Pekin PRIM Manual Table of Contents
For
Academic Interventions
Before you choose an intervention, check students’ understanding of classroom rules and procedures. Give
examples of appropriate procedures and behaviors.
ALL INTERVENTIONS INVOLVE INSTRUCTION
Organization/Generalizations/Memory………………………………………………………………………
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Is disorganized
Has difficulty understanding abstract concepts
Needs verbal questions and directions frequently repeated
Has difficulty concentrating
Fails to generalize knowledge from one situation to another
Fails to remember sequence
Classroom Performance………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Does not perform or complete classroom assignments during class time
Fails to complete homework assignments and return them to school
Performs classroom tests, quizzes or tasks at failing level
Does not prepare for assigned activities or daily routines
Does not remain on-task for the required length of time
Does not perform academically at his/her ability level
Does not read or follow written directions
Rushes through activities and assignments with little or no regard to accuracy, quality or neatness
Fails to make appropriate use of study time
Does not begin assignments after receiving directions, instructions, etc.
Does not complete assignments after receiving directions, instructions, etc.
Reading…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………......
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Does not comprehend what he/she reads
Fails to finish assignments because of reading difficulties
Fails to demonstrate word attack skills
Fails to recognize words on grade level/Vocabulary
Does not read independently
Has difficulty identifying the topic sentence and main idea when reading
Has difficulty finding supporting details when reading
Writing………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Performs assignments so carelessly as to be illegible
Fails to write when given space
Does not compose complete sentences or express complete thoughts when writing
Fails to correctly organize writing activities
Spelling………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Fails to use spelling rules
Omits, substitutes, adds or rearranges letters or sound units when spelling words
Math Calculations……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Has difficulty solving math word problems
Does not understand abstract math concepts without concrete examples
Fails to correctly solve math problems involve fractions or decimals
Cannot tell time
Does not remember math facts
Organization/Generalizations/Memory
Is disorganized
1. Assist the student in finding a method of
organization that works best for him/her
(e.g., subject folders, tabbed binder,
checklist, planner)
2. Make sure the student is not inadvertently
reinforced for losing materials. Provide the
student with used materials, copies of the
materials, etc. rather than new materials if
he/she fails to care for the materials in an
appropriate manner.
3. Have the student list five qualities of an
organized person. Have the student choose
one of those qualities to work on each week
for five weeks.
2. Label and list abstract concepts
throughout the classroom (e.g., compass
directions on the walls, etc.) to help the
student understand abstract concepts.
3. Use concrete examples when teaching
abstract concepts (e.g., numbers of objects
to convey “more than” “less than” rulers and
yardsticks to convey concepts or “height”
“width”, etc.)
Has difficulty understanding abstract concepts
1. Review daily abstract concepts which have
been previously introduced. Introduce new
abstract concepts only after the student has
mastery of those previously presented.
Things-To-Know-Wall
Needs verbal questions and directions frequently repeated
1. Teach active listening skills (e.g., stop
working, clear desk of nonessential
materials, attend to the source of
information, write down important points,
ask for clarification, and wait until all
directions are received before beginning)
2. Evaluate the appropriateness of requiring
the student to respond to verbal questions
and directions without needing repetition.
3. Have the student verbally repeat or
paraphrase the directions to the teacher.
Stop at various points during the lesson
explanation of directions or instructions to
check the student’s comprehension of the
information given.
2. Match the assignments with the student’s
ability level
3. Set a timer for the student indicating a
limited amount of time to finish a task or
assignment.
Has difficulty concentrating
1. Model and teach student how to highlight
or underline important information the
student read (e.g., directions, reading
assignments, math word problems, etc.)
Assess and Assign Differentiation
Visual TImers
Fails to generalize knowledge from one situation to another
1. Make the subject matter meaningful to
the student (e.g., explain the purpose of an
assignment, relate the subject matter to the
student’s environment, etc.)
Unit Organizer
2. Ask the students to help in making lists of
some categories which fit inside larger
categories (e.g., science vocabulary)
3. When the student is required to generalize
knowledge from one situation to another,
provide visual and/or auditory cues to help
him/her remember information previously
presented (e.g., provide key words, expose
parts of the picture)
Fails to remember sequence
1. Establish a timeline for completing a
project. Expect the student to meet each
deadline to complete the project on time.
2. Write down verbal directions. Cross each
step off as it is completed.
3. Help the student employ memory aids.
Teach and practice different strategies to
remember steps in a task: repetition,
mnemonic, acronyms and association.
Classroom Performance
Does not perform or complete classroom assignments during class time
1. Complete the first few items of an
assignment or task with the student to serve
as a model and start the student on the
assignment or task.
