Multitiered System of
Reading Instruction
A module for pre-service and in-service
professional development
MN RTI Center
Author: Wendy Robinson, Heartland Iowa AEA 11
www.scred.k12.mn.us click on RTI Center
MN RtI Center
MN RTI Center Training Modules
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This module was developed with funding from the MN legislature
It is part of a series of modules available from the MN RTI Center
for use in preservice and inservice training:
Module Title
Authors
1. RTI Overview
Kim Gibbons & Lisa Stewart
2. Measurement and RTI Overview
Lisa Stewart
3. Curriculum Based Measurement and RTI
Lisa Stewart
4. Universal Screening (Benchmarking): (Two
parts)
Lisa Stewart
What, Why and How
Using Screening Data
5. Progress Monitoring: (Two parts)
Lisa Stewart & Adam Christ
What, Why and How
Using Progress Monitoring Data
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6. Evidence-Based Practices
Ann Casey
7. Problem Solving in RTI
Kerry Bollman
8. Differentiated Instruction
Peggy Ballard
9. Tiered Service Delivery and Instruction
Wendy Robinson
10. Leadership and RTI
Jane Thompson & Ann Casey
11. Family involvement and RTI
Amy Reschly
12. Five Areas of Reading
Kerry Bollman
13. Schoolwide Organization
Kim Gibbons
2
Overview
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What is a multitiered system of reading
instruction?
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Public health prevention model/food pyramid
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Literacy diet
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Full continuum of support
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Tiered levels of instruction
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3
What is a multitiered system of reading instruction?
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Goal:
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Multitiered systems:
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Improved performance of all students,
aimed at preventing reading difficulties
Organized around levels of instruction
and support that are matched to
student needs based on data.
Basic principle:

The greater the instructional need of
the student, the greater the intensity
of the instruction and support.
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Where does the model come from?
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Public health prevention model
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Organizing principles
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Earlier rather than later
Evidence not opinion
Systems not just classrooms
Each and all students
Tertiary prevention
Secondary prevention
Primary prevention
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Well baby check-ups
Immunizations
Cholesterol screening
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Primary prevention
Food Pyramid
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Healthy, balanced diet to ensure
good physical health
Oils, butter
Dairy, meat, fish
Fruits and vegetables
Bread, cereal and grains
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Literacy Diet
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Powerful literacy diet to ensure
good literacy health
Primary grade levels
Comprehension
Vocabulary
Accurate and Fluent Reading
Of Connected Text
Phonics (Alphabetic Principle)
Phonemic Awareness
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Literacy Diet
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Powerful literacy diet to ensure
good literacy health
Upper grade level
Phonemic Awareness
Alphabetic Principle
Accurate and Fluent Reading
Of Connected Text
Vocabulary
Comprehension
MN RtI Center
Literacy Diet

Powerful literacy diet to ensure good literacy
health
Comprehension
Vocabulary
Phonemic Awareness
Alphabetic Principle
Accurate and Fluent Reading
Of Connected Text
Accurate and Fluent Reading
Of Connected Text
Phonics (Alphabetic Principle)
Phonemic Awareness
Primary grade level
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Vocabulary
Comprehension
Upper grade level
9
Eating from the food pyramid is
sometimes not enough …
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E.g. need to add
iron-rich foods,
pills, or vitamins
But, do not stop
eating “real” food
from the pyramid
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When instruction in the literacy diet
is not enough… …
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Add supplemental or intensive instruction
(iron pill) in addition to core instruction
(literacy diet) targeting area(s) of need.
Phonemic Awareness
Alphabetic Principle
Accurate and Fluent Reading
of Connected Text
Vocabulary
Comprehension
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For struggling readers, just making
progress isn’t good enough.
Benchmark 1
Benchmark 2
Performance
Time
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Benchmark 3
When students receive core instruction in
the literacy diet in addition to the iron pill…
Benchmark 1
Benchmark 2
Performance
Time
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Benchmark 3
For struggling students the goal is to
accelerate student learning
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Research shows to accelerate student learning:

