of beginning blends which make it difficult to read at grade level.
Marius like other students who are being considered for tier instruction struggled with fluency
