Chapter 3- Tier I Intervention: High Quality Instruction for All

   
     This chapter is our nonnegotiable document! (this will take you to our document in google docs) This is the link to another version of our document by our curriculum director, Jen Koenen.   Simply stated Tier 1 is the foundation of the our school's literacy program.  How strong and effective is your literacy program? It truly depends on the classroom teacher.  Most educators and researchers are in agreement that 80% of our students should be successful in this tier.  I have also read Richard Allington's book, What Really Matters in Response to Intervention: Research-based Designs and the original intent of what really matters is not what should be happening for the bottom 10% of our students but what are we really teaching everyone during literacy instruction.

Mary Howard uses the metaphor Juggling Elephants (Loflin & Musig, 2007).  The story refers to man's attempt to juggle life's responsibilities by doing it all - impossible.  The ringmaster being the key to the success of the circus connecting the acts.   The classroom is like a 3-ring circus and the teacher is the ringmaster.  Each ring contains a high-quality act and the rings are connected, they enhance one another.  The ringmaster must be aware of all three rings but he can only focus on one ring at a time.  My experience with a circus is that there is so much to watch and it is crazy trying to watch it all!  But I know how many hours of practice each act must do and how extremely organized the circus must be to ensure success & safety.  Isn't this true for our classrooms? It takes hours of setting up the procedures and slowly we add "new acts" to the block as the students and/or teacher is ready.

Tier 1 literacy may occur in a block of time (usually two hours).  The more we attend to each instructional ring with exemplary literacy practices, there will be less need for outside support.  No more labels and attitudes-"they have an IEP-not my worry" or  "that is the ELL teachers worry, not mine" or "I'll wait for the TAG teacher to challenge him".  Yikes! I know I have made comments like this.  I strongly believe literacy instruction happens all day at the lower elementary levels.

I will point out the aspects of tier 1 that Howard suggest are nonnegotiables.  This chapter is probably the one chapter every classroom teacher should read page by page.  

* Getting the best of purchased programs.  One-size doesn't fit all and the teacher should always be in the driver seat to adjust the pacing, the content and the delivery method.  I loved this quote, "teachers who have a death grip on the teacher's guide invariably miss living signs and markers along the way."  I love our Making Meaning programs & our writing programs but never should they be the end all to everything we do.  We must constantly add to our teaching toolbox.  What works for one student may not for another.

*Teachers use effective research based strategies.  A workshop model, mini-lessons, small groups, partner work, independent work, conferring, and assessing are all happening.
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*Differentiated instruct is the heart & soul of tier 1.  Engagement and motivation must be high for all students.  We can differentiate content, process and product.  (Tomlinson 1999)  These adjustments level the playing field.

*A school-wide book room where high-quality titles are constantly added.  The texts should be at least 50-60% nonfiction related to the various content areas. Easily labeled and easy to grab for every teacher.
Well we are not constantly adding and we need major work on our non-fiction area.

*Effective teachers use the Gradual Release of Responsibility model in their classrooms.  Making meaning of text should be the goal of every instructional action and every activity in which we engage students.  Howard refers to Sharon Taberski's umbrella of comprehension.  Building vocabulary, fluency, schema, and students' use of metacognitive strategies all fall under the umbrella of teaching students to comprehend.  For example blending phonics and fluency can be done with poetry or embedding skills should be done using meaningful texts that keep the focus on print and overall comprehension.

*Continuous Assessment to Inform and Support Instruction: Expert teachers view assessment as a natural part of the day and take advantage of any opportunity to gather assessment data to inform their teaching.  A key assessment procedure embedded in learning is to check for understanding.  Effective teachers are constantly checking for understanding with every student in every activity.  Effective teachers document their observations and take anecdotal notes regularly.  I love our google forms many teachers were using and now are CC Pensieve on line.  I also believe our Iowa Core work will be powerful knowing we will adjust this work along the way.

Other areas Howard points out:

*Classroom libraries that are leveled for the teacher.  She highly discourages the use of shopping for books by levels.  She believes it is much more beneficial to teach children the reality of picking books by interesting topics & personal choice.  Here is where I struggle.  I believe we must remember the rule of moderation.  A healthy balance is the key and the grade level in which we teach also will play into this.

*Using Backward Design to create your literacy programs .

*Using a "data wall" (Dorn & Soffos, 2001) to guide your weekly collaboration discussions with colleagues.  This encourages professional dialogue that helps to identify students who may need additional tier 1 support.

* Listening to students read independently and consistently take running records.  Howard points out we need to use the running records and make sure we are analyzing the errors.

*Classroom walls that teach are found in every class.  Howard points out that the days of decorating rooms for each season are long gone.  The room's decorations should teach students and it should also display their learning and activities that they completed.  The Daily 5, CAFE, math, anchor charts, calendar activities...who has any space for decorations?  The rule of moderation might be used here too. :)

 Whew!! Anyone else feeling overwhelmed ?  To complete this enormous task as a literacy teacher we must have time to collaborate, time to learn professionally and time to breathe!  Let's face it..why do we teach?  Its the kids.  We have to keep our task in perspective....again the rule of moderation and balance.  Do the best you can by being on the continued journey of getting better.  We are not robots, we are all at different stages of our careers and most importantly in our personal lives as well.  Each classroom may look and  feel different but the end results should be the same for our students....a chance that they succeed and make a year's growth.  I believe the goal of RtI is to strengthen the classroom teacher which will in turn produce more success for students.   

Happy Reading-Mrs. Speake
PS I hope everyone is reading fun literature.  I love series...anyone have one to recommend?  Send me an email with ideas!  I am debating to begin A Game of Thrones.