Level of Instruction
I
C
E
L
Barrier to
Learning
Hypotheses to Explore During Problem Solving
Consider…
Is instructional-level
curriculum presented to the
student?
Is the student missing
foundational skills in the area
that instruction is presented?
Example of second portion of
hypothesis statement:
Possible RIOT data to collect to
support or refute hypothesis:
(Student) is not (target behavior) because…
R Review
I Interview
Rate of Instruction
Presentation of Instruction
O Observe
T Test
…curriculum content is at a
frustrational level

Survey level assessment
data
Instructional level curriculum should
be presented
…Jane is missing prerequisite skills
for higher level learning.

Analysis of acquisition of
prerequisite skills needed
(e.g., administer early
literacy measures to
determine if these skills
are mastered);
Review earlier grades in
area
Observational data
Targeted instruction in foundational
skills should be provided

Instruction
Possible intervention characteristics
needed:
Is the curriculum presented at
a rate that exceeds the
student’s capacity for
retention?
…curriculum content is presented in
too large of chunks for retention.

Does the student need more
practice and repetition of
material prior to delivery of
higher level material?
…instruction does not provide review
and practice of previously learned
material prior to delivery of higher
level material



Observational data
teacher interview
experimental trials using
strategy
Provide student with time to review
and practice skills from earlier
instruction prior to presentation of
new material
Is the student receiving
frequent enough corrective
feedback?

Error analysis of
permanent products and
observation data
Are learning sessions too long
in duration for the student to
remain actively engaged?
…student does not receive frequent
enough correction of errors and thus
practices incorrectly learned
strategies or content.
…instructional sessions are too long
in duration for student to remain
academically engaged.

Is learning made meaningful
for the student?
…instructional content is not
meaningful for the student.

Observation of academic
engagement during long
and short instructional
units
Student interview
Provide more frequent checks of
student learning and feedback either
corrective or reinforcing about
student learning.
Provide instruction in smaller but
more frequent chunks of time.
Break up instructional presentation
into smaller chunks presented more
frequently (distributed and sustained
practice).
Highlight relevant characteristics of
content to real-world experiences and
how these skills link to higher level
needs (e.g., blending and segmenting
words builds skills for spelling or
Medical Factors
Expectations, Beliefs/Attitudes
about School
Instruction (continued)
Environment
Are directions clarified so that
the student can complete
activities?
Are intrinsic reinforcements
embedded in instructional
presentation?
Are high levels of active
responding to instruction
present?
Is scaffolding and prompting
provided at levels that align
with stages of acquisition of
skills?
Do parents value academics
and learning?
…student does not understand the
directions for completing tasks
presented.
…student does not find efforts are
rewarded.

Student interview and
observation

Student interview
…student is not actively engaged in
the instructional content.

…student is at the acquisition stage
of learning the targeted skill and
scaffolding is cueing student how to
respond more fluently.
…academics are not reinforced
outside the school setting

Observation of active and
passive levels of
instructional engagement
Observation


Parent interview
Social history
Is the parent relationship with
the school favorable?
…parents do not reinforce schools
awareness of student’s needs



Parent interview
Review of records
Social history data
Do peers support academic
success?
…student’s peers do not support
doing well in school.



Student interview
Observation
Record reviews
Are diagnosed illnesses,
syndromes, irritants, allergies,
medication side effects,
impacting the student’s
exposure to instruction (need
to leave classroom for medical
issues, upper respiratory
issues keeping the student
from hearing or attending to
instruction, etc.)?
Are nutrition, hunger-thirst
sleep issues limiting the
…student misses instruction due to
medical or health needs.



Record reviews
Parent interview
Medical records
…student misses academic
instruction due to health distractions.


Observation
Review of records
sounding out unfamiliar.
Clarify and ask student to paraphrase
the steps for completing an
assignment.
Self-monitoring and rewards built in to
gains in skills or accuracy
Include hands-on activities and
physical activity embedded in
instruction
Adjust scaffolding and instruction to
focus on where the student is in the
learning hierarchy (acquisition,
fluency, generalization, adaptation)
Linkages between academics and
future goals and needs should be
reinforced
Work with parents to identify their
needs and find additional time in the
school day to provide student with
supports not available outside the
school
Work with student to identify goal(s)
for his or her own self that can
motivate academic success; find
linkages between academic success
and future goals or community needs.
Provide additional support during the
school day to catch student up on
missed content; provide suggestions
for outside assistance via tutoring or
homework that can increase
opportunities to practice
Provide opportunities to address
health distractions and additional

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
Parent interview
Student interview
Observation
Student interview
Record reviews
Record review of
absences




Survey level assessment
Interviews
Record reviews
Error analysis
…teachers have not had time to
identify if instruction is working for a
student

Record reviews
Allow time to gather data to evaluate
the student’s level of skill and any
gaps or errors in skills
…student is missing exposure to
curriculum content due to frequent
absences

Record review of
absences
Provide time during non-academic
content to provide exposure to missed
content
Does the number of students
in the classroom limit the
student in the delivery of
praise, corrective feedback,
etc?
Does the number of students
in the classroom limit the
student from being exposed
to effective role models in
performance in basic skills?
…student does not receive frequent
enough feedback (corrective or
praise) to know if he or she is
accurate in their learning.

