STARI FAQs
All FAQs
Program Overview & Implementation
- What is STARI?
- How can I schedule a demo for STARI?
- Can you provide samples of the materials?
- What are the reading levels for STARI?
- How does STARI address decoding?
- Is STARI aligned with the science of reading?
- Is STARI aligned with grade level standards?
- What is the evidence that STARI is an effective program?
- How often/how long should STARI be taught?
- We are already at mid-year. Is it effective to begin now?
- Can STARI be used as a Tier 1 instruction, or is it only a Tier 2 intervention?
- How does the novel fit into each STARI unit?
- Can STARI be used in a small group setting (perhaps 1-3 students)?
- Can STARI be used for a select few students within a larger general education classroom?
- Since STARI is in addition to ELA courses, is collaboration with ELA teachers beneficial?
Series & Unit Design
- What series do I use with ___ grade?
- There are four series. Does that mean it spans four years?
- What’s the difference between the series?
- Do students have to do Series 1 before Series 2?
- Do the three units span an entire school year?
- Can we change the order of the units within a series?
- Can we substitute a different book for one of the unit texts?
- What if a particular text or unit is not a good fit for my students or community?
- How does the novel fit into each STARI unit?
Curriculum & Materials
- What materials do I need for implementing STARI?
- Does STARI include any writing components?
- Will STARI ever be accessible electronically for learners?
- How long is one individual lesson expected to take?
- How long does it take to complete a STARI unit?
- Is the amount of time for each part of the lesson provided?
- How many books do students read in STARI?
- Does each workbook have all of the fluency passages or do teachers select the appropriate level?
Student Placement & Grouping
- What age groups are recommended for STARI?
- Can elementary students use STARI?
- Can we have mixed grade-level groups?
- What is the ideal class size? What is the minimum/maximum group size?
- What diagnostic tests do you recommend for placing students in STARI?
- What criteria should we use to determine when a student should exit STARI?
- Are there progress monitoring tools?
Comprehension
- Should the teacher read the text aloud to students, or should students read aloud to each other, or should students read silently?
- Does guided reading happen in small groups or whole group?
- Is 5Ws the only summary strategy, or are others included?
- Should students record words for clarification as they read?
- What do I do when students are absent? Is it difficult for them to catch up?
- Do you recommend assigning reading for homework?
- I'm having trouble finding the vocab words I need to go over during guided reading. Am I supposed to come up with them?
Fluency
- Should fluency pairs be homogenous or heterogeneous?
- What should students do if they finish early before their partner is done?
- How do I identify students’ fluency levels?
- What makes a passage a “fluency passage”?
- Are there fluency routine lessons while students are reading the novel?
- Are students responsible to read all 10 passages in each unit or are these choices and we only select 5 (for example)?
- What metric would teachers use to know when a student may be ready to move up a level with fluency?
- What if I have students where Passage A is too high/challenging for them? Should I find another passage?
Supporting Diverse Learners
- Is STARI appropriate for students with IEPs or those with reading difficulties, such as dyslexia?
- Is STARI effective with English Learners?
- How can teachers support students with behavioral challenges while using STARI?
- What do you do if there is a big gap in your group, such as having students that are at the lowest of the range but most of the group is performing on the higher end?
Training & Support
- Do I have to do the STARI training to teach STARI?
- Is specific STARI training available?
- How long is the STARI training?
- What type of background/training do STARI teachers need? Do I need to be a reading specialist to teach STARI?
- Can my school/district get an in-person STARI training?
- What is a facilitator license?
- What is a coach license?
- How should STARI teachers be evaluated?