Summary of Roadmap and Tips to Use from It

           The article Roadmap to Pre-K RTI: Applying Response to Intervention in Preschool Settings, by Mary Ruth Coleman, Froma Roth, and Tracey West, first briefly explains that RTI is an initiative that is designed to support all students and includes giving more help to the students who are not at the average developmental level. While this is especially used for “school—aged children”, adapting RTI to help pre-school children is beneficial because it lets teachers know where the children are at developmentally sooner. However for this to be effective it has to be administered “rigorously”. Along with the typical RTI, Pre-K RTI shares certain commonalities such as having a tiered instruction, a quality-learning environment, ongoing assessments and family involvements. Along with these tactics there needs to a “holistic view” of the students, assessments in naturalistic settings, and collaboration with other professionals (such a therapists) and especially parents.

            There are five examples in this article of Pre-K RTI being implemented into different schools around the country. The first implementation is called Recognition & Response (R&R). The main components to R&R has to do with recognizing where the students are at developmentally, responding by providing an adapted curriculum to fit the needs of the students and collaborating with guardians and specialists. However to get an ideal on how effective R&R is, “additional research is needed”. The Literacy Partnership (TLP) is a three-year program the uses a three-tier model focusing on language difficulties. Like RTI the tiers get more intense.  The challenges TLP still struggles with include lack of trained teachers, questionable data being used, and assurances that this project will be sustained long-term.  The Center for Response to Intervention in Early Childhood (CRTIEC) aims to produce components, such as more efficient assessment/ intervention tools, for RTI models to thrive. Certain challenges that occur with this model making sure that the cost for the programs are reasonable, and that there is enough resources to control the programs. One main component for the next program entitled Rockford Early Childhood Program (RECP) is “empowering” the students in a “quality” learning environment, while also using the RTI methods (screening, assessment, ect…).  To help make this program more successful RECP needs to attain more pre-school resources, and involving parents. The last program (Colorado State Department of Education (CSDE) uses a three-tiered model like RTI but focuses on family involvement on all tiers. This program wants classrooms staffed with various professionals but their challenges include finding funds, time, and staff to participate in this.

            Roadmaps concludes with rehashing the key components to Pre-K RTI, which include a tiered model, assessments, collaborative support from faculty and guardians. In order for this to be successful it has to have unified findings, pre-school delivery services, and quality teachers. There are certain steps that need to be implemented for this program to be successful. It ranges from ensuring administrative support to establishing an RTI team, to setting reasonable expectations to collecting data. By doing these steps, students have a better chance to become successful in their lives.

            At my Head Start there are quite a few children who in my opinion would truly benefit from the Pre-K RTI. One student, who I will call Colby, becomes intense and angry when things do not work for him. This includes not knowing an answer, or not being able to participate because it is not his turn. To find out how to help Colby I would try to find out why he gets upset when things go wrong. I would try to incorporate asking questions and writing them down. For example I will ask Colby when he gets upset why he is getting upset. Then I will ask him what he thinks will make it better. This will provide a starting point for the teachers to adapt how to teach him and assess how to help him. Getting information on his home life will help too. I have already done this to an extent and found out that his biological father had suffered through bipolar problems. Knowing this teacher can research how to start helping Colby work out his problems. Starting early will help him when he gets older.

            Reading Roadmaps I found useful tips from the RECP program. A main component was about empowering their students in a quality learning environment. To do this in the classroom the teachers as well as myself should always talk to Colby in a way that is positive and in a sense proud of the good things he does. By Colby getting upset when things go wrong we can try to provide an atmosphere that lets him know that the good things he does matters. When something does not go right or when he does something that is not progressive, we should let him know what the right thing to do is and also stay optimistic. By letting Colby know that we believe in him I think he will be able to feel more comfortable about talking things such literacy, and math.

