Response to Intervention

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of attending Richard Allington's workshop, Intervention for Struggling Readers: What Really Matters, Response to Intervention.

It was six hours of listening to Mr. Allington share his research and the history of RTI.  His knowledge and wisdom regarding struggling readers is impressive to say the least.  I hope to summarize a few highlights that lead you to want to learn more and join me as we develop a great RTI system for our PreK -5 students at H-D.

RTI derives from the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the law that provides the federal rules for special education.  The intent of RTI is to reduce (by 70%) the number of students who are classified as students with learning disabilities.  Underlying the RTI initiative is the research on early intervention that suggest that many struggling early readers can be caught up to grade level and that currently too many of these students are simply classified as students with learning disabilities.  Too many are classified without ever participating in any intensive EARLY intervention.  (Allington, 2009)

Allington made it crystal clear that we must have the following in place to help our readers:

• match text to readers
• dramatically expand reading activity  (the lower the reader the more time they need for IDR)
• use very small group teaching, 1:1 conferring or tutoring by expert teachers (all teachers should be expert reading teachers through PD)
• intervention must coordinate and mirror the classroom curriculum 
• by the 2nd day of Kindergarten any student who does not know the letter names should be grouped to need extra support in the classroom  (K student should know all letter names and sounds by Halloween!!)
• expert teachers provide all instruction (DO NOT make associates responsible for teaching)
• focus on meaning and meta-cognition before all other skills 
• science and social studies text should be taught by using rich literature at the student's reading level (No basals!)

Every child should have these six literacy experiences every day: 

• Every child reads something he or she chooses
• Every child reads accurately or at their independent level of 98% or higher
• Every child reads something he or she understands.
• Every child writes about something personally meaningful.
• Every child talks with peers about reading and writing.
• Every child listens to a fluent adult read aloud.

All classrooms should eliminate virtually all worksheets/workbooks and use the money to expand classroom libraries! 
All social studies and science teaching should be through texts at the student's level NOT through Basals!

RTI is based on Tiers of Reading Instruction
The federal law does not mention how many tiers an intervention might include.  The experts say response to intervention should have several levels of intensity, with instruction provided based on students' individual needs.  Currently, this three tiered model is being popularized.
      Tier 1:  Research-based daily classroom reading instruction  (90-120 minutes daily)
      Tier 2:  Targeted very small group interventions
      Tier 3:  Intensive, individualized tutorial intervention

Allington suggest a three tier approach is not enough.  His RTI model includes five tiers with the last tier being special education.  

My next step is to read and study Allington's book, What really Matters in Response to Intervention.  I am hopeful it has the answers to start formalizing our RTI plan.  I believe beyond a doubt, we are on the right path!  

We have implemented 90 minute literacy blocks focusing on comprehension and meaning through our core curriculum.  This curriculum we have chosen (Making Meaning with Vocabulary) is based on two important features:  daily independent reading and explicitly teaching comprehension skills.  The third important feature is the social skill piece. 

Richard Allington also recommends every classroom teacher begin this RTI journey by reading a short book.....

"I think one of the most powerful resources is a skinny little book called Choice Wordsby Peter Johnston. I think it’s all of 68 pages long, and the subtitle is How Our Language Affects Children’s Learning. It’s simply a careful and close look at how effective teachers talk to their children and how less effective teachers talk to their children. How do you foster a child’s sense of agency and identity? Think about it: By the end of 1st grade, most struggling readers already know they’re terrible at reading and they think they’re the problem. And at that point they start working very hard on any number of schemes to try to hide the fact that they can’t read or aren’t very good at it. And not surprisingly, they don’t do much reading independently. This is a cycle that teachers need to and can break."  (Education Week, Vol. 03, Issue 02, Page 20)

If you are interested in learning more about RTI, please read Allington's book or his other recommended reading, Choice Words.  

My next post will address early intervention and the importance of our PreSchool and Kindergarten literacy programs.  Early intervention is vital to raising our test scores in regards to reading proficiencies.  As I have mentioned many times, teaching reading is like building a house.  The foundation must be laid well!  

Happy Reading- Mrs. Speake