The RTI method is fully described in the article reading for today. It talks about the tiers that are discussed. In the first tier all children are included in the classroom. In the second tier children are pulled that are havng trouble understanding the material that is being overed. The tiers then go further up with fewer students thta are being weeded out. As they move farther up the pyramid children are receiving more help with the areas that they are struggling in.
The base model of the RTI model is used for the entire classroom. The article explains that most teachers are already implementing this into their classroom. This would just mean the normal classroom procedures and curriculum are already in place and that no real changes have been made. It is in the tier that a teacher would notice that some children are starting to struggle. This would then trigger her to start implementing methods to help them.
In the tiers that follow, teachers will startimplementing methods that will help children. This would mean that they would start using the CBM to assess the children based on the curriculum that is already in place. At this point, a teacher would be able to see that certain children are falling behind in reading (mainly). At this point the teacher would start working COLLABORATIVELY with other teachers, administration, and the parents to help the child. All of these individuals would work together to see what modifications can be made to help the child in school and when they are at home.
I really feel that there are children in my head start that would benefit from RTI. I think that the teachers do ot realize that they are already putting the base model into place just by using the basic curriculum. Analyzing the problem would be the first step that needs to be used. The teacher needs to be aware of what the issue is and how they are prepared to handle it. The next step would to be to use CBM. I think that this would benefit the children because again, they are pulling the testing material from what is already being used in the classroom. I next think that modifictaions should be made. The teacher would be able to see that the child may be having trouble with phonics and will be able to zone in on the problem area. I think that the collaberation part of RTI is useful next. The teacher needs to make all other involved aware of the changes that are being made so that everyone else will be able to follow in this step. The last thing would be to have FORMATIVE assessments done throughout the year. This will allow the child to focus on things that they have recently discussed and not materials from a long time ago. This would also allow the teacher to see periodically if certain modifications are working or if others need to be made.
I have learned so much from this class and the articles that we have read. I really feel that many modifications could be made in my head start room. if these are made then I feel that the children will be able to move forward in their learning process and succeed in the classroom!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Real Classroom Experiences
If you were a first grade teacher and noticed that a student was struggling, what would you do? Would you follow the advice of a colleague and just say they were a "late bloomer" and would catch up next year?
If I had a student in my classroom that was struggling I would never put the problem off as a “brain maturation issue” and just let the teacher they had next year worry about. It is my job as that child’s teacher to do all I can to help them. If I knew a child was struggling, it would be time for me to implement some changes to my curriculum. First, I would find books that were on a level slightly lower than what other children may be reading because I want to challenge my students, not overwhelm them with unrealistic expectations. I would then introduce the child to phonics. As we have discussed in class, children that are struggling will be more likely to succeed with phonics then trying whole language practices. I would give the class worksheets to practice what they were learning, but break down the “poor early reader’s” worksheets into a phonics type of exercise. I saw that the child was improving; I would gradually make the worksheets harder until they were at a more fitting reading level. I would try to not pull the student out of my classroom because I would want to try group work were these children that were struggling could also be offered help and support from their peers. As I have mentioned in class, peer interaction is very important to me. I would do all I could to ensure success for EVERY child in my classroom.
Skill Level Learning with Late Bloomers
What is the primary skill poor early readers are lacking?
Phonemic awareness was the critical skill that seemed to be lacking in the poor early readers. “Phonemic awareness is the understanding that words are made up of sounds which can be assembled in different ways to make different words” (Time4Learning). Many children were having trouble just sounding out words as they tried to read them in texts. As the article mentions, researchers believed that the problem stemmed from decoding. They believed that the children did not understand the sounds that letters could make when they were arranged differently to make certain words. As we have all seen in field studies, children do struggle with decoding what sound a letter makes in certain words. The children from this study were tested in the first grade and did not reach the “ceiling” of test scores until they reached the third grade. This would mean that these children were already two years behind their peers that were not struggling in the first place.
