Six Characteristics of Effective Intervention
Most of my career has been teaching students that need extra support. I started my career as a part-time Title I teacher, moved on to being a Reading Recovery Teacher and then working for the University of Minnesota as a PRESS Literacy Specialist. I am well versed in what effective intervention looks like.
Response to Intervention (RTI) also known as Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, is a three tiered system of support designed to help struggling learners in general education settings. Unfortunately in many settings, the triangle is inverted. A small percentage of students are in tier 1 and a large percentage are in tiers 2 and 3. The need for intervention has dramatically increased over the years. That is a topic for another blog post.
What does effective intervention instruction look like? What factors need to be considered? Working as a Reading Recovery teacher for eight years was the best training I could have gotten in regard to effective intervention instruction.
- Short-Term and Intensive
Too often a student is earmarked for intervention and that is where they stay for their elementary education career. If intervention is successful the goal must be to accelerate students rapidly and get them out of intervention instruction quickly. Every minute counts! Instruction needs to be purposeful and impactful DAILY! Students need to be progress monitored weekly and adjustments need to be made to instruction to align with the data.
2. Supplementary
Intervention lessons must be supplemental to strong classroom instruction. This is not a replacement to classroom instruction. This is additional support. This combination of solid classroom instruction coupled with intensive intervention support leads to success.
3. Daily Lessons
Struggling readers need to start feeling confident and successful. One way this can be accomplished is through daily support and encouragement. Daily lessons will give momentum and acceleration is made possible. These daily lessons need to be a priority even during distance learning.
4. Low Teacher to Student Ratio
If you look at how guided reading book sets are sold, they are in sets of 6 books. This is intentional to help keep small groups small. In an intervention situation the teacher to student ratio needs to be even less, 1:3 or 1:4 is recommended. Struggling students need support that is deliberate and targeted to their individual needs. This can be accomplished much quicker in a smaller group setting.
5. Taught by an Expert Teacher
Teachers of struggling students should be highly trained and the most skilled teachers. Often, school districts will place teaching assistants or paraprofessionals in these roles expecting huge gains because students are receiving more time. Time alone is not the cure for struggling readers. Intervention teachers need to be experts in observation of effective reading behaviors and knowledge of how to teach strategic problem solving so these students can become proficient readers.
6. Communication with Classroom and Home
There needs to be a strong communication pipeline between the intervention teacher, classroom teacher and home. When students hear a consistent message between those three areas they will begin to make much needed growth and the goal of acceleration will be accomplished.
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
― Frederick Douglass
The joy is in the journey!
Peace,
Mary
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