         At this moment Colby’s anger seems to halt his progression. This happened a few times when he tried to distinguish the letters in his own name. When he did not know he would not try, I believe that he stopped trying because failing was making him angry. One thing that the teachers and myself can do is take the feeling of failure out of the way. This can be done by simply saying that it was a good try in a genuine, excited way. Then I will state the correct answer. At this stage I can also guide Colby to the right answer in a way that he still feels like he accomplished that task. For example if he is trying to locate his journal that only has his name on the front, the teachers and I can look at his binder and start to sound out his name. Once he catches on, he will choose that binder and we night say “good job” or “way to go”.

            As I am writing down different procedures I can use for Colby, I am realizing that his anger might be related to an early stage of self-esteem problems. His anger stems from not accomplishing and not being able to do activities. One easy procedure we could do for Colby is very simple but I feel it will be effective. Writing anecdotes and good deeds that the children do are already being done at Head Start. For Colby we can keep the anecdotes near us at all times. When he struggles with accomplishing a task or starts to misbehave, we can refer back to past times when he did do a good job. For example, if he is trying to state what the first letter in his name is we can say “do you remember last week? I think you choose…. B. Does that sound right?” This helps him remember that what he has done he can do again.

            The procedure that I think will help Colby the most is collaborating with his mom. I have already found out that she is a big part of his life and that she is willing to help when she can. Over time we have found out that Colby has a problem distinguishing letters and sounds. As teachers we can ask the mom to do a similar activity at home. For example in class we may play Letter Sound BINGO. At first we would start as a whole class then move to smaller groups to help those who struggle more. When doing this activity with Colby, we would give him positive feedback, remove failing from this game (by guiding him to the correct answer if we have to), and reminding him that he can do this. Then we will send him home with the game and ask him to play it at least one time. If he gets it right the teachers will give him a small prize. We would have already talked to his mother at this point and she would hypothetically be willing to do this. By achieving at school and at home he would hopefully gain confidence in himself.

Common Questions About RTI and a Future Teacher's Answers

The following are common questions about Response to Intervention and a future teacher’s answers. The answers I provide are to my best ability and also base partially on my opinion on what I feel is the most important. I implore further research if my answers do not satisfy the reader.

Question” Why wouldn’t all teacher want to incorporate RTI?

Like everything, there are always cons. Unfortunately the two main problems with RTI have noting to do with how effective it is. I feel the detriments to RTI are how expensive it is and how much time is required. RTI cost money. While this is a very helpful program, it is not required for schools to purchase it. The schools that cannot afford will left without this great tool. The other detriment is time. A lot of time goes into finding out what each individual student needs to progress in a classroom. There is a lot of recording, observation, and adapting.

Question: How much training is required to understand RTI?

Understanding RTI is a lot like understanding teaching. There is no specific amount. There is always something more to learn. There are articles and courses to help. A teacher may also realize that she is already using some form of RTI in the classroom.

Question: Are the tiers a statewide thing or are they a basic principle to RTI?

Having tiers or levels is a basic principle however a school can make adjustments based on what they feel will work best for their students.

Question: How can parents collaborate with teachers to make RTI happen?

Like many things advocating RTI is one of the best ways to make it happen if it is not already. Parents should first research RTI so that they have solid evidence and background on this methodology. The they should talk to there child’s teacher, their principal, the school board and/or higher. If the parents and the teacher both agree and unify in advocating, there is a better chance changes will happen.

Question: Do parents get open access to their children’s records?

Yes. Collaborating with parents is a big part of RTI. Gaining insight to the student’s records can come in the form of progress reports, conferences, and more.

Question: Is RTI just for reading?

It is mostly for reading, but it can be used for other areas as well such as math, physical skills, and even cooking skills. The same rules apply (recording, observing, adapting).

Question: How much data is needed to decide whether or not a child needs to move up a tier?

