RtI

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Welcome Back to MTSS Monday!  Today I'd like to share ways in which I keep up with daily accountability and data.

To ensure parents are on track with Kindergarten expectations, a checklist of objectives are given for each subject.  My team and I meet with parents each nine weeks to discuss expectations and progression.  It's my goal to have parents sign each nine weeks, stating they were informed and understand the expectations.  As the year progresses, face-to-face meetings begin to fizzle which leads to stuffing the checklist with the report cards. I find this provides the documentation needed to show a bridge between home and school.  You are welcome to take a peek at our expectations here.

For student accountability, I have the kids record their MTSS task daily.  Using a spiral notebook in which I scooped up for five cent at the back to school sale, I have my darlings glue in their weekly recording sheets into their notebooks on Mondays.  This notebook will come to our small group when meeting with kids on specific skills.  By having the kids document daily tasks, I've eliminated my need to record for 20 students and ensure that the kids understand their focus and activity. Be patient and find what works best for you.  My class took a couple of weeks of solid practice before everyone was independent at recording.  It was ABSOLUTELY worth it!!!

If you are interested, you can grab a copy by clicking the image above!

My primary focus for assessments in tier one and two this year in Kindergarten has been Alphabet and Sight Words.  I create flashcard rings to assist in daily practice.  I gave each child a set of cards.  When a letter or sight word was mastered, the card would be removed from their ring. 

 Click Image Above to Download!

Click Here to Download!

 

Have you heard of Michael Heggerty?  His lessons on Phonemic Awareness are short, repetitive, and scaffolded.  A bit behind the man: Michael Heggerty was an educator for 30+ years.  28 of those years happen to be in a classroom with 24 years teaching first.  He began a research action project on the importance of Phonemic Awareness instruction and as a result, he has published a remarkable curriculum.  AND Florida teachers... It aligns with expectations for FAIR (Florida Assessment in Reading).  

Heggerty explains on his website how Phonemic Awareness is an auditory training process and does not involve print; thereby, highlighting Phonemic Awareness is not Phonics!  He later goes on to dichotomize the differences.  

The kindergarten version of these lessons (blue book) spends more time on each skill. The kindergarten curriculum covers all consonants, short vowels, digraphs, blends, and rime patterns. By comparison, the yellow book also goes into long vowels, R-controlled, special vowel sounds, and multisyllabic words.

Each curriculum is intended to be completed with a whole class group. These lessons should only take between 12 and 15 minutes a day. Pacing is very important. It should be quickly paced and free of interruptions. Link here to access the 38 week scope and sequence.  To see a sample of his Kindergarten lessons, link here.  If you are interested, he has a purple book for Pre-Kinders, a blue book for Kindergarten, and a yellow book for 1st and 2nd grade. (Sample lessons available for each book on his site!)

Okay friends, I will be back in two weeks for MTSS Monday.  I'm plan to fully enjoy every minute of my Spring Break! Happy Teachings!!!

RtI

MTSS has been a hot topic of debate in my school.  What does MTSS look like?  When should it take place?  And how often?  If you missed last week, here's an introduction to MTSS Monday!

Although there are many ways in which Multi Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) can look like, here's a glimpse into my school's direction...

We conduct MTSS from 9:15-9:45 am daily.  This allows for grade levels to collaborate based on student data during PLCs.  We determine which skills need to be addressed and place students into specific classrooms based on their needs. With an entire school conducting interventions at once, a student may move vertically from 1st to Kindergarten to work on sight words or even 1st grade to second grade to address reading fluency.  In addition, teachers on each grade level can group into teams for lateral student movement.  It's not uncommon to see teachers conducting interventions within their own setting.  The collaborating teachers will choose a skill and rotate students based on needs.  These interventions continue for 6 to 8 weeks before meeting with the MTSS intervention team.  This team includes the classroom teacher, psychologist, speech and language therapist, and the guidance counselor.  

Understanding the Tiers...

Tier one includes all students.  The instruction for this tier happens daily in all our classrooms.  It's daily instruction of content areas as defined by our standards.  All students receive this instruction.  We typically help student grasp concepts through small groups and conferences.  

But what happens when a student continues to struggle?

Interventions are put in place.  A student struggling with beginning sounds will receive specific activities during MTSS mornings.  Resources include Work Stations, Soar to Success, FCRR, Destinations.  

After 6 to 8 weeks of interventions...

A student still struggling will be put up for the MTSS intervetnion team.  Data I've collection through assessments are graphed and submitted for review.  The team will often suggest additional strategies and resources.  A student can possibly be moved to tier two at this time.

What does tier two look like?

Tier two happens during MTSS mornings.  This is the additional instructional time needed 3 to 5  times a week (for 30 minutes) with bi-weekly assessments.  Since my school happens to be conduct MTSS every day, this instructional time is in place but now we are formally meeting face-to-face in groups of 5.  As previously stated, this instruction can happen in the homeroom classroom or with collaborating groups of teachers in which the kids would rotate.

What happens when the gap continues to widen?

After meeting again with the intervention team, students could possibly be placed in tier three groups.  This transition doesn't commonly occur within the same school year.  Tier three is conducted five days a week with assessment each Friday.  Students are to meet at a separate time outside of tier one (general instruction) and tier two (MTSS mornings).  This can occur in small groups throughout the day, before school tutoring, or after school tutoring by the classroom teacher.  This instruction should be an additional 15 minutes each day with no more than 3 students at a time.

I've been tracking my data this year with Rachelle Smith's Common Core Checklists!  Gotta love great resources.  

 

Click the image to link to their post.

Rachelle has checklists for grades K through 2nd

Natalie has checklists for grades 3rd through 5th!

I'm off to catch up on my lost hour of sleep.  Happy teaching!!!

RtI resources and Data you can USE!!!

I came across a new website to me and HAVE TO SHARE!! Yes, I'm shouting.  Actually freaking out in a wonderful way.  easyCBM has made RtI instruction easy peasy lemon squeezy!  Oh. Yes. I. Did!  

My school transitions for RtI from 915-945am EVERY MORNING.  Since the entire school is moving at once, we have more success transferring kids to various classrooms that will meet their immediate needs.  Sounds easy right?  With more than 200 students on my grade level alone... easy it is not!  

I currently have tier two word reading, tier three comprehension, and tier three math.  Wowzers!  easyCBM is a one stop shop.  I've linked their screeenshots pages so that you can see all the wonderful tools this website provides..AND for FREE!  

In Florida, teachers are required to give FAIR (Florida Assessment in Reading) to all students.  This website has K-8: letter naming sounds, phoneme segmenting, word reading list, passage reading fluency, multiple choice reading comprehension, math number and operations, math geometry, math measurement, etc.  Various grade levels provide different support options and you have access to ALL.  Students can take the assessments online or on paper.  I used several assessments for a baseline this morning and input the scores this afternoon and received magnificent graphs.  Just what MRT would love to see!  

You HAVE to check this website out today!!  I signed up and had immediate access to files.  YEAH!!! By the way..PURE excited here..I'm not getting paid for this.  So stop reading my post and  go check it out.