Tier 2 and Tier 3 Reading Interventions: What They Look Like in Practice

Beginning-of-the-year assessments are complete, which brings MTSS meetings to determine how best to support students in need.

Do they need Tier 2 support? Tier 3? Or maybe just stick with Tier 1?

There’s a lot of confusion out there about what Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 instruction should look like. Many schools try to “fix” student reading gaps by jumping straight to intervention, when in reality the issue often begins at Tier 1. We can’t intervene our way out of inconsistent or weak core instruction.

And here’s the thing - oftentimes, schools say they are implementing interventions, but they are NOT implementing them correctly

In this post, I’ll break down what should actually happen at each tier of support, who is responsible for the instruction, and when students should move between tiers.

The Difference Between Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 Reading Interventions

Tier 1: High-Quality Instruction in the Classroom

Tier 1 instruction refers to the whole group, core instruction that the classroom teacher gives using a core reading program.  This is the instruction that all students receive, which is why students shouldn’t be pulled to receive reading intervention from this instruction.

Tier 2: Strategic Small Group Intervention

Tier 2 is an extra does of strategic instruction and is administered in a small group setting, separate from Tier 1. Some schools build in time for reading intervention into the school-wide master schedule by using “What I Need Time’ (WIN Time) or Walk to Reading.

Tier 3: Intensive, Individualized Reading Intervention

Tier 3 instruction is targeted instruction in either 1:1 or 3:1 setting with a certified reading specialist.  This intensive, individualized instruction only occurs once students have received Tier 2 instruciton for a specified amount of time and was deemed unsuccessful.

Navigating through MTSS Tiers to provide strategic, targeted reading support to help students grow can feel challenging.  Which is why keeping notes on student progress - in real time - is so important.  
Click here to grab my Anecdotal Reading Intervention Note Sheet and stay organized for your next MTSS meeting.