It truly depends. It starts with Curriculum-Based Measurement and is backed by other data that a teacher has collected. This data includes the records and observations. One thing is true however and that is as a teacher goes up in tier, the amount of data needed goes up as well. (The amount of data: Tier 1< Tier 2< Tier 3)

Question: Does RTI apply to behavior as well?

Yes. There is something called Positive Behavior Support. This means it tries to prevent inappropriate behaviors through teaching appropriate behaviors. An article entitled Response to Intervention and Positive Behavior Support: 

Brothers from Different Mothers or Sisters from Different Misters?  will be helpful for further information.

Question: If this is a practice, how come the government does not fund it?

The best answer for this question is the government is only required to provide free and appropriate education, not excellent education. RTI is therefore considered excellent education.

Question: What is the difference between RTI and tracking?

RTI has evidence to put children in categories and works to move them higher in academic levels. Tracking tends to use assumptions to put a child in a specific group (based on wealth, gender, ethnicity, ect…) and does not plan on moving a child up an academic level.

RoadMap

The document entitled Roadmap to Pre-K RTI: Applying Response to Intervention in Preschool Settings is simply another good resource to help anyone gain further understanding to RTI. It gives practical information and 5 examples of schools implementing Pre-K RTI.

Further Information on Curriculum Based Measurement

When I wrote my last post, I was still shaky on the subject of CBM. After talking to a professional I attained more insight and now have a better understanding of what CBM is.  Now there are a few key things learned that includes understanding the word "standardized". I have seen this word in the article The ABC's of CBM: A Practical Guide to Curriculum-Based Measurement many times but I could not get a grip on what it was. Now I knowthat this term stands for the same everywhere. If I take a standardized test in Indiana, students in Gary Indiana and Grand Forks North Dakota will take the same test. This is like the SAT as far is being the same test everywhere it is taken. This is different than a curriculum-based assessment because CBA's are different at each school. I also learned that CBM's are the generic term of different standardized tests a school can purchase. (The fact that it is a money making organization was also something else that I learned.) An example of a particular assessment is called DIBELS. One key part of CBM that I understand now is that you can have CBM without RTI but not RTI without CBM. The reason for this is CBM is the missing piece of RTI. As far as my understanding goes, if you do not have this piece you do not have the whole "pie" of RTI. If RTI is a method that provides students with assistance, CBM lets the teacher know who is in trouble. The last important thing that I learned was that CBM focuses on the basic area or the three R's. This is why the standardized assessments do not primarily go past the fifth grade. However if someone in the 7th grade only has a 2nd grade reading level, CBM assessments can be used to track progress.

CBM: What it is and Why it Should be Used

            A teacher’s goal is to have their students understand curriculum based subjects as well as moral teachings. The success of a student depends on how well she understands subjects and passes regulated tests. What makes this goal hard is that not every student learns at the same pace, or through the same directions. Teachers have to adapt their lesson plans to be able to meet the needs of their individual students. To do this they need to keep track of where their students are in understanding the material. This is where Curriculum-Based Measurement helps the teacher.           

            Simply put, CBM is an assessment tool that helps teachers know where their students are in understanding the curriculum. To keep track of their student’s statistics, CBM has many tools to make this task easier. For example it comes with standard directions as well as standards to judge a child’s performance. The directions tell the students exactly what to do on the assessment, which is similar to something that the children are already doing in class. The performance standards tell the teacher exactly what the answers are and where the students should be.  The other materials include a timing device, materials, and charts listing the scores of the students. A scenario where CBM is used entails giving the students 30 seconds to read 7 sentences aloud. The performance standards would state the ranking of all the scores.  For example getting through all the sentences with 0 to 7 mistakes or reading 5 sentences with no mistakes is average. The same assessment would be given periodically (weekly, bi-weekly) to each of the students. The teachers will write the scores in there records . Then the teachers will adapt their lesson plans to help the individual students get to where they need to be. This will continue over time using the same assessment until the teachers get their students to where they need to be and also as close to on the same page as possible. One way of looking at how and why the teachers adapt their plans is by saying “a means to an end”.

