The new REWARDS® Plus: Social Studies will have struggling middle and high schoolers saying, "Yes, I CAN"

Do your students struggle with comprehension of content-area and informational texts? Are they confident and proficient in close reading of informational text, response writing, and defending responses when taking a position?

To help students in grades 6–12 overcome challenges like these, we designed the new third edition of REWARDS Plus: Social Studies. Research-validated and loved by users, it is the premier specialized reading program available for this type of targeted intervention.

With fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension activities designed specifically to help students learn to read with confidence, this edition focuses on transference of reading skills to the content areas. Fast-paced, engaging, explicit instruction joins with unique, right-sized technology to create a powerful, outcomes-driven instructional experience that is easy for teachers to deliver.

REWARDS Plus: Social Studies. is powerful short-term intervention ... for long-term results. The program:

  • Features a research-based and research-validated approach to deepen comprehension of content-area texts
  • Increases fluency and vocabulary in social studies
  • Builds on students’ progressive mastery of REWARDS word-attack strategies and engages them in applying the strategies to authentic content-area texts
  • Helps students successfully transfer skills in fluency, comprehension, and critical thinking from ELA settings to content-area settings
  • The end result? Struggling learners who become proficient readers!
Rewards Plus Expansion

Who benefits from REWARDS Plus: Social Studies?

This program is applicable to a wide variety of learners who need additional, structured practice decoding and gaining meaning from multi-syllabic words, especially in the content areas. Proven effective with struggling readers of all types:

  • Middle and High School
  • General Education
  • Intervention—Tier 2 or as part of a comprehensive Tier 3
  • Special Education
  • English Language Learners
  • Elective or special reading classes
  • After school and tutor settings

EVIDENCE BASED

The REWARDS family of reading and writing intervention materials is specifically designed
for adolescent struggling learners in grades 4–12, with every instructional activity
backed by sound research foundation and evidence to support its effectiveness.

REWARDS Intermediate Research    REWARDS Secondary Research

What's New in REWARDS Plus: Social Studies

  • Significantly increased focus on VOCABULARY:
    • Lesson and Illustrated Vocabulary Displays. These powerful components from REWARDS Intermediate and Secondary are now offered with REWARDS Plus: Social Studies!
    • Expanded domain-specific words lists and greater emphasis on word families
  • Significantly increased focus on COMPREHENSION:
    • Expanded background knowledge activities, including the interpretation of timelines, maps, and real-world infographics
    • More rigorous reading comprehension questions with deep focus on textual evidence and defending responses, and increased scaffolding
  • Thirty percent more content. Enough content for five days per week for 15 weeks
  • A new video mini-course to guide instruction, by Dr. Anita Archer, master teacher and trainer
  • Online delivery of instructional ancillaries and teacher resources
  • New emphasis on supporting claims with evidence from the text
  • New progress monitoring Check-ups at the end of each unit
  • Increased instructional focus on:
    • Close reading of informational text
    • Critical thinking skills, the rationale for a response, and defending responses
    • Short-answer, summary, and extended response writing

Components of the new REWARDS Plus: Social Studies Program

  • Six optional review lessons; 50–60 minutes per lesson.*
  • 15 application lessons delivered over five instructional periods (50–60 minutes per instructional period)
  • Online Teacher Resources, with digital ancillaries and embedded teacher supports
  • Instructional reference charts for classroom display

Success Stories

Independent Research validates the REWARDS’ instructional approach


SIGNIFICANT GAINS made across reading levels

“Post-tests indicated that after treatment and maintenance [of REWARDS], students in both high- and low-mastery groups made significant gains in word and text reading skills and in oral reading fluency as long as mastery level criteria were maintained at 80 percent and regardless of whether they practiced with passages or sentences.”

—Florida Center for Reading Research: REWARDS Intermediate and REWARDS Secondary