Phonemic awareness was the critical skill that seemed to be lacking in the poor early readers. “Phonemic awareness is the understanding that words are made up of sounds which can be assembled in different ways to make different words” (Time4Learning). Many children were having trouble just sounding out words as they tried to read them in texts. As the article mentions, researchers believed that the problem stemmed from decoding. They believed that the children did not understand the sounds that letters could make when they were arranged differently to make certain words. As we have all seen in field studies, children do struggle with decoding what sound a letter makes in certain words. The children from this study were tested in the first grade and did not reach the “ceiling” of test scores until they reached the third grade. This would mean that these children were already two years behind their peers that were not struggling in the first place.
Two Different Theories?
In your own words, please compare and contrast the developmental lag theory and the "early reading weakness as a skill deficit" theory.
I had heard the term “late bloomers” but never really taken its possibly meaning into context. There are so many students that could fall behind in a classroom if, as a teacher, I am not looking for early signs. As mentioned in the article, the main difference between developmental lag and skill deficit theory is that the developmental lag theory based that the brain would mature and that any intervention at an early stage would not be necessary. The skill deficit theory argued that waiting could ultimately hinder the learning of the child further and that steps needed to be taken at a young age or as soon as possible. The commonality between the two is that there has been a recognized struggle with a student’s reading and teachers and parents alike see that a child may need help in the future.
My assessment of these theories came from the article, "Waiting Rarely Works: Late Bloomer Usually Just Wilt."
I had heard the term “late bloomers” but never really taken its possibly meaning into context. There are so many students that could fall behind in a classroom if, as a teacher, I am not looking for early signs. As mentioned in the article, the main difference between developmental lag and skill deficit theory is that the developmental lag theory based that the brain would mature and that any intervention at an early stage would not be necessary. The skill deficit theory argued that waiting could ultimately hinder the learning of the child further and that steps needed to be taken at a young age or as soon as possible. The commonality between the two is that there has been a recognized struggle with a student’s reading and teachers and parents alike see that a child may need help in the future.
My assessment of these theories came from the article, "Waiting Rarely Works: Late Bloomer Usually Just Wilt."
Frequently asked questions about RTI!
Q: Why would one school do RTI and another would not?
A: There is a perception that there is a lot of work associated with using RTI. Many times schools may have a lot of veteran teachers that find older methods to be working in their classroom and feel they do not need to change the set up.
Q: How much more teaching training is needed to understand RTI?
A: Actually, many methods used in RTI are already being implemented in the classroom through regular instruction. I have found that "Article 7" is a very useful tool in understanding Indiana's outlook on Special Education laws!
Q: Are the tiers a statewide thing or basic principals?
A: The tiers are just basic principal but many school will make different generalizations based on what works for their curriculum.
Q: Why wouldn't all teachers want to do RTI?
A: Much like question #1, teachers may feel that there would be a lot of extra work involved in this process. They may also feel that they are not well equipped to handle RTI, when again, they may already be modeling different steps in their classroom right now.
Q:How can parents collaborate with teachers to make RTI happen?
A: The biggest thing that parents can do is be honest about the struggles that they are seeing at home. This will help the teacher to understand where certain problems may arise and also allow for the parent and teacher to work through ideas that will work both in the classroom and at home!
Q: Do parents get open access to their students' records?
A: Absolutely! Teachers should be sending home reports and graphs that monitor the progress that the student is making so that collaboration between school and home can be as strong as possible!
Q: Is RTI just for reading?
A: No; many times RTI is commonly used for reading but it can be used in any academic or possible behavior issue that may arise. But more commonly you would see this used in reading at the Elementary level.
Q: Does this apply to behavior?
A: Yes, RTI is a great system that can monitor behavior and the issues that arise most often. There are methods that can assist through the different tiers, such as PBS (Positive Behavior Support).
Q: How does this differ from tracking?
A: RTI is used to HELP the student succeed. Tracking labels a child from the beginning as a child with issues that may be beyond their control and therefor would keep them from being a part of the class! Tracking is something that will ultimately alienate a student from their peers while RTI will help them get back on track!
Q: This seems to require a lot more staff. Does this hold it back?
A: There is a perception that more staff would need to be hired but this is not the case. It is actually more beneficial that the classroom teacher do all the assessments since they are the one that spends the most time with the student. The CBM tests that would be used are fast and the teacher would be able to get through the entire class in under an hour if kept moving!
