Know-Its: The Link To Reading

A Series of Articles Explaining Response to Intervention: Part 1

Let’s start with a working definition from the RTI Network:

"Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tiered approach to help struggling learners. Students' progress is closely monitored at each stage of intervention to determine the need for further research-based instruction and/or intervention in general education, in special education, or both."

What does this mean for the classroom teacher?

Do your students "freeze" when they come to a long word? Many beginning readers get comfortable reading a certain length of word and when they face a longer word, they don't know what to do. When I worked with fifth grade struggling readers, the students just stopped reading and wanted someone to tell them the word. I asked,"What can you do to help yourself?" They just sat there. . .

What are the Common Core State Standards?

In an effort to have uniform standards across the nation,  the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) have teamed with teachers, parents, and community leaders to provide equal benchmarks. The standards provide what is expected of students at the end of each grade level. Teachers can reach these standards for each child using various methods, but the end goal is the same. By having clear expectations, teach can help students by establishing individualized benchmarks for them.

With these benchmarks in mind, teachers need many ways to apply specific skills. Games, interactive whiteboards, and manipulatives engage students in the reading process in child-friendly ways. Practice should be engaging and relevant, not boring.

As states begin to implement the Common Core State Standards, teachers will meeting the needs of all readers in a systematic, purposeful agenda. The focus is developing independent readers who understand what they read.

For more information see http://www.corestandards.org

The Three-Tiered Model is not the only way to conduct a RTI (Response to Intervention), but it has been widely used and proven to be effective in Reading First Schools. Think of a triangle with the bottom third designated as Tier 1. This tier is general education where about 70%-80% of your students fall.

In Tier 1, students progress in a timely manner without extra help. Teachers should strive to get all students in this group! Many times after a struggling reader receives a little extra help, he/she can move back into Tier 1.