Intervention Plan Report

Allison Ross, Brenna Chernich, Alyssa Gaus

Department of Early, Middle, and Exceptional Education
SPED 311
Dr. Jason Davis
Winter 2023
 Intervention Plan Report

Julia is a fourth-grade student at Hogwarts Elementary School. This is her first year at

Hogwarts since she moved away from the West coast. At Julia's previous school she participated

in running, dancing, and gymnastics where she earned many first-place medals. Throughout

Julia's time running, she tends to put herself down when she fails and often uses the word

“stupid” to describe herself. Julia is now a competitive gymnast who spends twelve hours a week

at the gym and is extremely creative when finding ways to keep herself occupied. When Julia is

with her friends, she enjoys outdoor activities such as catching crawfish in a creek. It has been

tough for Julia to keep up with her peers because she has moved around so many times.

Hogwarts is her third school since kindergarten and the latest transition has not been easy.

Despite Julia’s efforts to be social, she has yet to form any strong friendships.

In reading, Juila has strengths as well as areas of need. Reading is an academic difficulty

for Julia because it has been made aware through her report card, Great Minds, Main Idea/

Multiple Choice, reading composition, Spelling, and the BRI that these are the main concerns.

According to these assessments, she does not take time to double-check her work which leads to

spelling errors. When asked to identify the main ideas of paragraphs, Julia knew to skim the

article but did not always synthesize all the information into one main idea. This could be due to

not reading the whole text in depth. She also did not underline the supporting details which were

part of the directions. Another difficulty is reading the text thoroughly and remembering to read

the directions that are given. In an assignment where she was given open-ended questions

regarding a reading passage, Julia attempted to answer each question but did not do so in

complete sentences or using much detail. She understood some general information but gave

vague details, such as “poison” instead of “spitting poison into his drinking horn” for question
four. On a spelling worksheet, Julia did very well copying the words over. When it came to

writing the words without a reference to its spelling, she did not attempt five of the words on the

back page, and she recognized some of the big sounds such as “pi” and “ch” in “pitch'' but did

not add the “t” in the word. This occurred in many spelling words. Some of her teachers have

also noted that most of her disruptive behavior occurs during reading instruction and that she

sometimes becomes frustrated when reading is required.

In math, Julia shows great strength in creativity, measuring, and graphs. Her difficulties

in math stem from rechecking herself for accuracy. She understands the strategy of carrying

numbers. In problem eight her error was most likely due to mistaking 7x4 as 32 instead of 28.

When asked to solve 36x3, she answered with 36. Her error was likely due to adding 3 and 3

instead of multiplying them. When administered the Mammoth Math Assessment, an end of the

year test for grade 3, Julia showed strength in reading graphs and measuring. Some areas of need

for her were addition, subtraction, fractions, geometry, money, multiplication, and division.

The Child Study Team convened to discuss strategies to support Julia after noticing her

falling behind in reading. They decided to administer the Basic Reading Inventory (BRI) and

collect math samples to gauge where Julia was at, and they began to implement Buddy Reading.

The BRI shows that Julia is at a third-grade instructional level and her math teacher has noticed

she is struggling to grasp the new material. The Student Study Team then reconvened to discuss

these results and her lack of progress. The team would like to move to RTI Level 2 for both

reading and math to support Julia’s learning.

Based on the areas of strength and need Julia demonstrates in her observations and

assessments, Peer Assisted Learning Strategies and visual representation serve as the next best

steps to maximize Julia’s learning potential. An intervention will be placed that is called The
Peer Assisted Learning Strategies For Reading. This is an evidence-based practice where higher

and lower readers are paired to help each other when reading. This will improve reading

performance and serves as a tier-one reading instructional strategy. Visual representation helps

students develop a deeper and more concrete understanding of the problems that they are

working with. In math, this strategy will allow students to see an accurate picture of the problem

and the relationships and quantities within it.