A: There is a perception that there is a lot of work associated with using RTI. Many times schools may have a lot of veteran teachers that find older methods to be working in their classroom and feel they do not need to change the set up.
Q: How much more teaching training is needed to understand RTI?
A: Actually, many methods used in RTI are already being implemented in the classroom through regular instruction. I have found that "Article 7" is a very useful tool in understanding Indiana's outlook on Special Education laws!
Q: Are the tiers a statewide thing or basic principals?
A: The tiers are just basic principal but many school will make different generalizations based on what works for their curriculum.
Q: Why wouldn't all teachers want to do RTI?
A: Much like question #1, teachers may feel that there would be a lot of extra work involved in this process. They may also feel that they are not well equipped to handle RTI, when again, they may already be modeling different steps in their classroom right now.
Q:How can parents collaborate with teachers to make RTI happen?
A: The biggest thing that parents can do is be honest about the struggles that they are seeing at home. This will help the teacher to understand where certain problems may arise and also allow for the parent and teacher to work through ideas that will work both in the classroom and at home!
Q: Do parents get open access to their students' records?
A: Absolutely! Teachers should be sending home reports and graphs that monitor the progress that the student is making so that collaboration between school and home can be as strong as possible!
Q: Is RTI just for reading?
A: No; many times RTI is commonly used for reading but it can be used in any academic or possible behavior issue that may arise. But more commonly you would see this used in reading at the Elementary level.
Q: Does this apply to behavior?
A: Yes, RTI is a great system that can monitor behavior and the issues that arise most often. There are methods that can assist through the different tiers, such as PBS (Positive Behavior Support).
Q: How does this differ from tracking?
A: RTI is used to HELP the student succeed. Tracking labels a child from the beginning as a child with issues that may be beyond their control and therefor would keep them from being a part of the class! Tracking is something that will ultimately alienate a student from their peers while RTI will help them get back on track!
Q: This seems to require a lot more staff. Does this hold it back?
A: There is a perception that more staff would need to be hired but this is not the case. It is actually more beneficial that the classroom teacher do all the assessments since they are the one that spends the most time with the student. The CBM tests that would be used are fast and the teacher would be able to get through the entire class in under an hour if kept moving!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
CBM Now and Then!
When I was first asked to answer questions on Curriculum Based Measurement, I found this a daunting task! I thought that CBM was something that not every teacher would be able to do. I thought that teachers would have to have so much extra training and wondered how this would be possible on limited school budgets. My biggest concern however, was the fact that I thought students were being given assessments on curriculum that they may not have already known about!
I was pleased to find out that CBM is a test that any teacher would be able to give. It would have to do with material that has already been covered in class. This does not mean that the student has already seen the assessment but that they will have seen the initial curriculum in the classroom. I was very pleased that this seems to be an easy task for any teacher to complete that would not take a large amount out of busy class time. These assessments can be as short as one minute in length. It is amazing that teachers would be able to see that a student is struggling in such a short assessment. This would be effective in the classroom because the teacher will see sooner that a student is struggling and will be able to get them the help that they need right away!
I was pleased to find out that CBM is a test that any teacher would be able to give. It would have to do with material that has already been covered in class. This does not mean that the student has already seen the assessment but that they will have seen the initial curriculum in the classroom. I was very pleased that this seems to be an easy task for any teacher to complete that would not take a large amount out of busy class time. These assessments can be as short as one minute in length. It is amazing that teachers would be able to see that a student is struggling in such a short assessment. This would be effective in the classroom because the teacher will see sooner that a student is struggling and will be able to get them the help that they need right away!
Pre- School RTI!
Many people think that Response to Intervention can only be done in upper level grade school and beyond. I have attached an article that shows easy steps that teachers can use in lower grade levels to start intervention in the classroom! This article offers great tips for teachers that may be struggling with how to intervene at such a young age!
