The important of CORE instruction before implementing a Response to Intervention Model

As you know I have been implementing an RTI model for two years and the impact on student achievement has been amazing. I wanted to begin posting about major steps we have taken in these last two years and the million dollar question of how do you being an RTI model in a school.

I will be posting information at various aspects of implementation: school structure, academic structure, and communication and collaboration, data informed instructional problem solving, data management and etc.

Today– CORE Literacy instruction How to:

As a schools prepares to implement an RTI model, they must address what is core instruction in each academic area. Why? All teacher needs to be in the same place so that they can ensure their instructional planning address state and district standards, literacy development, and differentiated instruction. So here are a first steps towards doing that:

It is wonderful to hear that the whole school is proceeding on the RTI professional development. It is also great to hear about the conversation beginning around Tier 1. What I would suggest is the following:
teachers at each particular grade level meet and make a list of what they feel constitutes core literacy instruction during the reading block.
Exchange lists and prioritize for the grade level they teach
Come to agreement on how their list meets the literacy requirements in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary and those of the district.

Identify what would constitute a typical week to week schedule of times when each of these areas of literacy will be taught/delivered
Have the team come to agreement that all will do this typical schedule every week. For example:

For Grade 1 at the Gardner- Core instruction constitutes:
Guided reading 3 X per week
Phonemic awareness and phonics/decoding through Fundations Wilson 4 X per week
Comprehension strategies through the Making Meaning curriculum-2X per week
Vocabulary instruction 3X per week.

6. Finally, have the teachers slot out the time it will take them to complete the instruction they proposed
7. Identify the â€œfreeâ€ time available to plan for additional â€œdosesâ€ or interventions that can fit within the regular reading block after the core is completed.
8. Have the teachers do a one week trial and discuss any potential changes to the schedule and verify existing â€œfree slotsâ€
9. Have everyone keep a good record of what they decided for the beginning of the school year and revisit then.

10. You can now plan small group and 1-1 instruction for students at Tier 2 & 3.

I would love some feedback … it has worked real well for this schools and some new ones initiating the process….