Tier I Instruction

When thinking about school performance, oftentimes people begin to think about interventions. What can be done to improve student performance? What if we thought about how our schools are performing differently? We must shift our focus from depending on tier two and tier three interventions to quality tier one instruction.

Tier one instruction is not given the attention that it demands. When planning for instruction, are we trying to reach all of our students? Are we giving every student a fair chance at learning grade level material?

Reading instruction is vital. As educators we know that if students struggle with reading comprehension, they will struggle in every academic subject. How are we providing instruction that will support every learner in our classrooms?

Are students exposed to various types of reading material? Are teachers modeling reading text in an expressive manner? Are students getting feedback that is immediate so that they can practice their reading skills more effectively? Students should also receive strong vocabulary instruction.

Math is another area major focus in most schools. There is sometimes a tendency to focus on what students can’t do. The use of high quality instructional materials to expose students to grade level work is critical. If they don’t receive instruction at grade level how can we expect them to meet grade level standards?

Fact fluency should be a part of instruction in Elementary grades. Teaching problem solving skills helps students develop reading and comprehension skills. Encouraging students to write and verbalize their mathematical thinking is another skill builder. Providing feedback quickly gives students a chance to practice effectively during class time.

Small group instruction is important, not just for students that need tier two and tier three interventions. Students that are operating at grade level and above deserve opportunities to further increase their knowledge. Educators must provide enrichment for our students that have already grasped the material being taught.

We have an opportunity to change the way we have traditionally done things. We must be creative in our teaching methods and interventions. Our students deserve to be challenged no matter what level they are working on. Providing quality learning experiences should be the priority for every educator.