Follow this link! ---> https://resources.oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/group/FA11-BL-EDUC-E351-2306/Rebecca_s%20Stuff/Week%207/W7.%20Roadmap%20to%20PreK%20RTI.pdf
Follow this link! ---> https://resources.oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/group/FA11-BL-EDUC-E351-2306/Rebecca_s%20Stuff/Week%207/W7.%20Roadmap%20to%20PreK%20RTI.pdf
Curriculum Based Measurement and Taking your Temperature?
In class I learned about Curriculum Based Measurements. This CBM would have to do with students that you feel are struggling in the classroom. As teachers, we are always assessing children on what they know about the material being covered. What I found interesting was that CBM is used in such a simple way. I would like to present an analogy that I found helpful. When you got the doctor (no matter the reason) your temperature is always taken. This is a short, quick test that is done to see a result. This result does not say exactly why you are sick but it does let the doctor know if you are having issues. This is exactly what CBM is! These are tests that are done that will tell a teacher right away if there is an issue, say with reading. This test does not tell the teacher exactly what the issue with reading may be, but that intervention may be needed. What I learned is that these tests are done on material that is already being presented in the classroom, so all children have the same advantages!
Let's look at 5 different areas of reading instruction and WHY they are important!
The alphabetic principle was one topic we covered in class that seemed to be very difficult for children. This is the idea that children can place letters together and know that they make different sounds in different contexts. This is something that I really feel that children struggle with. We discussed in class that many times children think that a certain letter such as “c” would make a hard “ca” sound and when used in other words it sounds like an “s” sound. This is something that younger children struggle with because they are learning to make sense of letters and working on their spelling. It is really important that children learn the difference because years down the road they will concentrate on harder words to spell and will need to know that necessarily sounding words out may not help them since letters can make different noises.
To assess this principle many times teachers will do spelling words with letters that are similar but make different noises. Teachers will explain to the children then difference in the letter and its sounds and then have them practice it on their own. I think some instructional options would be having the children work in groups so that their peers can help with the sounds of letters. Some children pick this up more quickly and will be able to explain why it is this way in a more “child friendly” fashion. I think that also not mixing the lessons with letter sounds would be helpful. If you know that letters can have different sounds then teach them at different times with younger children so that you are not confusing the children.
A lesson plan I would use would be a game. I think that the children could all choose a letter with multiple sounds, like the letter C and then draw pictures of a word using the different sounds. They could then quiz other members of the class. This would help the children to visually see a difference in pictures and sounds and would give them a fun way to learn. I think that if we are always doing the kill and drill method then we will lose children that do not feel as engaged in the lesson.
Phonemic awareness is the basic idea of hearing the multiple sounds in a word. This would be being able to see that a word like cat is three spate sounds. This is useful for younger children that are learning to spell. It shows them that there are multiple sounds and therefore multiple letters that they would want to recognize. This is also the practice where children would be able to recognize vowels or rhyming words. At their young age many books are in rhyming form to help with this principle and it would give these children a head start in learning to read words to eventually read books with rhyming words in the sentences.
Teachers assess this principle by using nursery rhymes in books. This gives children a chance to hear words and separate the sounds that the letters are making. It would help them to hear key differences in the sounds that letters make in certain words. Some instructional options would be to make a game of rhyming. One team would come up with a word and then the other team would be awarded points based on how many words they could rhyme with the original word. It could also work with the teacher giving a word and then two teams working together to come up with as many rhyming words as they could.
I have not seen this practice in my field placement. There are books that have rhyming words in them and the children really seem to like them. I have not seen the teachers really put this idea into practice though. I think a good lesson plan would be the teacher reading book that has rhyming words in it and engaging the children in discussion about the word and what parts of it rhyme with the previous word. This would again engage the children in active participation and group teamwork with their peers.
Oral reading fluency is the idea that children can read a fast pace and with fewer mistakes. This would be described as the flow of their reading. We do not want the children to read at an alarming rate but they should be able to get through pages at a decent speed. It is important that children have oral fluency because it will help them to understand what they are reading. They may be very choppy when reading and then get to the end of a page and have no clue what they just read about. We want them to be able to read quickly enough so that sentences are flowing together to create visual representation of what is happening in the story.
