Tiers of Support in Education

 

 

In education, the terms Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 refer to different levels of intervention and support that students may require to achieve academic success. These tiers also represent levels of prevention.

                                                                 

Tier 1: Primary Support

Tier 1 involves universal efforts applied to all students to foster optimal learning outcomes. During Tier 1 instruction, teachers utilize scientifically researched programs and evidence-based practices, curricula, and strategies that have been proven effective for the majority of learners.

 

Tiers 2 and 3

While you can read about Tiers 2 and 3 below, it’s important to note that these interventions are typically not necessary for teaching children how to decode and blend—this is the primary issue for students who need Tier 2 and 3 support.

 

In any Tier 2 intervention class, you'll often find that the children struggle with decoding and blending. If you test them on the sounds of letters, you’ll discover they pronounce all letters with extraneous sounds. This issue persists even in schools that teach the correct letter sounds from the beginning of grade 1. LINK

 

The Underlying Issue

Does anyone consider why this happens? I have been explaining this for over a decade. Many children learn incorrect letter sounds from television programs broadcast in over 100 countries, as well as from YouTube videos. Teachers are also influenced by these programs, leading them to teach the wrong sounds in kindergarten.

 

For over a century, it has been emphasized that initial input is crucial, yet educators worldwide have not taken action to address this issue. It is evident that this problem is perpetuated by design. LINK

 

If we are using scientifically researched programs in Tier 1, why is there a need for Tiers 2 and 3 for decoding and blending?

    Tier 2: Secondary—efforts applied for selected students in a targeted manner to reduce or eliminate learning difficulties as soon as they are identified

    Tier 3: Tertiary—efforts applied in response to significant and chronic learning problems to improve student success as much as possible. It may be used for students for whom all other methods of intervention have not been effective.