2. Set time limits for completing classroom
assignments so that the student know
exactly how long he/she has to work and
when to be finished. Encourage the student
to be aware of time constraints when
working on projects.
3. Have the student schedule his/her won
time for assignments or tasks in order to
pace himself/herself. Teach the student
organizational and task completion skills
(e.g., begin with a clean bookbag/locker,
collect and organize all necessary materials,
follow examples provided)
Fails to complete homework assignments and return them to school
1. Chart homework assignments after
completed.
ChartDog
2. Evaluate the appropriateness of the
homework assignment to determine (a) if the
task is too easy, (b) if the task is too difficult,
and (c) if the length of time scheduled to
complete the task is adequate.
3. Encourage the student to follow a less
desirable task with a more desirable task.
Make completion of the first necessary to
perform the second.
Creative Choice Differentiation
Performs classroom tests, quizzes or tasks at failing level
1. Teach, model and encourage the student
to practice basic study skills (e.g., reading for
the main idea, note taking summarizing,
highlighting, studying in an appropriate
environment, using time wisely, etc.) before
taking tests or quizzes.
2. Arrange time for the student to study with
a peer tutor before taking tests and quizzes.
3. Progress monitor student performance to
detect errors and determine where learning
problems exist.
Does not prepare for assigned activities or daily routines
1. Make certain that homework is designed
to provide drill activities for mastered
material rather than introducing new
information.
2. Have the student anticipate future
tasks/assignments and develop plans for
addressing them. Have the student develop a
checklist or chart to follow which will allow
him/her to self-monitor all assignments.
Chartdog
3. Indentify resource personnel form whom
the student may receive additional
assistance (e.g., media specialist, special
education case manager, other personnel
with expertise or time to help)
Does not remain on-task for the required length of time
1. Allow the student some movement while
performing tasks. Monitor and limit the
amount of movement.
2. Teach the student appropriate ways to
respond to visual and auditory stimuli in the
classroom (e.g., moving to another part of
the room, asking others to be quiet, etc.)
3. Use multiple modalities to accommodate
more than one learning style (e.g., visual,
auditory, tactile, etc.) when presenting
directions/instructions, explanations and
instructional content.
Does not perform academically at his/her ability level
1. Provide the student with a variety of
assignments. Require him/her to select a
minimum number from the total amount to
complete (e.g., present the student with ten
academic tasks from which he/she must
complete six that day)
2. Do not grade every assignment completed
by the student. Assignments may be used to
evaluate student ability or knowledge and
provide feedback. Grades may not need to
be assigned until mastery/minimal accuracy
has been attained.
3. Provide adequate repetition/drill of
concepts/skills to help the student achieve
minimal accuracy on assignments (i.e.,
require mastery/minimal accuracy before
moving to the next skill level)
2. Speak to the student to explain (a) what
he/she is doing wrong and (b) what he/she
should be doing. Work to replace the
negative behavior.
3. Use vocabulary that is within the student’s
level of comprehension when delivering
directions, explanations and information.
Does not read or follow written directions
1. Make certain that directions are given at a
level at which the student can be successful
(e.g., two-step or three-step directions
should not be given to students who can only
successfully follow one-step directions)
Rushes through activities and assignments with little or no regard to accuracy, quality or neatness
1. Provide the student with clearly stated
criteria for acceptable work and provide the
student with an appropriate model of work
(e.g., other students’ work, teacher samples,
commercial samples)
2. Provide student with functional writing
opportunities (e.g., job application forms,
reinforce survey, order forms, check writing,
etc.)
3. Establish levels of expectations for quality
handwriting performance, and require the
student to correct or repeat assignments
until the expectations are met.
Fails to make appropriate use of study time
1. Encourage the student to reward
himself/herself (e.g., take a ten minute
break, speak briefly with a relative, call a
friend, etc.) for completing an assignment
within the amount of time allocated.
2. Provide study guides with questions
presented in sequential order to facilitate
attention to the reading material present in
the student’s textbook (e.g., American
History, Biology, Health, etc.)
3. Teach the student time management skills.
Have the student make a daily plan using
their planner and follow it. Encourage the
student to avoid becoming distracted by
events, impulses and moods.
Does not begin assignments after receiving directions, instructions, etc.
1. Evaluate the appropriateness of the task
to determine if the task is too easy or too
difficult and assess the quality and clarity of
directions, explanations and instructions
given to the student.
2. Along with a directive, provide an
incentive statement (e.g., “When you begin
your work, I will come around to see if you
have any questions.” Etc.)