Teachers assess this process through running cues. This helps the teacher to see where the weaknesses in the child’s reading are located. This would help the teacher to identify the problem areas and then be able to focus in on where the child needs improvement and administer the help needed. An instructional practice that would help would be the act of repetitiveness. This would mean that a teacher would ask the student to read silently, then read aloud, and then the class could read aloud all together. This would help strengthen the reading fluency of the child and ultimately help the child to have automatic word recognition.
I have not seen this practice take place in my field placement. Right now the children are all too young to really be reading on their own so it is not something that I would be concerned about in the classroom that they are in. The teachers do try to read at a pace that the children can keep up with and understand the meaning of the story. With a class this young I think that they could may just start with recognizing the names of other students in the class and maybe putting a book together as a class about each other so they could start identifying names and actions in a context of their daily class routine.
Comprehension is something that can be established at a much younger age. Comprehension is the idea that children are being read a story and then are able to understand what happened and identify the main ideas. It is important that children can do this because it also goes along with instruction. It is important that when a teacher gives instruction that the class understands what she wants done and how they will execute the plan. This would also mean that in stories they would be able to identify main characters and the plot of the story. They would be able to understand why a certain character did what they did in the book and what made them want to make that decision.
Teachers can assess this by asking the children questions as they go through a story. She can be asking them who the characters are and what they think will happen next. If their ideas make sense then she knows that they are able to follow along and know what is happening in the story. Some instructional options for this would be to have questions to give the children before reading and then have them look for the answers in the story as you are reading. This would keep them engaged in the story sense they would be looking for ways in which to answer the questions that you have assigned to them.
My teachers are always doing this when they are reading. They will read stories and then ask the children why a character acted the way that they did. They children are always very excited to answer the questions and hope that they are right. This is also done with instructions. The teacher will tell the children what they are getting ready to do and then ask them to repeat what it is that they are supposed to be doing. A simple lesion plan would be to read a story to the children and then ask them to act it out for you. This would be fun time that they could work with other students and it would give the teacher a chance to see if they could comprehend what they story was about.
Vocabulary is huge for older children. This is the basic idea that children can read and define words that they come across. This is important because as children get older they will have to put words in order the way they can be understood in a sentence and they will need to understand placement. This is assessed with things such as the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. This is a test in which pictures are shown to a children they must match up the words with the known images. Some instructional options would be having spelling words or words that the children would have to define. This would give them the chance to work on certain words and let you as a teacher see where they are struggling.
I have seen this daily in my field placement. The children are given cards that have their pictures on them for choice time. The idea is that the children will have to place their picture in the area where they are engaging in a learning activity. The learning activities are drawn out for them on paper with the descriptive words of what they are doing. This gives the children a chance to visually see what they will be working on. This also has the words next to the picture. Having the word next to the picture would help the children to understand that certain pictures mean certain activities. This would encourage their word recognition.
I think a simple lesson plan could also be placed in a game. The teacher could have certain verb or action words placed throughout the room. The teacher could call out a word and then the children could race to that area of the room. When they got to that area they would then have to “act out” what they word was. This would help the children to recognize these actions words. It would also give the teacher a chance to see which words appeared to be the hardest to recognize and then allow her to set up a plan to help the students understand that concept. I know that all of my lesson plans have been in game form but I strongly believe that children will learn much more efficiently when they are engaged and not just sitting at their desk doing worksheets!
To assess this principle many times teachers will do spelling words with letters that are similar but make different noises. Teachers will explain to the children then difference in the letter and its sounds and then have them practice it on their own. I think some instructional options would be having the children work in groups so that their peers can help with the sounds of letters. Some children pick this up more quickly and will be able to explain why it is this way in a more “child friendly” fashion. I think that also not mixing the lessons with letter sounds would be helpful. If you know that letters can have different sounds then teach them at different times with younger children so that you are not confusing the children.
A lesson plan I would use would be a game. I think that the children could all choose a letter with multiple sounds, like the letter C and then draw pictures of a word using the different sounds. They could then quiz other members of the class. This would help the children to visually see a difference in pictures and sounds and would give them a fun way to learn. I think that if we are always doing the kill and drill method then we will lose children that do not feel as engaged in the lesson.