Reading Intervention
Over the first quarter, Julia has shown great strength in collaborative and social skills.

She demonstrates the need in reading comprehension, staying on task, and following task

sequences. Based on Julia's results on the Basic Reading Inventory (BRI), her strengths, and

needs, the intervention of the Peer Assisted Learning Strategy for reading (PALS-R or PALS)

holds potential to support her needs.

Intervention

The Peer Assisted Learning Strategies for Reading (PALS-R or PALS) Intervention is an

evidence-based practice designed for students from second to sixth grades to complement the

reading curriculum. PALS incorporates research-based interventions of peer mediated

instruction, by pairing higher and lower performing readers to coach one another in peer reading.

The PALS approach addresses many academic needs such as improving reading performance,

serving as a tier 1 instructional strategy, and stenting fluency and comprehension skills.

Students are placed in pairs of a higher performing reader and a lower performing reader,

identified by the teacher. The PALS program recommends mixing up the groups after a few

weeks to engage in more student interaction and collaboration. All types of students can benefit

from PALS. IRIS Center states the PALS intervention can enhance reading instruction for
students who are identified in groups such as English learners (ELs), low-performing students

without learning disabilities, average-achieving readers, and students with learning disabilities.

According to Vanderbilt University, PALS classrooms outperformed the non-PALS classrooms

in a study of over 100 Nashville, Minneapolis, and South Texas classrooms. Within this study

the increase in scores on word indication test, reading mastery test, comprehensive assessment,

and minute fluency were measured.

The PALS Reading strategy is implemented in 3-4 consistent 35-minute sessions weekly

over the span of 17 weeks. The sessions are comprised of three activities; Partner Reading with

Retell, Paragraph Shrinking, and Prediction Relay. Throughout the sessions, students are

provided with 10 minutes for each activity to complete the assigned reading and answer the

associated questions. Each activity begins with the lower performing reader acting as the coach

rating the higher performing readers performance, followed by switching roles after 5 minutes.

This allows for modeling of proper reading skills from the higher performing reader to the lower

performing reader. The shared text is selected to be of the reading level based on the less

advanced reader to ensure students ability to complete the tasks.

The Partner Reading with Retell activity involves 5-minute interval reading of the

selected text with the addition of prompted questions to obtain the students recollection of facts

from the story and sequencing. As students answer the questions correctly, they are able to gain

points for their reading and retell. The second activity, Paragraph Shrinking, prompts the

students to read for another 5 minutes each and then identify the main ideas from the story such

as characters in less than 10 words. This strategy incorporates critical thinking where students

analyze the information they learn from the text and summarize these ideas. Students are also

able to gain points for correct answers in this category. Finally, Prediction Relay has the students
predict what will happen before they read and then verify if their prediction was correct or

incorrect after reading. Identification of context clues will allow for students to have more

correct predictions.

The teacher must be knowledgeable of the PALS strategy and the implementation, along

with the students being trained in how to serve as the coach for their peers. The role of the coach

is to monitor the student's reading and give feedback when they commit an error. The training

provided to students occurs in the first 12 sessions, held three days a week for four weeks. In

these sessions, the teachers will slowly introduce the strategies of each of the three PALS

activities to the students. Teachers may also elect to allow students chances to practice each

Partner Reading with Retell, Paragraph Shrinking, and Prediction Relay independently prior to

completing them all in one session.

The strategy is highly motivational for students as it can incorporate class-wide

competition. Teachers select pairs of students to being in either the red or the green group,

attempting to make the teams even in strength. Students remain engaged with the PALS strategy

as students gain points during each of the PALS activities and through good classroom behavior.

Addressing Student Needs  

The evidence-based practice of PALS plays to Julia’s strengths and will address her areas

of need. According to Julia’s 4th grade report card she shows areas of strength in her

participation in physical education class and is highly involved in social activities. The PALS

program is very collaborative and includes peer interaction, with this it is hopeful that Julia will

be actively engaged within the program and find more joy in reading. Julia is also involved in
gymnastics and enjoys competition, so the red and green team competition between the classes

could also serve as another attempt to engage her within staying focused in her reading. 

