The 95 Percent Group—An ultimate guide

The 95 Percent Group is an influential organization with a powerful mission to nurture the science of reading and improve literacy levels across all school districts in America. Its members are dedicated to improving reading instructional practices for all students, especially those from low-income and minority backgrounds.

This guide provides an overview of The 95 Percent Group, the history behind it, its services, and how its work is making an impact on the U.S. educational system and beyond.

The history behind The 95 Percent Group

Founded in 2005, the 95 Percent Group started as a professional development company under the guidance of Dr. Susan Hall. At that time, the organization’s mission was to improve reading instruction in schools across the U.S.

Soon after, the organization ventured into diagnostic assessments and the development of instructional materials for teachers. A startling statistic inspired the shift: less than 30% of fourth graders nationwide read at grade level or higher. This gap was even more pronounced among under-served populations. Studies showed that nearly half of African American and Latino fourth graders read below grade level.

Alarmed by these findings, The 95 Percent Group set out to reverse them by providing teachers and schools with evidence-based instructional strategies and professional development resources to help close achievement gaps while simultaneously boosting student success rates across the board.

Since its inception, The 95 Percent Group has made tremendous strides toward its goal of increasing literacy rates among all demographics. The group created supplemental, on-demand learning modules and workshops designed specifically for struggling readers, developed a comprehensive library of resources that support expertly crafted lesson plans, and offered in-person consultations to provide teachers with personalized advice about individual students’ needs.

Additionally, they have published reports highlighting best practices for teaching reading skills to share knowledge with educators around the world. Through its various initiatives, such as the phonics core program and a wide range of instructional materials, The 95 Percent Group strives to foster an environment where every student can learn and grow.

With all these efforts combined, The 95 Percent Group is making a real difference in promoting literacy throughout the United States.

Resources for professional development

The following list includes some of the resources for professional development offered by The 95 Percent Group.

An overview of the MTSS/RTI framework

This program provides a comprehensive overview of the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) and Response to Intervention (RTI). Through this program, participants gain a strong understanding of how the MTSS/RTI framework can be used to create individualized learning plans for each student to maximize their academic performance.

Achieving success with MTSS in all tiers of instruction

This program focuses on helping educators understand and implement a successful multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) instruction in all tiers.

Participants gain an understanding of key concepts related to tiered instruction, such as curriculum adaptation, supplemental instructional strategies, intervention instruction, and accommodations.

The program shares tips to reduce the number of students that need Tier 2 or Tier 3 intervention.

The five components of reading instruction

The 95 Percent Group offers a comprehensive professional development program that uses an evidence-based approach to teaching reading grounded in research and best practices.

This program consists of five key components: phonemic awareness, phonics instruction, fluency practice, vocabulary instruction, and comprehension strategies. Each component provides teachers with the foundational knowledge they need to effectively teach reading with proven results.

SoR aligned phonics instructional routines

In this program, participants explore phonics instructional routines that are aligned with Structured Oral Reading (SoR). Through this program, teachers learn techniques for introducing new concepts explicitly while simultaneously connecting them back to existing knowledge structures within learners’ minds.

Using data to inform instructional practices

This program provides teachers with a comprehensive introduction to using data analysis techniques when making decisions about classroom instruction. Participants learn about various assessment tools available and how they should be used when making instructional decisions.

Science of reading

This program focuses on helping teachers understand how humans learn to read. It covers topics such as the development of language and literacy, brain science and its implications for reading, how children’s cognitive skills affect their ability to read fluently and accurately, and how technology can be used to enhance learning.

Data analysis

Teachers learn to use data analysis tools such as running records and formative assessments to measure student progress over time. They also gain an understanding of how to interpret these data points to inform instruction and guide students toward mastery.

Effective phonics lessons

Participants in this program learn how to implement explicit phonics patterns in the classroom setting. This includes understanding the different levels or types of phonics instruction (explicit vs. implicit) and strategies for introducing new material in a way that is engaging yet effective for learners at all levels.

Other products

The 95 Percent Group web store provides a wide range of products to help teachers build effective reading instruction. These products include:

• Assessments—Offers a comprehensive assessment package for early literacy, including an Early Literacy Assessment (ELA), Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), and the Assessment of Reading Comprehension (ARC).

• PA Lessons—Offers teachers and parents step-by-step guidance on how to approach phonemic awareness instruction. This comprehensive program includes scripted lessons, sample lessons, phonological awareness lessons, practice activities, and assessments. All aspects of phonemic awareness are covered, from rhyming words to segmenting sounds and syllable types.

• Teaching Blending—A product designed to help students learn how to blend individual sounds quickly and accurately to recognize unfamiliar words.

• Phonics Lesson Library—Provides teachers with over 500 creative and engaging phonics lessons for teaching foundational literacy skills in grades K–3.

• Phonics Chip Kits—Contains everything teachers need for direct instruction in letter names, sounds, and blends. This kit includes an array of colorful manipulatives such as crackers, chips, and pretzels that are perfect for word-building activities that bring learning to life. All the materials can be downloaded for use in whole class or small group instruction.

• Multisyllable Routine Cards—Provides teachers with everything they need to teach multisyllable decoding effectively in their classrooms. A digital presentation subscription is also available.

• Vocabulary Surge—A powerful tool specifically aimed at helping students increase their vocabulary proficiency swiftly by providing them with helpful context clues throughout each lesson plan.

• Comprehension—Tailored specifically towards third-grade students who may lack the necessary comprehension skills needed to be successful readers.

• The Student Workbook—Provides everything students need, including decodable text and interactive phonics manipulatives to help them overcome phonics deficits.

• The 95 Phonics Booster Bundle: Tune-Up—Designed to give learners an extra boost to their phonics skills.

Speechify—An outstanding tool to complement The 95 Percent Group material

Speechify is an outstanding AI tool that can help readers appreciate and gain more from the material provided by The 95 Percent Group. As a text to speech (TTS) app, Speechify reads text aloud to help users to focus on comprehension, making learning much easier.

Speechify has a wide range of features like adjustable speed, pause, and navigation, making it easier for you to find information quickly or focus on certain topics in the given material.

Give Speechify a try today and discover a new way to breeze through any written material.