3. Provide the student with self-checking
materials so that he/she may check work
privately, reducing the fear of public failure.
Does not complete assignments after receiving directions, instructions, etc.
1. Specify exactly what is to be done for the
completion of the task (e.g., indicate definite
starting and stopping points, indicate a
minimum requirement, grading rubric, etc.)
2. Provide the student with a certain number
of problems to do on an assignment,
requiring the student to choose a minimum
number from the total (e.g., present the
student with ten grammar questions from
which six must be completed)
3. Speak with the student to explain (a) what
the student is doing wrong and (b) what the
student should be doing (e.g., listening to
directions, asking for clarification, taking
notes, following one step at a time, etc.)
Reading
Does not comprehend what he/she reads
1. Teach the student to draw from personal
learning experiences to facilitate
comprehension of reading materials. Provide
a variety of learning experiences and reading
materials at school to expand the student’s
background of knowledge.
2. Make certain the student is reading
material in his/her ability level. If not, modify
or adjust reading material to the student’s
ability level.
3. Determine whether or not the student can
make inferences, predictions, determine
cause-effect relationships etc. in everyday
experiences. Teach these skills in contexts
that are meaningful to the student to
facilitate the ability to employ these
concepts when reading.
Fails to finish assignments because of reading difficulties
1. Use a sight word vocabulary approach to
teach the student key words (e.g., “circle”
“underline” “match” “inference” etc.) and
phrases when reading directions and
instructions.
2. Make certain that the students’ knowledge
of a particular skill is being assessed rather
than the student’s ability to read directions,
instructions and content.
3. Make the subject matter meaningful to
the student (e.g., explain the purpose of an
assignment, relate the subject matter to the
student’s environment, etc.)
2. Have the student memorize work
meanings and practice spotting the most
common prefixes and suffixes. Use a sheet of
paper with a window cut in it, target the base
word.
3. Introduce new chapter words and their
meanings to the student before hi/she reads
new material. These may be entered in a
vocabulary notebook kept by the student as
a reference for new vocabulary words.
Fails to demonstrate word attack skills
1. Avoid placing the student in
uncomfortable reading situations, (e.g.,
reading aloud to the group, identifying that
the student’s group is the lowest level, etc.)
Fails to recognize words on grade level
1. Have the student identify a word of the
day that he/she does not understand from
the readings. Have the student define the
word and require him/her to use that word
throughout the day in various parts of the
lesson.
2.Teach the student to look for and mark
vocabulary words in italics, boldface,
headings and captions.
3. Anticipate new vocabulary words and
teach them in advance of reading the next
chapter.
Does not read independently
1. Have the student be a peer tutor to teach
younger students reading or to read orally to
younger students.
2. Assist the student in finding reading
materials which fit his/her interests ad
reading level. The student may not be
comfortable or able to find books by
himself/herself that are appropriate in the
library.
3. While teaching a unit in a content area,
bring in related fiction or nonfiction books to
share with your students to spark interest in
reading.
Has difficulty identifying the topic sentence and main idea when reading
1. Teach the student that the topic sentence
or main idea can be determined by choosing
the one sentence in the paragraph that
makes sense when it stands alone (e.g., in
the process of elimination, isolate each
sentence and decide if it tells what the whole
paragraph is about)
2. Have the student employ the “satellite
system” to identify the main idea of the
paragraph. The student should choose the
one word or phrase around which the entire
paragraph is built. Then the student should
name the other details that describe that
word or phrase. This allows the student to
focus on the subject in order to spot the
main idea.
Has difficulty finding supporting details when reading
3. Evaluate the appropriateness of the task
to determine (a) if the task is too difficult and
(b) if the length of time scheduled to
complete the task is adequate.
1. Teach the student mapping techniques to
identify supporting details.
2. Provide practice in identifying the
supporting details by using a computer
software program that gives the student
immediate feedback.
3. Give the student time to read a selection
more than once, emphasizing
comprehension rather than speed.
2. Provide the student with ample
opportunity to master handwriting skills
(e.g., instruction in letter positioning,
direction, spacing, cursive formation, etc.)
3. Make certain that all educators who work
with the student maintain consistent
expectations of handwriting quality.
Writing
Performs assignments so carelessly as to be illegible
1. Provide the student with clearly stated
criteria for acceptable work. And provide the
student with samples of work to serve as
models for acceptable quality (e.g., the
student to match that quality of work before
turning in the assignment)
Handwriting Without Tears
Fails to write when given space
1. Check the student’s paper position. A
right-handed person writing in cursive should
tilt the paper to the left so the lower lefthand corner points toward the person’s
midsection and as writing progresses, the
paper should shift, not the writing arm.