More time spent in
instruction (resources)
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Instruction must be provided
in smaller groups (resources)
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Explicit and systematic
instruction in the area of need
(professional development)
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In The Past
General
Education
Some “Fell’”
Through
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Title
Reading or
Other
Reading
Support
Special
Education
Some “Fell’”
Through
Full Continuum of Support
General
Education
I
I
I
I
Title
Reading &
Reading
Support,
Gifted Ed.
I
I
I
=
MN RtI Center
all along the continuum!
I
I
Special
Education,
Gifted Ed.
A Smart System Structure: Enter SchoolWide Systems for Student Success
Academic Systems
Behavioral Systems
Intensive, Individual Interventions
•Individual Students
•Assessment-based
•High Intensity
•Of longer duration
5-10%
10-15%
Targeted Group Interventions
•Some students (at-risk)
•High efficiency
•Rapid response
Universal Interventions
•All students
•Preventive, proactive
75-85%
Intensive, Individual Interventions
•Individual Students
•Assessment-based
•Intense, durable procedures
5-10%
10-15%
Targeted Group Interventions
•Some students (at-risk)
•High efficiency
•Rapid response
75-85%
Universal Interventions
•All settings, all students
•Preventive, proactive
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Sugai, Horner and Gresham, 2002
Tiered Levels of Instruction
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Tier 1 - Core instruction
intended for all
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Tier 2 – Supplemental
instruction intended for
some