One of his greatest areas of needs is reading comprehension and fluent reading, in her

fourth-grade report card she was rated low in her comprehension of grade level literature and

text. Also, within the Main Idea work sample, Julia clearly knew how to skim the article, but did

not always synthesize all the information into one main idea. This could be due to not reading the

whole text in depth. The theme of reading the text thoroughly demonstrates an area of need for

Julia. The PALS program can be used to engage Julia through her enjoyment of interaction with

peers to focus more on the content of the piece. With her peer acting as her coach, she may

benefit greatly in the areas of comprehension and fluency. 

Julia also shows strength in grasping the big details from the text. According to the

reading comprehension work sample Julia was able to identify many of the key ideas from the

story but struggled in reading the whole text carefully for small details. Also, in Julia's BRI

assessment, she was also able to identify many key features of the 2nd and 3rd grade stories to

demonstrate her comprehension of lower-level text though struggled more with grade level text.  

Math Intervention
Over the first quarter, Julia has shown strengths in the areas of creativity, measuring, and

graphs. She demonstrates the need in some algebraic and geometric areas of mathematics. Based

on the findings in Julia’s assessments and observations, visual representation should be

implemented in her mathematics instruction.

Intervention
Visual representation is an evidence-based practice used in mathematics to give students

a concrete representation of abstract problems. This strategy allows students to see an accurate

depiction of the problem and the relationships and quantities within it. This tool is often used in
early grades when first teaching mathematical concepts and facts, however, its importance

becomes under- stressed as students progress, and students often stop using it when they have not

received instruction on how to accurately create and use them. Visual representations can come

in many forms. They can be graphs, pictures, graphic organizers, number lines, strip diagrams,

manipulatives, and anything else that allows the student to accurately visualize the problem and

all its parts. When trying to teach students equivalent fractions the teacher could present two

circles of the same size. One circle would be partitioned into four parts with two sections shaded

in. The other circle would be partitioned into two parts with one section shaded in. This allows

students to see that two-fourths- and one-half are equal since the same amount is shaded in each

circle. Otherwise, they may think two-fourths is larger since there are more pieces shaded in.

Another example is number lines. Students can count from one number to another to find the

difference between them. These are just two of the many helpful strategies that can be used.

Teachers must be familiar, knowledgeable, and comfortable with visual representations

as they must explicitly teach students how to effectively create and use them. Research suggests

there is more success when students are told which type of visual to use rather than selecting one

themselves. With time, practice, and explicit instruction, students will eventually be able to

implement this strategy individually.

Visual representation can be beneficial for any student at any skill level. A 2015 study by

Edith Debrenti found promising results. In her research, she found that student involvement

when using visual representations was higher than when visual representations were not being

used. The students using cards also spent more time on the problem, showing that motivation,

enthusiasm, and focused attention was more prominent in the group using visual representations.

IRIS Center states that students who accurately used visual representations were six times more
likely to correctly solve the problem than those who did not use this strategy. This evidence-

based practice can be incredibly beneficial for students with disabilities and English Language

Learners as it allows them to concretely see a problem that they may otherwise find abstract or

incomprehensible.

Addressing Student Needs

The evidence-based practice of visual representation plays to Julia’s strengths and will

address her areas of need. On Julia’s observation from September 10th, it is noted that she drew

for her group project, was very engaged during this activity, and demonstrated pride in her work.

Her Quarter One Report Card notes that she enjoys creative writing. As shown in these reports,

Julia is a highly creative and artistic student, and she would enjoy and be motivated to create

visual representations which would benefit her in mathematics. Two of Julia’s strongest areas on

the Mammoth Assessment, which assesses skills and concepts taught in the third grade, were

graphs and measuring, scoring 100% and 83% respectively. These are areas where what was

being asked was very concrete and Julia could visualize what she was trying to solve. Since Julia

did well on these problems, the team recommends the implementation of visual representations

as they would help Julia see an accurate, concrete representation of abstract problems where

visuals were not provided.

