What Is Leveled Literacy Intervention?
LLI is a short-term, small-group, supplementary intervention developed by Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell. LLI is designed to serve struggling readers in grades K-2, although some school districts may use the intervention with older students (see Table 1). LLI is built around the text reading gradient designed by Fountas and Pinnell; this system designates leveled texts from A (the easiest texts) to Z (the most difficult).
LLI is described as a system because it includes reading, writing, and word study, each used together and systematically across increasingly difficult levels of texts. Three LLI systems currently exist:
- Orange, recommended for Kindergarten, levels A to C;
- Green, recommended for Grade 1, levels A to J; and
- Blue, recommended for Grade 2, levels C to N.
The K-2 LLI systems are designed to provide 14 to 20 weeks of daily, intensive extra reading lessons (beyond classroom service) that result in accelerated progress with flexible decision making about student entry and exit. Students enrolled in LLI participate in daily (five times per week), 30-minute literacy lessons taught by an LLI trained teacher. The recommended group size is three students at a time with one teacher to allow for close observation and differentiated response to student strengths and needs. Because of restrictions or limited resources, some school districts may alter these requirements but the goal of 1:3 and 5 lessons per week is highly recommended for the strongest outcomes.
The objective of LLI is to help students reduce the gap between their current instructional reading level and their expected instructional reading level.
The intended term of the intervention ranges from about 14 to 18 weeks after which time the students are released if approximate grade level expectations are met. At the end of this time period, students who have made progress but do not yet meet expected instructional reading levels for grade and time are reevaluated. The evaluation may suggest more time in LLI lessons or an alternative intervention (such as individual tutoring). Students who have not received a full program of services and are in the intervention at the end of the school year may continue to receive service at the beginning of the next school year. Some students who are taken in to the intervention may have achievement levels more than a year below grade level. Though grade level performance may not be achieved in the short term, if resources allow for service to continue, steady progress may warrant longer term service.
LLI Teachers
Data were voluntarily reported on 52 LLI students taught by three special education teachers at High Prairie Elementary. The LLI systems were new to these teachers. Within the LLI Systems, lesson guides, professional development tutorials and DVD examples of lessons are provided. Two of the LLI teachers were trained in LLI through Heinemann and one teacher did not report the source of their LLI training. The teachers received 14.0 hours or approximately two days, on average, of LLI training (range: 12-15, SD = 1.7).
Student Characteristics
Data were submitted for 52 first through third grade students. Of the total group, 55.8% were male and 40.4% were female, 53.8% were White, 32.7% were Native American/Alaskan, 5.8% of the students’ ethnic background was reported as “other”, 3.8% were Asian/Pacific Island and 3.8% were Multi-Racial. In addition, 3.8% of the children were English Language Learners. Refer to Table 1 for a summary of the LLI student sample size by grade and refer to Table 2 for a summary of the student demographics.
Of the total group of LLI students, 5.8% (n = 3) had individualized education plans that mandated that they receive support for Reading and 3.8% (n = 2) of the LLI students had an IEP for other services which included support for behavior and math.