Glossary · Teaching and intervention
What is Tier 1 reading instruction?
Definition
Tier 1 is the core reading instruction every student receives in the general classroom, the base of an MTSS or RTI framework.
Tier 1 should meet the needs of most students, often given as about 80 percent. If far fewer students are on track, the problem is usually the core instruction, not the students, and adding more intervention groups won't fix it.
Strong Tier 1 reading teaching includes systematic phonics in the early grades, daily fluency practice, vocabulary and knowledge building, and plenty of reading and discussion. It also includes small-group time within the classroom, adjusted for different needs.
Tier 1 continues for students who get Tier 2 or Tier 3 support. Intervention adds to classroom teaching; it doesn't replace it.
In a lesson
A school finds that only half of its first graders meet the winter benchmark. Instead of adding more groups, the team adds a daily systematic phonics block to every first-grade classroom.
Why does this matter for the record?
Record core instruction as well as intervention. Teams need to know what a student got in class before judging how they responded to extra help.
Rate each skill as you teach it
Needs support, Developing, Secure. The rating schedules the review and builds the report.