Glossary · Teaching and intervention
What is a Tier 2 reading intervention?
Definition
Tier 2 is targeted small-group reading help, on top of classroom teaching, for students who are somewhat behind, often 15 to 20 percent of a class.
Groups are small, usually three to six students, and focus on a specific skill gap found by screening and follow-up checks. Sessions are typically 20 to 40 minutes, three to five times a week.
The instruction is more explicit than core teaching, with more practice and more feedback. Progress is monitored often, usually every two weeks, so the team can tell whether the help is working.
Tier 2 often runs for a set block, such as 8 to 12 weeks. Students who catch up return to Tier 1 alone. Students who grow but not enough may stay. Students who barely move need Tier 3 or a change in approach, and sometimes an evaluation.
In a lesson
Five third graders who read accurately but slowly meet three times a week for repeated reading and phrase work, with a fluency probe every other Friday.
Why does this matter for the record?
Log Tier 2 sessions with date, minutes and skill. Teams decide on the evidence in that log plus the progress graph.
Rate each skill as you teach it
Needs support, Developing, Secure. The rating schedules the review and builds the report.