40-60 mins
Struggling readers
Soar to Success: Reading is an intensive reading intervention program that uses literature, strategies, and graphic organizers to accelerate reading growth. The program offers fast- paced lessons, consistent routines, and focuses on foundational skills and reading strategies through a balance of weekly fiction and nonfiction trade books.
Beginning in kindergarten, phonics, phonemic awareness, and fluency are taught and reinforced through a variety of teaching methods appropriate for children experiencing difficulty with reading. The program uses twenty-six stories with characters designating the letters of the alphabet (Alphafriends) to teach letter/sound correspondence. Assessment is built into the program through a variety of opportunities for monitoring progress.
In Grades 1-2, there are 60 decodable stories in 30 books at each level. Each book contains one fiction and one nonfiction text designed to reinforce phonics skills and high-frequency words. There is a total of 28 weeks of instruction at each grade level. There is a consumable student guide to practice the skills taught during the week. In addition, consumable letter cards, word cards, picture cards, manipulatives, and sound spelling cards support all primary instruction.
Soar to Success for Grades 3–6 includes 28 selections used to reinforce phonics and build critical comprehension skills, strategies, and fluency. Each Soar to Success kit contains seven copies of each title supported by explicit, color-coded teaching plans. Graphic organizer charts are provided to reinforce and expand critical comprehension strategies. A Soar to Success Student Guide is also included. This guide features graphic organizers, support reading pages, reflect/respond pages, and strategy prompts.
Anderson, P.F. (2002). A review of reading intervention programs and implementation of the Soar to Success Reading Intervention Program (Level 5). M.A. dissertation, Caldwell College
Online and onsite professional development is provided with part of any Soar to Success purchase. Houghton Mifflin–trained staff will provide any requested professional development, with an emphasis on best practices for struggling readers.