On the Mammoth Assessment and Quarter One Report Card, some of Julia’s areas of

need were addition, subtraction, fractions, geometry, money, multiplication, and division. Visual

representations would be incredibly helpful in these areas. In many of these problem types, only

an expression or question is given without any visual representing what is being asked or how to

solve it. Teaching Julia visual representations that correspond to these types of problems would

increase her understanding of how to solve it and engage her as she is very creative-minded.
 Here are examples of how visual representations can increase Julia’s understanding of

mathematical concepts. A graphic organizer that reminds Julia of the formulas for area and

perimeter can be used in geometry as she did not give answers to the area questions throughout

the Mammoth Assessment, suggesting that she may not know how to find area. Strip diagrams

can be used to help Julia compare fractions and identify equivalent fractions. Pictures and

number lines would be helpful in addition and subtraction as allow her to count up, count back,

or count the number of total objects when added to or taken from. Columns and rows with circles

can be used to multiply and divide. For example, if 8x3 is the given expression, Julia can draw 8

columns and 3 rows of circles and then count them to find the correct product. If 21÷3 is given,

Julia can make 3 columns and evenly distribute circles beneath those columns until she has

drawn 21 circles. Then, she can count the number of rows she drew to find the correct answer.

Visual representation is a great tool for all students of all abilities, demonstrating success

in many studies. Julia has shown strengths in the areas of creativity, measuring, and graphs, and

she demonstrates needs in the areas of addition, subtraction, fractions, geometry, money,

multiplication, and division. Based on her assessments, observations, and report card, visual

representation would be a beneficial implementation for Julia during each session of

mathematical instruction. A curriculum-based measurement should occur at least once a week,

and its usefulness should be reevaluated in six weeks using the collected data.
 Citations

Reading
Kearns, D. (n.d.). Peer Assisted Learning Strategies: An Overview of a Scientifically-Researched
Educational Program Developed at Vanderbilt University. oregonreadingfirst.uoregon.edu.
Retrieved December 26, 2022, from
http://oregonreadingfirst.uoregon.edu/downloads/brown_bags/brown_bag_3_19_10_pals.p
df

Vanderbilt University. (n.d.). Pals: A reading strategy for grades 2–6. IRIS Center. Retrieved
December 28, 2022, from https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/pals26/#content

Math
Vanderbilt University. (n.d.). High-quality mathematics instruction: What teachers should know.
IRIS Center. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from
https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/math/#content

Wong, J. (2022, June 9). Best practices for teaching math to unique learners: Visual
representations. n2y. Retrieved December 26, 2022, from https://www.n2y.com/blog/best-
practices-teaching-math-visual-representations/
 Rubric (40 pts)
1-6 7-8 9-10
Introduction The intro is The intro is missing one or The introduction provides
missing two key elements
 details of who Julia is
multiple key
 strengths and
elements
concerns
 Interventions
attempted
 A clear purpose

Reading The The intervention description The intervention selected is

Intervention intervention is missing one or more of the appropriate for the student, is
description is following: clearly explained, and
missing many missing no required
 Appropriate for the
key elements components
student
 Unclear in
explanation
 Missing a required
element
Math The The intervention description The intervention selected is
Intervention intervention is missing one or more of the appropriate for the student, is
description is following: clearly explained, and
missing many missing no required
 Appropriate for the
key elements components
student
 Unclear in
explanation
 Missing a required element

Writing The paper has many The paper has a few minor The report uses
Conventions errors in APA errors in APA format, appropriate APA
format, organization, and grammar. formatting, is well
organization, and organized, and is
grammar. without grammatical
error

_________/ 40