Phonemic awareness is the basic idea of hearing the multiple sounds in a word. This would be being able to see that a word like cat is three spate sounds. This is useful for younger children that are learning to spell. It shows them that there are multiple sounds and therefore multiple letters that they would want to recognize. This is also the practice where children would be able to recognize vowels or rhyming words. At their young age many books are in rhyming form to help with this principle and it would give these children a head start in learning to read words to eventually read books with rhyming words in the sentences.
Teachers assess this principle by using nursery rhymes in books. This gives children a chance to hear words and separate the sounds that the letters are making. It would help them to hear key differences in the sounds that letters make in certain words. Some instructional options would be to make a game of rhyming. One team would come up with a word and then the other team would be awarded points based on how many words they could rhyme with the original word. It could also work with the teacher giving a word and then two teams working together to come up with as many rhyming words as they could.
I have not seen this practice in my field placement. There are books that have rhyming words in them and the children really seem to like them. I have not seen the teachers really put this idea into practice though. I think a good lesson plan would be the teacher reading book that has rhyming words in it and engaging the children in discussion about the word and what parts of it rhyme with the previous word. This would again engage the children in active participation and group teamwork with their peers.
Oral reading fluency is the idea that children can read a fast pace and with fewer mistakes. This would be described as the flow of their reading. We do not want the children to read at an alarming rate but they should be able to get through pages at a decent speed. It is important that children have oral fluency because it will help them to understand what they are reading. They may be very choppy when reading and then get to the end of a page and have no clue what they just read about. We want them to be able to read quickly enough so that sentences are flowing together to create visual representation of what is happening in the story.
Teachers assess this process through running cues. This helps the teacher to see where the weaknesses in the child’s reading are located. This would help the teacher to identify the problem areas and then be able to focus in on where the child needs improvement and administer the help needed. An instructional practice that would help would be the act of repetitiveness. This would mean that a teacher would ask the student to read silently, then read aloud, and then the class could read aloud all together. This would help strengthen the reading fluency of the child and ultimately help the child to have automatic word recognition.
I have not seen this practice take place in my field placement. Right now the children are all too young to really be reading on their own so it is not something that I would be concerned about in the classroom that they are in. The teachers do try to read at a pace that the children can keep up with and understand the meaning of the story. With a class this young I think that they could may just start with recognizing the names of other students in the class and maybe putting a book together as a class about each other so they could start identifying names and actions in a context of their daily class routine.
Comprehension is something that can be established at a much younger age. Comprehension is the idea that children are being read a story and then are able to understand what happened and identify the main ideas. It is important that children can do this because it also goes along with instruction. It is important that when a teacher gives instruction that the class understands what she wants done and how they will execute the plan. This would also mean that in stories they would be able to identify main characters and the plot of the story. They would be able to understand why a certain character did what they did in the book and what made them want to make that decision.
Teachers can assess this by asking the children questions as they go through a story. She can be asking them who the characters are and what they think will happen next. If their ideas make sense then she knows that they are able to follow along and know what is happening in the story. Some instructional options for this would be to have questions to give the children before reading and then have them look for the answers in the story as you are reading. This would keep them engaged in the story sense they would be looking for ways in which to answer the questions that you have assigned to them.
My teachers are always doing this when they are reading. They will read stories and then ask the children why a character acted the way that they did. They children are always very excited to answer the questions and hope that they are right. This is also done with instructions. The teacher will tell the children what they are getting ready to do and then ask them to repeat what it is that they are supposed to be doing. A simple lesion plan would be to read a story to the children and then ask them to act it out for you. This would be fun time that they could work with other students and it would give the teacher a chance to see if they could comprehend what they story was about.
Vocabulary is huge for older children. This is the basic idea that children can read and define words that they come across. This is important because as children get older they will have to put words in order the way they can be understood in a sentence and they will need to understand placement. This is assessed with things such as the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. This is a test in which pictures are shown to a children they must match up the words with the known images. Some instructional options would be having spelling words or words that the children would have to define. This would give them the chance to work on certain words and let you as a teacher see where they are struggling.