           There are many reasons why CBM should be used. Three reasons that I feel are the most important include the term alignment. This strictly means that the assessments are the same and the answers/goals of the assessment are the same. The next reason is CBM has the answers clearly defined. There should be almost no confusion as to what the answers represent. For example reading 7 sentences aloud with 0 to 7 mistakes is the average score for students at this time. Lastly CBM is efficient. The assessment can be given quickly and the records are direct and thorough. Assessing the scores of the students is as black and white as possible.

The goals of a teacher are important. Achieving those goals is equally important. Since CBM is effective, efficient, and easy, teachers should use this tool to help educate their students.

Article 7's Essential Components

1

            The Alphabetic Principle is the first and most basic area of reading. This area constitutes knowing the twenty-six upper/lower case letters, and the sounds that go with each letter. This area is important because this is where reading print begins. Children have to recognize the letters and their associated sounds if they are going to continue developing their literary knowledge. To assess how much they know in this area, the caregiver can ask for the names of the letters he shows to the student, and ask her to pronounce the letter sounds. There are a variety of instructional tactics to teach or help students learn this area. This can include bringing out letter identification cards for the students to name, provide “letters of the day” where the teacher not only presents the letter but also goes over its attributes, and practice pronounce letters through songs.

            These tactics are a few that I am a fan of and I plan on using them with students who need help. One other strategy I will work on with my students is letter comparisons. Many young children have a problem with recognizing similar looking letter like b and d. In games that I do I will usually always include letters like these. Games are a good way for students to learn. I wish my Head Start would take advantage of using games to educate children. This Head Start does not allow structured learning. It needs to be play-based. So in order to do that we as teachers can come up with games such as the letter match game. The teacher flips at least seven sets of letter over and the kids have to find the matches. I can add rules such as they have to name the letters they turn over to continue.

2

            Phonemic Awareness elevates slightly in difficulty. This tactic is similar to The Alphabetic Principle however the main focus here is being able to recognize and blend the sounds of letters into different patters.  This becomes very helpful because words are made of different blends and patterns of letters. A tricky part to this also has to do with different combinations of words making the same sounds (i.e. know and no). There are many different assessments for Phonemic Awareness. Simple assessments include having students recognize vowels/consonants and produce rhyming words. Assessments that increase in difficulty include asking the students to pick out the which word rhyme out of a group (ex. fix, far, car, can), pick out different choose words that are not like the rest (ex. an, at, fish), and even deconstruct word into sounds (ex. bat = “b”-“a”-“t”).

            There are a lot of ways to teach this tactic that range from formal teaching such as explaining what constitutes as a rhyme and give examples to less formal methods. As a first grade teacher I plan on using both methods but I feel as if I instruct by using play-based activities, the information will resonate with the students more. For example instead of simply stating examples of rhymes, I might make a rhythm by clapping my hands and having the students do what I do. It might be something like “’toe’ rhymes with ‘no’ (clap)(clap), ‘scrub’ rhymes with ‘rub’ (clap)(clap)”. This activity would work well in groups or one-on-one and both ways are beneficial.

3

            Oral Reading Fluency is a skill that helps the students prove to their teachers that they are able to read aloud. The definition What K-3 Teachers Need to Know About Assessing Children’s Reading states, “Fluency includes reading text quickly, accurately, and with intonations. I repeated this definition because before I summarize this skill I want to make special mention of an important word that is left out. The word is smooth. Fluency reminds me of a similar sounding word fluid. Like fluid a key part of fluency is that the words spoken are supposed to “flow” smoothly. Pauses or breaks detract for reading aloud and also listening to someone reading. I do not believe reading fluently can happen without reading smoothly.

