What does an effective reading intervention aim to address?

An effective reading intervention aims primarily to address specific skill deficits that a student may be experiencing. This approach involves identifying the precise areas in which a student struggles, such as phonemic awareness, decoding skills, or vocabulary development. By focusing on these targeted deficits, interventions are designed to provide tailored support that meets the individual needs of the student, helping them to build the foundational skills necessary for reading.

When interventions concentrate on specific skill deficits, they allow for structured and systematic instruction, enabling students to make measurable progress in their reading abilities. The goal is to equip them with the skills they lack to reach grade-level proficiency and to foster greater confidence in their reading capabilities. This tailored approach is more effective than simply offering general enhancements or addressing broader comprehension issues, which may not resolve underlying problems that impede a student's reading development.