2. Have the student look at correctly written
material to serve as a model for him/her to
imitate.
3. Have the student correct his/her own
writing errors.
2. Have the student keep a list of basic rules
of punctuation at his/her desk to use as a
reference when writing (e.g., use a period at
the end of a sentence, etc.)
3. Use a newspaper to locate different types
of punctuation. Have the student circle
periods in red, commas in blue, etc.
Fails to punctuate correctly when writing
1. Display a chart of punctuation rules in the
front of the classroom. Refer to the poster
during lessons and model appropriate
punctuation through charts and overheads
for student reference during all creating
writing activities.
Does not compose complete sentences or express complete thoughts when writing
1. Assess whether or not the student uses
complete sentences or expresses complete
thoughts when speaking. Proficiency in
spoken language typically precedes and
influences the type of language used in
written work.
2. Give the student a group of related words
(e.g., author, read, love, best-seller, etc.) and
have him/her make up a paragraph including
all the words. Emphasize the use of complete
sentences or thoughts in legible handwriting.
3. Provide a multitude of writing
opportunities for the student to practice
expressing complete sentences and thoughts
in legible handwriting (e.g., writing letters to
sports and entertainment figures, relatives or
friends; writing for free information on a
topic in which the student is interested.)
2. Have the student write step-by-step
directions (e.g., steps in making a pizza) so
he/she can practice sequencing events.
3. Provide the student with a paragraph in
which a statement does not belong. Have the
student find the inappropriate statement.
Fails to correctly organize writing activities
1. Have the student read his/her own written
work aloud to help him/her identify errors in
organization.
Spelling
Fails to use spelling rules
1. Have the student start a personal
dictionary in their planner of misspelled
words at his/her desk. Require him/her to
check the spelling of all words he/she is not
certain are spelled correctly.
2. Teach the student why he/she is learning
spelling rules (e.g., provide the student with
a concrete example of how each word can be
used in his/her life.)
3. Use wall charts showing word ending (e.g.,
-ed, -ing, -ly, -er, etc.) and sample words for
the student to use as a reference when
writing.
Omits, substitutes, adds or rearranges letters or sound units when spelling words
1. Identify those words the student misspells
by omitting, substitution, adding or
rearranging letters or sound units.
2. Make certain the student correctly hears
those letters or sound units omitted,
substituted, added or rearranged when
spelling words. Have the student say the
words aloud to determine if the student is
aware of the letters or sound units in the
words.
3. Reduce the emphasis on competition.
Competition activities may cause the student
to hurry and misspell words. Graph spelling
results.
2. Teach the student to convert words into
their numerical equivalents to solve word
problems (e.g., two weeks=14 days, onethird=1/3, one year = 12 months, etc.)
3. Reduce the number of problems assigned
to the student at one time (e.g., 5 problems
instead of 10)
Math Calculations
Has difficulty solving math word problems
1. Discuss words and phrases which usually
indicate a subtraction operation (e.g.,
difference between, from, left, how many,
how much) Provide the student with a list of
those words and phrases.
Does not understand abstract math concepts without concrete examples
1. Use ACT College and Career Readiness
Standards to evaluate the appropriateness of
having the student learn abstract concepts at
this time (i.e., is it too difficult for the
student?)
2. Do not require the student to learn more
information than he/she is capable of
learning at any time.
3. Review daily previously introduced
abstract concepts. Introduce new abstract
concepts only after the student has mastery
of those concepts previously presented.
MAC lab Tutoring Sessions
Fails to correctly solve math problems involve fractions or decimals
1. Develop a reference sheet in the student’s
planner for fractions and decimals for the
student to keep at his/her desk.
2. Provide the student with manipulatives
which represent the fractions involved in
solving a problem
3. Work the first few problems of the math
assignment with the student to make certain
that he/she understands/follows the
directions and the operations necessary to
solve the problems.
Cannot tell time
1. Make certain the student understands the
terms used in telling time (e.g., “a quarter
‘til,” “half past,” “ten ‘til,” “a quarter after,”
etc.
2. Have the student recognize when events
occur in the daily schedule (e.g., lunch, first
hour, sixth hour, etc.)
3. Make certain the student knows why
he/she is learning to tell time. Provide the
student with concrete examples and
opportunities to apply those concepts in reallife situations.
Does not remember math facts
1. Separate the basic additions and
subtraction facts into “sets.” Require the
student to memorize each set in succession.
RocketMath/DragonMath
2. Choose a peer to drill the student each day
on math facts (e.g., flash cards).
3. Review daily those skills, concepts, tasks,
etc. which have been previously introduced.