Tier 3 – Intensive
instruction intended for
few
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F
e
w
Some
All
Tier 1 (All)
Who
All students
Focus
Scientific-based reading instruction and curriculum
emphasizing the big ideas in reading: phonemic
awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and
comprehension
Grouping
Whole group, small group, partners, individual based
on purpose and need
Time
90 minutes daily (minimum)
Assessment All students receive screening (benchmarking)
assessment at least three times per year
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Tier 2 (Some)
Who
For students who are at-risk for reading difficulties
based on screening data and lack of adequate
progress and response to core or Tier 1 instruction
and support
Focus
Targeted scientific-based reading instruction and
curriculum focused on the area of need based on
assessment data
Grouping
Small group based on similar instructional needs
(1:5)
Time
20-30 minutes daily in addition to Tier 1 instruction
Assessment Weekly progress monitoring on target skill to ensure
adequate learning rate (closing the gap)
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Tier 3 (Few)
Who
For students with intensive instructional needs in
reading who have not responded sufficiently to Tier 1
and Tier 2 instruction and support
Focus
Sustained, intensive scientifically-based instruction
based on individual needs of student
Grouping
Small group instruction based on similar instructional
needs (1:3)
Time
40 - 60 minutes daily in addition to Tier 1 instruction
Assessment Weekly progress monitoring on target skill to ensure
adequate learning rate (closing the gap)
MN RtI Center
Differences Across Tiers
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Intensity of need
Intensity of instruction
Assessment frequency and precision
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Intensifying Instruction
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The Big Five
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
More explicit
More modeling
More systematic
More opportunities to respond
More review
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Multitiered Levels of Instruction
Makes a Difference
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Can significantly reduce the number of children
performing below criterion (Foorman, 2003)
 Tier 1 interventions can result in reducing at risk
readers from 25% of population to 6%
 Tier 2 interventions can further reduce to 3 to 4%
Can increase scores on standardized tests
Can produce long lasting results for most children
The largest gains are made in first part of intervention
Brain functioning more normalized
MN RtI Center
Punch Line
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If you want to see it,
teach it!
If you teach it,
assess it!
If you assess it,
analyze it!
If you assess/analyze it,
use it to guide instruction!
Assess again to see if
instruction was effective!
MN RtI Center
References: Books
• Foorman, B. R. (2003). Preventing and remediating
reading difficulties; Bringing science to scale. Baltimore:
York Press.
• McCardle, P. & Chhabra, V. (2004). The voice of evidence
in reading research. Baltimore: Paul Brooks Publishing.
• Reschly, D. (2007). Teacher quality for multitiered
instruction. Washington, D.C: National Comprehensive
Center for Teacher Quality.
• Shaywitz, S. (2003). Overcoming dyslexia. New York:
Random House.
• Swanson, L. (1999). Interventions for students with
learning disabilities: A meta-analysis of outcomes.
Guilford, New York.
MN RtI Center
References: Articles
• Deno, S., Fuchs, L., Marston, D., & Shin, J. (2001). Using
curriculum based measurement to establish growth
standards for students with learning disabilities. School
Psychology Review, 30(4), 507-524.
• Stecker, P. M. (2007). Tertiary intervention: Using progress
monitoring with intensive services. Teaching Exceptional
Children, 39(5), 50-57.
• Davis, G. N., Lindo, E. J., & Compton, D. L. (2007). Children
at risk for reading failure: Constructing an early screening
measure. Teaching Exceptional Children, 39(5), 32-37.
• Foorman, B. R. (2007) Primary prevention in classroom
reading instruction. Teaching Exceptional Children, 39(5),
24-30.
• Arllington, R. L. (2006). Research and the three tier model.
Reading Today, 23(5), 20.
MN RtI Center
Resources: Websites
• www.cbmnow.com
• www.aimsweb.com
• www.interventioncentral.com
• www.dibels.uoregon.edu
• www.nasponline.org
• www.rti4success.org
• www.rtinetwork.org
• www.reading.uoregon.edu
MN RtI Center
Resources: Websites (Cont’d)
• Florida Center for Reading Research
– www.fcrr.org
• Institute for Education Sciences
– www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ies/index.html
• What Works Clearinghouse
– www.w-w-c.org/
• Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts
– www.texasreading.org
• Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2000).
Report of the national reading panel: Teaching children to
read.
– www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/nrp
• National Research Council on Learning Disabilities, (2003).
Responsiveness to Intervention Symposium.
– www.nrcld.org/html/symposium2003/
MN RtI Center
Activities
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To introduce the topic:
 All Kids Can Learn
 Five Essential Components Bingo
Question-drive framework that provides a real life tool
to help establish a multitiered system
Troubleshooting Guide that provides concrete
example on how to intensify instruction when student
are not responding to instruction at expected rate and
performance
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Quiz
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1.) Fill in the blanks. Multitiered systems are organized
around levels of _______ and ______that are matched
to student _____ and based on _____.
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2.) The basic principle of a multitiered system of
reading instruction is the greater the instructional need
of the student,


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A.) the less the intensity of the instruction and support.
B.) the greater the intensity of the instruction and support.
C.) the intensity of the instruction and support should not
change.
MN RtI Center
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Quiz (cont’d)

3.) The organizing principle(s) of the public health
prevention model is/are
 A.) Earlier rather than later
 B.) Evidence not opinion
 C.) Systems not just classrooms
 D.) Each and all students
 E.) All of the above
MN RtI Center
32
Quiz (cont’d)

4.) True or False? When instruction in the “literacy
diet” is not enough, supplemental or intensive
instruction (e.g. iron pill) should take the place of core
instruction (literacy diet) when targeting area(s) of
need.

5.) True or False? For struggling readers, just making
progress isn’t good enough.
MN RtI Center
33
Quiz (cont’d)
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6.) Explain the difference between the old educational
model and the full continuum of support.
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7.) List some differences between tiers.
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The End 
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Note: The MN RTI Center does not endorse any particular
product. Examples used are for instructional purposes only.
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Special Thanks:
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Thank you to Dr. Ann Casey, director of the MN RTI Center, for
her leadership
Thank you to Aimee Hochstein, Kristen Bouwman, and Nathan
Rowe, Minnesota State University Moorhead graduate
students, for editing work, writing quizzes, and enhancing the
quality of these training materials
MN RtI Center