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In grades 3-5, LitLab is usually used for intervention. Research shows fluency still drives comprehension at this age, and older readers engage most with texts that feel age-appropriate and reflect their interests.
1

Start with the skill

Skill assignments work the same way in every grade. Identify the skill your student or group is working on, and build everything from there.
2

Search for nonfiction in the Grab-and-Go library first

Many Grab-and-Go stories have illustrations designed for younger students. The nonfiction decodables use more realistic images, which suit older readers better. Look for nonfiction texts on students’ target skill.Here’s an example of a nonfiction text from the Grab-and-Go library:
Nonfiction Grab-and-Go card for Humpback Whales, a staff pick aligned to UFLI Lesson 99 (Suffixes -s/-es) with a realistic photo of two whales
3

Generate interest-based nonfiction if you can't find a match

On the Create page, choose Nonfiction, select your student’s skill, and enter a topic they care about. See Nonfiction decodables for details.Many interventionists give students an interest inventory at the start of the year or when a group begins. Use the results to create texts students actually want to read. For example, a student who loves dogs could get a nonfiction decodable called “Why Do Dogs Pant?” aligned to the CKLA skill they’re working on.
4

Make fiction feel older

When you create fiction decodables:
  • Choose one illustration so the page looks like a text, not a picture book.
  • Use the girl or boy character rather than the animal characters, which can feel young for this age.
  • Use custom words to bring in student interests. For a third grader who loves Minecraft, type “Minecraft,” and it will be woven into the story.
Here’s a one-illustration fiction decodable that still targets a foundational skill but feels right for an older reader:
One-illustration fiction decodable titled Kim and the Trickster Cat, featuring a girl playing Minecraft at her desk
5

Use Roll & Read for games

On the Create page, open Activities, then choose the Roll & Read printable to let intervention groups practice target skill words while playing, for example, in a Battleship-style game. Older students get repeated practice that feels like play rather than drills.
Roll & Read printable with a grid of target skill words under each die face
Present LitLab to older students as fluency and skill practice, not remediation. Connecting texts to their interests or to what they’re learning in class helps a lot.