Passport to Literacy: Improving Reading Outcomes of Struggling Fourth-Grade Readers

Passport to Literacy is a widely used, supplemental multi-component intervention program designed to improve the reading outcomes of struggling readers. Passport to Literacy applies principles of behavioral learning theory and cognitive psychology to target reading comprehension difficulties in fourth-grade students. The program consists of 120 lessons, each lasting 30 minutes, and is administered in small groups of four to six students. The lessons are organized into 12, 10-day adventures addressing phonics and word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Each lesson includes two main components: Word Works and Read to Understand. Word Works focuses on advanced word study, including working with affixes and roots, as well as strategies for reading unknown multi-syllabic words. Read to Understand is organized into before, during, and after reading comprehension skills and strategies, and includes explicit instruction in comprehension tools such as previewing, setting purpose, text structure, and evaluation. The program also includes built-in review and assessment of student