Overview

Tier 3 support plans are designed in a unique and specific manner with the goal of addressing the individual student’s specific needs. Often with reading interventions, a new intervention program is not started at tier 3. Rather, the individual problem solving to address the specific needs of the student includes increasing the intensity of the critical features of tier 2 interventions (e.g., smaller group, increased instructional time, opportunities to practice, frequency of feedback, frequency of progress monitoring). These plans often include a combination of specific reading intervention and behavioral strategies.

Intensifying Literacy Instruction

Intensifying Literacy Instruction: Essential Practices

In an MTSS framework, the increasingly intensive instructional and intervention supports would be categorized as Tier 2 and Tier 3. Though these Tier 2 and Tier 3 type approaches likely occur in small groups as a supplement to their Tier 1 or class-wide (core) literacy instruction; it is important to recognize that most of the students receiving those supports spend a majority of their instructional time in the general education classroom/core subject area setting. Therefore, it is imperative the information related to intensifying literacy instruction supports not only special educators and additional staff providing intervention through Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports, but also classroom teachers. The Intensifying Literacy Instruction: Essential Practices identifies five practices as the most critical aspects of assuring students receiving Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions are provided necessary literacy instruction.