I have seen this daily in my field placement. The children are given cards that have their pictures on them for choice time. The idea is that the children will have to place their picture in the area where they are engaging in a learning activity. The learning activities are drawn out for them on paper with the descriptive words of what they are doing. This gives the children a chance to visually see what they will be working on. This also has the words next to the picture. Having the word next to the picture would help the children to understand that certain pictures mean certain activities. This would encourage their word recognition.
I think a simple lesson plan could also be placed in a game. The teacher could have certain verb or action words placed throughout the room. The teacher could call out a word and then the children could race to that area of the room. When they got to that area they would then have to “act out” what they word was. This would help the children to recognize these actions words. It would also give the teacher a chance to see which words appeared to be the hardest to recognize and then allow her to set up a plan to help the students understand that concept. I know that all of my lesson plans have been in game form but I strongly believe that children will learn much more efficiently when they are engaged and not just sitting at their desk doing worksheets!
What are the benefits of using RTI over Traditional Methods?
I came into this class not having a very clear understanding of what RTI really was. So, everything that I have heard would make me want to be a part of the program! If I were trying to convince a colleague to stray from the traditional method and try this I would bring up valid points listed in this article. The traditional method states that children would be pulled from the classroom for special educational courses. These children would be tested using Standardized testing that they may not be able to even understand. The children would be evaluated differently from their home room teacher and their special education teacher.The special education teacher would then be the sole person in charge of success for the child that is struggling.
With the method of RTI the student would not be pulled away all day from their peers. They would still be encouraged to maintain and build on social interactions with their classmates. The curriculum and assessments would be modified so that the student would receive the help that they need and the instruction that would be necessary to make assignments clear. The student would have a group of people that were constantly concerned about their educational goals. The teacher and special education coordinator would work hand in hand to make sure that their findings were on the same page. The entire school would be involved in the success of the student as a whole.
The RTI method showed me that this is a group collaboration and that no one person would ever be alone in this process. It is important that all children's needs are met. This cannot be done effectively if one person is the only one evaluating the student. This also cannot be done if the student is being asked to leave their peers, thus creating a social gap between the traditionally learning students and those that are struggling.
With the method of RTI the student would not be pulled away all day from their peers. They would still be encouraged to maintain and build on social interactions with their classmates. The curriculum and assessments would be modified so that the student would receive the help that they need and the instruction that would be necessary to make assignments clear. The student would have a group of people that were constantly concerned about their educational goals. The teacher and special education coordinator would work hand in hand to make sure that their findings were on the same page. The entire school would be involved in the success of the student as a whole.
The RTI method showed me that this is a group collaboration and that no one person would ever be alone in this process. It is important that all children's needs are met. This cannot be done effectively if one person is the only one evaluating the student. This also cannot be done if the student is being asked to leave their peers, thus creating a social gap between the traditionally learning students and those that are struggling.
Article 7: Indiana's very own law!
We are all very familiar with the fact that many Special Education laws have been put into place nation wide! If you follow the link listed below you will be able to view "Article 7." This is Indiana's own special education law! It will give you insight into the in-depth methods that are being used state wide!
Follow the link! ---> http://www.doe.in.gov/exceptional/speced/docs/Art_7.pdf
Follow the link! ---> http://www.doe.in.gov/exceptional/speced/docs/Art_7.pdf
The LAW of Response to Intervention!
I know that so far I have only given you the basics on what Response to Intervention really is! I now would like to give you the guidance document where many of your questions can be answered! Now you will be able to see the deeper information of RTI!
Follow this link! ----> https://resources.oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/group/FA11-BL-EDUC-E351-2306/Rebecca_s%20Stuff/Week%203/RtI_Guidance_Document.pdf
Follow this link! ----> https://resources.oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/group/FA11-BL-EDUC-E351-2306/Rebecca_s%20Stuff/Week%203/RtI_Guidance_Document.pdf
Response to Intervention in a REAL classroom!
Here is a great video that can show you how one school has put the Response to Intervention model into action! It is a very cute little video so make sure that you volume is UP!
