Read Naturally Encore: Adaptations

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Adaptations are alterations you can make to Encore II in order to use it effectively and efficiently with diverse groups of learners. You usually implement adaptations when the student first begins to work in Encore II, but adaptations may also be made after the student has been working in the program for a while. The following suggested adaptations may be beneficial to students in special situations.

ADAPTATIONS FOR AN OLDER STUDENT

Some simple adaptations may be helpful when working with older students or adults. Consider the following adaptations.

Read Along

Require the older student to read along fewer times. Most students need to read along three times in order to read all the words in the story correctly. However, older students or students in higher levels may need to read along only once or twice to learn unknown words.

Retelling

Teach the older student how to write a summary instead of a retelling. Have the student begin with a main idea statement followed by supporting details from the story. At first, the student may simply copy the main idea statement from the answer to the question #1 (main idea question). Eventually, ask the student to write a main idea statement in his or her own words.

Timings

Lengthen the practice and pass timings to whole-story or two-minute timings. Longer practice and pass timings can be beneficial for an older or more proficient reader.

• The student is more likely to answer the comprehension questions accurately because the student reads more of the story.
• The student also develops reading endurance, which is a critical skill.

However, timing for one minute is extremely important for motivation, so the cold timing should always remain a one-minute timing.

Note: A striving reader should continue using the one-minute timings on the practice and pass steps because the student will likely master new words more quickly using one-minute timings.

It is appropriate to use whole-story practice and pass timings with an older student in any level. You can use either two-minute or whole-story practice and pass timings with a student in Level 5.6 or above.

• If the student does the whole-story timing, continue with the one-minute timing goal and use Read Naturally's Words-Per-Minute Timer/Calculator.
• If the student does the two-minute timing, double the student’s one-minute timing goal, and use Read Naturally's Standard Electronic Timer.

Graphing

Direct the student to mark each entry on the graphs with a line, dot, or checkmark if coloring is inefficient or viewed as childish.

Glossary and Crossword

Focus on vocabulary development by teaching the student how to use the glossary. Printable black-and-white glossaries are available as free downloads.
Download printable glossaries 

Then have the student reinforce the vocabulary using the crossword puzzle that accompanies each story. The crossword puzzles are available as free downloads.
Download printable crossword puzzles

ADAPTATIONS FOR A YOUNGER STUDENT

Some simple adaptations may be helpful when working with younger students. Consider the following:

Writing

If writing takes too much time away from the act of reading, direct the student to either omit one or more of the following or to do them orally for you.

• Prediction step
• Retelling step
• Question #5

Graphing

If the student does not know how to mark a bar graph, teach the student where to draw a line on the graph to mark his or her score. Then, have the student color in the squares up to that line.

Phonics Word List

If the student cannot read the word list in one minute or makes many errors while reading it, require the student to listen to the word list track of the CD before practicing. This track includes a short phonics review lesson along with audio of the word list.

ADAPTATIONS FOR AN ELL STUDENT

The benefits of Encore II for English-language learners can be enhanced with simple adaptations. Consider the following:

Read Along

Direct a Spanish-speaking ELL student to listen to a Spanish translation of the story before doing the read-along step in English. Listening to the story first in Spanish helps the student develop an understanding of the story by building some background and vocabulary knowledge before continuing with the rest of the steps in English. Sequenced Levels 1.0 – 4.5 include audio of a Spanish translation for each story.

Write a Prediction/Retell the Story

Direct an ELL student to write a prediction or retell the information from the story orally rather than in writing. An oral prediction or retelling of the story provides the following opportunities to stretch a student’s English language skills:

• The student expresses ideas in spoken English.
• The student uses key words and other vocabulary from the story orally.
• You can define difficult words and explain misconceptions to the student.
• You and the student can have a short conversation about the story in English.
• You can assess the student’s ability to understand the key words or what he or she has read.

Series Options

Read Naturally has series that are especially beneficial for an ELL student. See the following sources for more information about the Encore Idioms and Español (Spanish) series.

• The Read Naturally Encore II Placement Packet.
• "Encore II Materials" in the Read Naturally Encore II Teacher's Manual.
• Read Naturally Encore II product page