Supporting Reading Interventions

What paras need to know about Wilson, OG, LLI, Heggerty, SIPPS, and other structured programs

For paraprofessionals assigned to support or deliver reading interventions

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| The frameMany schools assign paras to deliver or assist with structured reading intervention programs. These programs work -- when they are delivered with fidelity. A para who does not understand the program's logic, pacing requirements, and error correction procedures is not just less effective -- they may be inadvertently undermining the very intervention the student needs. This brief surveys the major program types, explains what fidelity requires, and clarifies what paras can and cannot do independently. |

Why reading intervention programs are different

General reading support -- helping a student decode a word, re-read a sentence, use context clues -- is one thing. Delivering a structured reading intervention is another. Programs like Wilson Reading System, Orton-Gillingham, Leveled Literacy Intervention, Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Curriculum, and SIPPS (Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness, Phonics, and Sight Words) are research-based, sequenced, and tightly scripted. They are designed to be delivered in a specific way, in a specific order, with specific materials and specific error correction.

Understanding the program means understanding why each element exists -- not just what to do, but why doing it wrong undermines the outcome.

Major program types: what paras need to know

Orton-Gillingham (OG) and Wilson Reading System

OG is a multisensory, structured literacy approach for students with dyslexia. Wilson Reading System is one of the most widely used OG-based programs. Key features:

Lessons follow a consistent sequence: review previously learned phonics patterns before introducing new ones

Students learn to decode (read) and encode (spell) simultaneously

Multisensory techniques: students see, say, hear, and feel each sound/letter pattern

Error correction is explicit: the para models the correct response and the student repeats

Certification requirement: Wilson and fully-fledged OG delivery require specialized training. Paras generally should not be delivering Wilson as the primary interventionist without training. They can support a trained teacher by managing materials, recording data, or running review drills -- but the lesson design belongs to a certified practitioner.

Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI)

LLI, developed by Fountas and Pinnell, is a small-group intervention using leveled texts and a structured lesson routine. The lesson sequence: reading of familiar texts, word work, writing about reading, and introduction of a new text. Key features:

Each lesson is scripted in the teacher guide with specific language for introducing texts and prompting during reading

Running records are used to assess accuracy, fluency, and comprehension

Prompts are specific: prompt for meaning, structure, and visual information in a defined sequence

Para role: LLI can be delivered by trained paras in many schools, but training is required. If you are running LLI groups, you should have received formal training on the program. If you have not, raise this with your supervisor.

Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Curriculum

Heggerty is a daily phonemic awareness curriculum (working with sounds, not letters) typically used in PreK through first grade and with older students who have phonemic awareness deficits. Lessons are 10-15 minutes, scripted, and highly routine. Key features:

Eight phonemic awareness tasks per lesson, in sequence: rhyming, onset fluency, blending, segmenting, adding phonemes, deleting phonemes, substituting phonemes, and identifying phonemes

The teacher/para says a word or series of words; students respond orally or with hand gestures

Para role: Heggerty is routinized enough that trained paras can lead it with confidence. Know the hand gestures, know the correct sequence, and follow the script. Do not improvise the task order.

SIPPS (Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness, Phonics, and Sight Words)

SIPPS is a phonics-based intervention published by Developmental Studies Center. It has three levels (Beginning, Extension, Challenge) and follows a structured format with word reading, decodable text reading, and sight word practice. Key features:

Lessons are scripted with specific teacher/para language

Pacing is fast -- lessons are typically 20 minutes and should move at a brisk, engaging pace

Error correction is explicit: model the correct response, have the student repeat, then retest

Para role: SIPPS is designed to be deliverable by trained paras. Training is provided through the program materials and typically a professional development session. If you are running SIPPS, pacing and error correction are the two skills to focus on.

Other common programs

Paras may also encounter: Reading Mastery (a Direct Instruction program -- see Brief 04.19), Barton Reading and Spelling System (structured literacy with video-based training), RAVE-O (vocabulary and fluency focused), and various district-adopted core or supplemental programs. For any program you are asked to deliver, ask: Have I been trained on this? Do I have the manual? Do I know the error correction procedure?

What requires certification vs. what a para can deliver

A useful rule of thumb: the more individualized and diagnostic the program, the more specialized the provider needs to be. A general guide:

Requires specialist training (para should support, not lead)

Full Orton-Gillingham lessons designed for individual students

Wilson Reading System as a primary interventionist

Any program that requires ongoing diagnostic assessment to determine lesson sequence

Para can deliver with program-specific training

LLI (with program training)

SIPPS

Heggerty

Fluency practice sessions within most programs

Review drills, word card practice, decodable text re-reads

Data each program expects

Every intervention program includes a data collection system. Before you run a session, know:

What you are recording (accuracy per trial, fluency rate, error type, text level)

When you record it (during the session, at the end, or both)

Where it goes (who sees the data, how it is used to adjust instruction)

Data collected carelessly -- recording estimated rather than exact accuracy, skipping data on difficult sessions, not noting error patterns -- makes the intervention look effective when it may not be. Record honestly.

Scenario

The well-meaning deviation

A para is running a SIPPS Extension lesson with a small group. The lesson calls for students to decode a list of words, then read a decodable passage. One student is struggling with the word list and the para, not wanting the student to feel defeated, skips the word list and goes straight to the passage. The student performs better on the passage because the passage words are slightly easier. The data looks better. The teacher reviews it and wonders why the group is ready to move up a level. When the substitution is discovered, the team realizes two weeks of data are unreliable. The fix was not to skip the hard part but to follow the error correction procedure and note the pattern for the teacher.

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| Try this | Watch out for |

| Know which program you are delivering and whether you have received formal training for it | Delivering a program you have not been trained on and hoping the general approach is close enough |

| Follow the lesson script and sequence -- do not improvise the order of tasks | Skipping parts of the lesson that feel discouraging for the student -- the hard parts are often where the learning is |

| Use the program's error correction procedure, not a general one you prefer | Substituting your own prompts for the program's scripted language |

| Record data honestly, including sessions where the student struggled | Recording data that reflects your hope rather than what actually happened |

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| Bottom lineReading intervention programs are tools with instructions. Delivering them without training or without following those instructions does not mean you are helping -- it means you are running a different intervention that may or may not work. When in doubt, ask for training before you begin. |

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