Observation
Provide direct and frequent feedback
to guide student in either correcting
for understanding his or her approach
to a task was accurate
…student does not observe students
perform the skills accurately.


Observation
Interview
Are central necessary skills
receiving high levels of
attention during instruction?
…skills needed by the student for the
targeted instructional tasks do not
receive review and attention prior to
introduction of new material
…skills needed by the student for the
targeted instructional tasks are not
firmly entrenched in the student’s


Observation
Review of materials
Provide role models and thinking out
loud of problem solving steps needed
to complete an instruction task. (e.g.,
allow student to frequently see and
hear examples of fluent reading or
steps in solving a math problem)
Provide review segments of skills that
need to be primed prior to introducing
new content


Survey level assessment
Review of permanent
products
student’s ability to focus on
instruction?
Is the student overly fatigued?
Transience
Attendance
/Tardiness
Curriculum Content
Curriculum
Class Size
Environment (continued)
Has the student missed
instruction due to absences?
Has the student experienced
mis-alignment of curriculum
due to changing schools and
being exposed to different
elements of instruction?
Has the student not attended
a school long enough for
teachers to be able to identify
how the child learns best?
Has the student missed critical
elements or instruction and
pre-requisite skills due to
absences or tardiness?
Is a review of previous and
precursor skills included in the
instructional session?
…student misses instruction due to
fatigue
…student is missing exposure to
curriculum content due to frequent
absences
…student has gaps in skills
remediation time during nonacademic portions of the day
Provide instruction in smaller chunks
and offer alternate times for rest
Provide time during non-academic
content to provide exposure to missed
content
Provide instruction in content that
supports current instruction as well as
in areas that serve as a foundation for
the current or future learning
Provide additional instruction in
precursor skills
Instructional Materials
Organization/Study
Skills
Abilities and
Impairments
Internally vs.
Externally
Motivated
Performance
vs. Skill Deficit
History of
Instruction
Curriculum (Con’t)
Learner
skill set

Are materials used able to
maintain student’s focus and
academic engagement?
…student does not remain engaged
during instruction



Are materials presented at an
instructional level for the
student?
…materials presented are above the
student’s instructional level.



Are gaps in skills or education
identified and aligned with
curriculum?
…skills needed by the student for the
targeted instructional tasks are not
firmly entrenched in the student’s
skill set


Are issues about performance
(won’t do) vs. skill (can’t do)
deficits identified?
…student is not motivated to
complete tasks presented


Survey level assessment
Review of materials
Review of scope and
sequence of instructional
materials
Survey level assessment
Review of permanent
products
Task analysis of current
targeted skills
Observation
Student interview
Are both internal and external
forms of reinforcement tied to
acquisition of skills?
Are reinforcers meaningful to
the student?
Are there any physical,
perceptual, sensory,
impairments impeding the
student’s learning (e.g., failed
vision or hearing, verbal
difficulties responding to
verbally-based tasks)?
Does the student lack
organizational skills?
…student is not internally and/or
externally motivated to acquire skills


Observation
Student interview
…student is not motivated by
reinforcers offered
…student has failed vision screening
and, as a result, is missing exposure
to curriculum and instruction

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Student interview
Reinforcement survey
Record reviews
Medical screening
reports
…student has difficulty organizing
thoughts on paper (e.g., note taking),
which hinders his or her studying
content discussed in class.
…student does not know how to
review and study independently

Review of permanent
product and notes from
class
Student interview
Student interview
Does the student lack study
skills?



Task analysis of current
targeted skills
Observation
Review of materials
Student interview
Provide materials that offer various
presentation dimensions (e.g.,
colorful, hands-on, oral responses,
written responses)
Provide additional instruction using
instructional level materials and preteaching vocabulary and content of
materials presented in classroom
environment
Provide additional instruction in
precursor skills
Establish a self-monitoring, graphing,
and reinforcement system
Establish a reinforcement system to
reward effort, accuracy, and/or
performance on academic tasks
Identify rewards the student would
like to receive
Work with student to identify
alternate avenues along which to
deliver and provide practice on
academic tasks to the student
Provide student with materials to help
organize work (diagrams, study maps).
Provide instruction and guidance in
study skills