Listen below:
MTSS in the classroom can feel much more complicated than simply understanding what Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 mean. You might understand the MTSS framework in theory, but what does it actually look like during your upper elementary literacy block?
What should happen during Tier 1? How do you determine what a student needs during Tier 2? And when a student needs Tier 3 support, do you need to find an entirely different intervention program?
In this episode of The Stellar Teacher Podcast, Emily is taking MTSS from theory to practice. You’ll see how each tier can work within your literacy classroom and learn practical ways to provide increasingly targeted support based on what your students actually need.
What Does Tier 1 Look Like in an MTSS Classroom?
Strong Tier 1 instruction is the foundation of MTSS. This is the high quality, grade level instruction all students receive during your core literacy block.
Rather than immediately looking to intervention when a student struggles, we want to make sure students are receiving explicit and effective Tier 1 instruction first.
Emily shares some of the essential components of strong Tier 1 literacy instruction and explains how strengthening your core instruction can help more students successfully access grade level learning.
Moving From Tier 1 to Tier 2 Intervention
When a student needs more support than Tier 1 provides, the next step isn’t simply giving them more reading practice. Effective Tier 2 intervention should target an identified skill need.
That might mean additional instruction in fluency, phonics, decoding, or another specific area.
In the episode, Emily walks through a practical Tier 2 fluency routine to show what targeted support can look like. The goal is to identify why a student is struggling and then provide instruction that directly addresses that need.
This is an important part of making MTSS in the classroom manageable and effective. Intervention becomes much easier to plan when you know exactly what skill you’re targeting.
What Changes During Tier 3?
One common misconception is that Tier 3 always requires a completely different curriculum, resource, or intervention program.
But the biggest difference is often the intensity of instruction.
A student receiving Tier 3 intervention may need a smaller group, additional modeling, more repetition, increased instructional time, or more frequent progress monitoring.
In other words, you may be able to use many of the same high quality resources while changing how you deliver the instruction.
A Practical Reading Intervention Routine
You’ll also hear an example of a simple five-day phonics and decoding intervention routine.
Having a consistent routine can make reading intervention easier for both teachers and students. Rather than searching for a different activity every day, you can follow a predictable framework that provides explicit instruction and repeated opportunities to practice targeted skills.
The goal of MTSS in the classroom isn’t to create three entirely separate literacy programs. It’s to create a responsive system where students receive the level of support they need based on data and identified skill gaps.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- What strong Tier 1 literacy instruction can look like
- How to identify skills to target during Tier 2 intervention
- A simple Tier 2 fluency routine
- A five-day phonics and decoding intervention routine
- How Tier 3 increases the intensity of instruction
- How to use existing resources more responsively across the MTSS tiers
When you understand what each tier is designed to accomplish, MTSS in the classroom becomes less about managing three separate programs and more about making intentional instructional decisions for your students.
Resources to Support Time Management for Teachers:
- Join The Stellar Literacy Collective – If putting MTSS in the classroom into practice feels overwhelming, the Stellar Literacy Collective can help make it more manageable. Get access to ready to use, research based literacy resources that support strong Tier 1 instruction, targeted small groups, and reading intervention—so you can confidently provide students with the right level of support without creating everything from scratch.
- Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information click here.
Connect with me:
- Join my newsletter
- Shop my TPT store here
- Instagram: @thestellarteachercompany
- Facebook: The Stellar Teacher Company
The Stellar Literacy Collective (SLC) is a membership designed for upper elementary teachers who want strong, effective literacy instruction… without spending hours planning every week.
Inside SLC, you’ll find ready to use, research aligned lessons for reading, writing, and word study that make time management for teachers easier. From whole group comprehension lessons and vocabulary routines to small group supports and writing instruction, everything is built around consistent, research backed systems—so you can spend less time planning and more time focused on meaningful instruction.
Click HERE to learn more!
The Stellar Teacher Podcast is here to help make MTSS in the classroom feel practical and manageable. Each episode is filled with actionable strategies for upper elementary teachers who want to strengthen Tier 1 instruction, provide targeted intervention, and better respond to individual student needs. From understanding the different tiers to identifying skill gaps and increasing instructional support, you’ll find practical ideas you can use right away. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode designed to help you confidently put MTSS in the classroom into practice and give every reader the support they need.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.