Follow this link!! ------> http://www.readinghorizons.com/rti/
Follow this link!! ------> http://www.readinghorizons.com/rti/
Response to Intervention: Just the Basics!
This following video is very useful for those that have basic questions about the Response to Intervention model! This video will give you "Just the Basics" on what you need to know to get started!
Follow the link below and then "click" on whether you are a MAC or PC user to view the video!
http://www.lehigh.edu/~ineduc/cprp/rti.html
Follow the link below and then "click" on whether you are a MAC or PC user to view the video!
http://www.lehigh.edu/~ineduc/cprp/rti.html
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
RTI- Reaching the Classroom!
Question #5
I can certainly see how many would worry about a shift in the focus of student’s academic ability when RTI is being put into place. There is always a chance that some children may receive more attention than others. I personally feel like the method of using RTI would benefit more children than it would hinder. There are many children that have academic, physical, or mental struggles that far exceed just “lagging” behind their peers. However, these students would have most likely already been identified and there should be a process of having an IEP set up for the needs that need to be met.
RTI, I believe is something that is put into place that will hopefully help children that are struggling before they have other transitions that may need to happen. I am just starting to learn about this method but from the article it seems that RTI is more geared towards students that are starting to show signs of mild to moderate struggles that would differentiate them from their peers. The article stated, “Only 31% of fourth grades are proficient readers and 36% are proficient in mathematics” (NCLB Stats). It is sad that so many children are starting to fall behind at such a young age. These years are so formative in education and socially with their peers. I think that the RTI method can be used as a building block to get these children the help that they need early on. This will hopefully ensure that they do not fall further behind.
The main issue that was mentioned in the article related to using RTI was that children with much more severe needs would not get the help that they need, or to the extent that they need. Maybe I am misunderstanding the question, but I would think that if it has been identified that these children have more severe needs, then they would have already benefitted from this RTI tiered process and are receiving the help that they need. This could mean that they are now in Special Education and have possibly been given an IEP. I do completely understand that the parents of these children would be the ones with concerns, but as parents of children with special needs, they should be well informed of the academic procedures that will be taking place to help their children succeed.
Lastly, the article mentioned what could happen to children that are not treated or helped until farther along in their academic career. The article said that if children that are seen as being on the bottom 30% of pre-reading skills are not helped until farther along in their schooling than their chance of being labeled as having a learning disability increases 450%. Those are not odds that any educator or parent would like to risk. I believe with the knowledge that I have on RTI so far that it is being put into place with good intentions to hopefully better the academic success of students and should not be taken lightly.
RTI, I believe is something that is put into place that will hopefully help children that are struggling before they have other transitions that may need to happen. I am just starting to learn about this method but from the article it seems that RTI is more geared towards students that are starting to show signs of mild to moderate struggles that would differentiate them from their peers. The article stated, “Only 31% of fourth grades are proficient readers and 36% are proficient in mathematics” (NCLB Stats). It is sad that so many children are starting to fall behind at such a young age. These years are so formative in education and socially with their peers. I think that the RTI method can be used as a building block to get these children the help that they need early on. This will hopefully ensure that they do not fall further behind.
The main issue that was mentioned in the article related to using RTI was that children with much more severe needs would not get the help that they need, or to the extent that they need. Maybe I am misunderstanding the question, but I would think that if it has been identified that these children have more severe needs, then they would have already benefitted from this RTI tiered process and are receiving the help that they need. This could mean that they are now in Special Education and have possibly been given an IEP. I do completely understand that the parents of these children would be the ones with concerns, but as parents of children with special needs, they should be well informed of the academic procedures that will be taking place to help their children succeed.
Lastly, the article mentioned what could happen to children that are not treated or helped until farther along in their academic career. The article said that if children that are seen as being on the bottom 30% of pre-reading skills are not helped until farther along in their schooling than their chance of being labeled as having a learning disability increases 450%. Those are not odds that any educator or parent would like to risk. I believe with the knowledge that I have on RTI so far that it is being put into place with good intentions to hopefully better the academic success of students and should not be taken lightly.
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