Pull-out vs push-in reading intervention
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
Pull-out reading intervention takes students to a separate room for small-group teaching. Push-in brings the interventionist into the classroom to teach a group there. The deciding question: does the student need explicit teaching on a skill the class is not working on, at an intensity the classroom cannot offer at that time? If yes, pull-out usually fits better.
Pull-out and push-in describe where reading intervention happens, not what is taught. In pull-out, the interventionist or special education teacher takes a small group to another room. In push-in, the same adult teaches a group inside the general education classroom. Either can deliver strong intervention. Either can fail if the setting does not match the instruction the students need.
This page compares the two models for reading specifically. For the general service-delivery question across all subjects and related services, see push-in vs pull-out services.
The one-sentence difference and the deciding question
Pull-out moves students to the instruction. Push-in moves the instruction to the students' classroom.
Deciding question: Does the student need explicit teaching on a skill the class is not working on, at an intensity the classroom cannot offer at that time? If yes, pull-out usually fits. If the student needs support with the same text and tasks as the class, push-in usually fits.
Side-by-side comparison
| Pull-out reading intervention | Push-in reading intervention | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Separate room: resource room, reading room or office | General education classroom, usually at a side table |
| Best for | Foundational skills far below the class, such as phonics or phonemic awareness | Applying skills in class texts, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension support |
| Noise and distraction | Low; easier for sound-level work | Higher; harder for phonemic awareness and dictation |
| Time cost | Travel time; students may miss class content | No travel; students stay with class routines |
| Grouping | Across classrooms and grades by skill | Usually within one classroom |
| Link to core instruction | Weaker unless teachers plan together | Stronger; adult sees the core lesson |
| Peer interaction | Less time with general education peers | More time with general education peers |
| Scheduling | Easier to group many students by skill | Harder; depends on each class schedule |
| Where documented | IEP services and location; intervention schedule | IEP services and location; intervention schedule |
| Basis in law | IEP must state the location of services; placement must be in the least restrictive environment | Same |
The IEP must state the projected frequency, location and duration of services.[1] Students with disabilities are to be educated with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, and removal happens only when the nature or severity of the disability means education in regular classes with supports cannot be achieved satisfactorily.[2] That makes the setting a team decision, written in the IEP for students who have one.
What the instruction needs
Match the setting to what the instruction requires.
- Phonemic awareness and phonics need quiet, frequent individual responses, dictation and word building. A separate room or a quiet corner often works better.
- Fluency with class texts can happen in either setting. Repeated reading of the class text fits push-in.
- Vocabulary and comprehension connected to class content fit push-in well, since the adult supports the same lesson.
- Intensive intervention for students far behind usually means a group of 2 or 3, daily, with tight error correction. That is easier in pull-out.
The What Works Clearinghouse guide on reading intervention describes targeted small-group instruction on a few foundational skills, several times a week, and more intensive daily instruction for students who do not respond.[3] Either setting can deliver it if the group is small and the time is protected.
Three scenarios
Scenario 1. Five 3rd graders across three classes read 30 to 40 words correct per minute and miss vowel team and two-syllable words. Their classes are reading grade 3 novels.
Answer: Pull-out. Why: They need explicit decoding instruction on patterns the class is not studying. Grouping across classes by skill is only possible outside one room. Schedule it during the grade's intervention block so they do not miss core reading.
Scenario 2. A 5th grader with an IEP decodes accurately but reads slowly and struggles with science vocabulary. The class is starting a unit on ecosystems.
Answer: Push-in. Why: His needs are fluency and vocabulary in class texts. The special education teacher pre-teaches unit words and leads repeated reading of the text at a side table during the class's reading time.
Scenario 3. A 1st grade class has 4 students who need phonemic awareness work and the room is loud during centers.
Answer: Push-in is possible but pull-out may be better. Why: Phonemic awareness work needs students to hear small sound differences. If a quiet corner is not possible, a short pull-out session in a nearby room serves them better.
When to use both
Many students benefit from a mix. A student might get 30 minutes of pull-out decoding instruction 4 days a week, plus 20 minutes of push-in support during science reading twice a week. The IEP should state the minutes and location for each.
| Student need | Pull-out minutes per week | Push-in minutes per week |
|---|---|---|
| Decoding far below grade level | 120 to 150 | 0 to 40 |
| Decoding close; fluency and vocabulary low | 0 to 60 | 60 to 100 |
| Comprehension of content texts | 0 | 60 to 120 |
These ranges are illustrations of how teams split time, not requirements.
Measuring whether the setting works
Probe the same way in both models: a 1-minute oral reading fluency probe weekly for intensive support, or a pattern word list for decoding goals. Record it on the reading fluency data sheet. If a student's data stays flat for 4 to 6 weeks, review the setting along with group size, time and the instruction itself. The reading intervention guide for students with IEPs covers decision rules, and the oral reading fluency measurement guide explains probes.
Common mistakes
- Weak: Pull students out during core reading because that is when the interventionist is free. Better: Schedule pull-out during a grade-level intervention block. See scheduling a reading intervention block.
- Weak: Push in and sit beside the student while the teacher talks. Better: Push in with a plan: a group, a skill and a set time to teach it.
- Weak: Choose push-in for every student to look more inclusive. Better: Choose by need, and record the reason in the IEP.
- Weak: Never revisit the setting. Better: Review it at each progress check and annual review.
The glossary entries for push-in and pull-out give short definitions for families. For who usually teaches each model, see reading specialist vs special education teacher. Goal templates for each skill are in the reading goal bank.
Frequently asked questions
Is push-in reading intervention more inclusive than pull-out?
It keeps students in the classroom, but inclusion also means getting the instruction a student needs. A student who needs intensive phonics may make more progress in a short pull-out session and spend the rest of the day with peers.
Does the IEP have to say pull-out or push-in?
The IEP must state the location of services, along with frequency and duration. Many IEPs say special education setting or general education setting. Ask the team to describe the setting clearly so everyone knows where services happen.
Can a student get both pull-out and push-in reading support?
Yes. Many students get pull-out time for foundational skills and push-in support for reading in class content. The IEP should list the minutes and location of each.
Use it in IEP Atlas
Related guides
- Reading intervention for students with IEPs: assess, group, teach, monitor
- Push-in vs pull-out services
- Scheduling a reading intervention block
- Reading specialist vs special education teacher
- Tier 2 vs Tier 3 reading intervention
- Grouping students for reading intervention
- Reading intervention games
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- 34 CFR §300.114: LRE requirements, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- Assisting Students Struggling with Reading: Response to Intervention (RtI) and Multi-Tier Intervention in the Primary Grades, What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences
Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.