            Being fluent in reading is arguably one of the most important aspects of reading. It is a central measure in Curriculum-Based Measurement, and is a popular/ important way for teachers to assess how far along a student is in reading. By listening to students teachers get a good idea if the words are not only coming out correctly but also being processed in the mind as well. The simplest way to assess how fluent a student is in reading is to simply have the student read to the teacher. As far as instructing an individual on how to read fluently, a teacher can have the student read along with the class, repeat the teacher, and read a passage silently followed by reading the same passage aloud. Like the previous two skills, I think students would be helped more by practicing this skill in groups and one-on-one with a teacher. Personally I feel one-on-one practice will allow the skill to resonate more with the student. An example of an activity that I might do to help reading would be to have the student repeat what and how I say something. For example I would say a sentence and the student would repeat. Then I would say the same sentence in a high voice and the student would do the same. I would do a few more voices then end on saying that sentence in our normal voices. I feel like this activity would be a little fun and memorable.

4

            Memorizing and repeating words are not enough when it comes to learning how to read. A student has to Comprehend or understand what the text is trying to say. Without connecting to the text being read, the information in the text will not be of any use. Comprehension is not a simple concept when it comes to young readers. However teachers can assess if the students are on the right path to comprehension by asking the students to retell what is written, discuss key ideas in the readings and answer questions about what has just been written.

            This can be tricky for teachers not only when it comes to dealing with students who are not able to grasp the context as well as the other students, but also when it comes to a student not enjoying what is being read. As teacher I feel we should try to always find something interesting for them to read. That is the kind of things that stick in a person’s mind. I really like what the reading suggested. It suggested teaching this by using analogies. I could have a student read, “The classroom was empty.” Then I would ask the student to say that statement in a different way. Using picture books is also a good way to build comprehension because it has the students step into the place of the characters and become aware of their motives and actions.

5

            The last skill What K-3 Teachers Need to Know About Assessing Children’s Reading talks about is vocabulary. The essential skill entails that the students be able to identify, know the meaning of, and be able to use words. In my mind comprehension is not possible without this skill because in order to connect and understand text, a person has to know the words that make the story. Teachers do urge kids to practice this skill so that the students can increase their ability to read more difficult texts. To assess how much a student knows in this area, the teacher can have the kids take word-recognition tests either aloud, on paper, or on the computer.

            When thinking about how to teach vocabulary a teacher can use formal-based methods or activity-based methods. Personally I think it is equally important to use both methods to teach this skill. Using methods such as posting words on the walls and having the students repeatedly recite the definitions is a good way to get them started in learning the vocabulary. This is a direct and simple method. However after this, the teacher has to try to keep the students interested in maintaining the information by using activities. Some examples of activities include giving the children crossword puzzles, or ask them to write poetry using certain vocabulary words.

The Students as Top Priority

Response to Instruction should be used in every classroom because it puts each individual student as top priority. This is as it should be. The goal of a teacher is to unlock their student's potential and give them the tools they need to succeed in society and life.
In order to do this we have to assess our students early on to get a feel for what it is they can do. Since every student is different, there will be those who struggle and those who are not challenged by the assessment that is given. This is why teaching only by state standards will not do. State standards include information that an average student "should" know. This leaves out students on one side that will not be challenged and those who will struggle with the material given. What the RTI model does instead is have the teacher carefully chose questions and topics that will be differentiated to meet the needs of all the students. Those who struggle will get the help they need throughout the year and those who need to be challenged more will get that as well.
To be effective, teachers can not only rely on what the report cards say. Every school day poses new obstacles students need to conquer. Some will pass, some will struggle, and some will not even see an obstacle. Teacher's need to keep track of this throughout the whole year by taking notes, keeping records of individual students progress, and adapting their curriculum accordingly. By doing this, each student will get the necessary amount of help they need to pass their "obstacles". 
Using this model is not always easy for the teacher. The teachers has to research methods, keep track of how each student is doing, record their observations, adapt their lesson plans, and collaborate with other teachers who might have good solutions. This time will be worth the effort however because this will get teachers one step toward their goal.