Closing the Upper-Grade Reading Gap Florida Districts are Seeing in NAEP Data
RGR helps Florida schools deliver explicit, systematic, Science of Reading-aligned intervention for students who need targeted support in phonological awareness, phonics, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. RGR is approved for Florida’s K–3 ELA Intervention List and offers intervention pathways for elementary, upper elementary, and adolescent learners.
RGR has been approved for inclusion on the Florida Department of Education’s State Examined and Approved List of K–3 ELA Intervention Programs for Grades 1–3. For Florida schools navigating reading plans, intervention decisions, and evidence-based instruction requirements, this gives leaders a vetted pathway for supporting students who need more explicit foundational literacy instruction.
Explicit, systematic instruction aligned to foundational literacy.
Designed to support Florida reading expectations and implementation needs.
Provides targeted literacy support for students needing additional instruction.
In an independent study of 1,181 K-2 students across five Florida schools, kindergarten students using RGR moved from the 50th to the 72nd percentile on composite reading outcomes in a single year. Results held across racially diverse students, English Language Learners, and students receiving special education. ESSA Level II evidence.
Florida leaders are being asked to accelerate reading growth while maintaining alignment to the Science of Reading, B.E.S.T. Standards, MTSS expectations, CERP requirements, FAST progress-monitoring conversations, and support for students with exceptional needs and English learners. The challenge is not simply finding another program. It is finding an intervention partner that helps teachers act quickly, consistently, and confidently.
Many students move into upper grades with unfinished foundational skills. Decoding, fluency, and word-level gaps continue to impact comprehension, confidence, and academic performance.
Educators need explicit lessons, low-prep routines, and consistent instructional practices that help struggling readers without adding another planning burden.
Schools need intervention partners that align to the Science of Reading, support MTSS and FAST conversations, and provide the evidence, implementation support, and flexibility districts and principals need.
Starting in Grade 3, Florida students must learn cursive writing and demonstrate proficiency by Grade 5. RGR can help schools integrate handwriting support into a broader foundational literacy plan.
For early elementary students, RGR supports the foundational skills that drive reading success: phonological awareness, phonics, decoding, fluency, high-frequency words, spelling, and handwriting. RGR’s foundational programs can be used as supplemental instruction or intervention, with explicit routines and teacher-friendly tools that support consistent implementation.
For students in grades 3–5 who can read some words but still struggle with multisyllabic decoding, fluency, vocabulary, morphology, and comprehension, RGR gives schools a pathway beyond early phonics. Use HD Word to strengthen complex word reading and Orbit to help students move from decoding words to understanding complex text.
Florida’s older striving readers need more than test prep passages. RGR’s adolescent pathway helps middle and high school students strengthen decoding, multisyllabic word reading, fluency, vocabulary, morphology, and comprehension through age respectful instruction and teacher friendly routines. It’s a practical way to address literacy gaps while rebuilding confidence and supporting access to grade level text.
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD switched to structured literacy for older learners, raising secondary dyslexia decoding benchmarks from 2% to 40% by midyear.
The challenge: Inconsistent secondary dyslexia practices and limited alignment for older learners across campuses.
The approach: RGR's Reading Intervention for Grades 6-12, with standardized placement and progress monitoring across all secondary campuses.
The result: One middle school cohort grew from 3.7% to 40.7% strong decoders in a single year.
Florida schools do not just need materials. They need evidence, implementation support, teacher confidence, and measurable student progress. RGR brings together approved intervention programs, third-party evidence, professional learning, and practical implementation support for schools and districts.
Close the gap from decoding to comprehension with 4 weeks of full access. You’ve seen the research — now see the results.
Florida districts are navigating major literacy expectations while many core ELA contracts remain in place. That makes supplemental and intervention purchasing especially important.
Practical intervention support for students who need explicit instruction, including students receiving dyslexia services.
A coherent intervention pathway aligned to foundational skills, MTSS, and Florida literacy priorities.
Structured, explicit, multisensory routines that support students with diverse needs.
Talk with Megan Hartman your Florida representative about your students, grade bands, intervention goals, and timeline. We’ll help you identify the right starting point for your school or district.
Is RGR approved for Florida intervention use?
Yes. Really Great Reading has been approved for inclusion on Florida’s K–3 ELA Intervention List for Grades 1–3. RGR programs support foundational literacy skills including phonological awareness, phonics, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension through explicit, systematic instruction aligned to the Science of Reading and Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards.
Is this only for early elementary?
No. Really Great Reading offers intervention pathways for elementary, upper elementary, and adolescent students. Florida schools use RGR to support struggling readers across Grades K–12, including students who need help with decoding, fluency, multisyllabic word reading, vocabulary, morphology, and comprehension.
What if our core ELA program is already adopted?
Many Florida schools use Really Great Reading as a supplemental or intervention solution alongside their existing core ELA curriculum. RGR helps schools address foundational literacy gaps, support Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention, and strengthen reading outcomes for students who need more explicit instruction.
Can a principal try RGR at one school?
Yes. Many Florida schools begin with a small intervention or supplemental pilot before expanding across additional grade levels or schools. Really Great Reading can help principals and district leaders identify practical pilot options that align with their literacy goals, student needs, and implementation capacity.
Where does handwriting fit?
Florida’s new cursive requirement is creating new conversations about handwriting instruction in Grades 3–5. Really Great Reading offers handwriting support that can help schools integrate print and cursive instruction into a broader foundational literacy plan focused on fluency, spelling, written expression, and literacy confidence.
Can RGR support adolescent readers?
Yes. Really Great Reading offers adolescent literacy intervention for middle and high school students who continue to struggle with decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Programs like HD Word and Orbit help older students strengthen foundational reading skills while building the language and comprehension skills needed for grade-level academic text.
Does Really Great Reading have Florida-based evidence?
Yes. A third-party ESSA Level II study conducted in Florida found that Kindergarten students using Really Great Reading demonstrated significantly stronger DIBELS® reading outcomes compared to students who did not receive RGR instruction.