BSLA: Module 4 - Tier 2 Teaching

 Tier 2 Teaching Support

In this module, we cover the background content that underpins structured literacy teaching within Tier 2. We use the Better Start Literacy Approach Tier 2 lesson plans as examples of the types of activities that accelerate learners’:

• Phoneme awareness,
• Word reading,
• Reading fluency,
• Spelling skills.

This is important or we end up with more students than we should in Tier 2.

What else could be influencing learning: health issues, attendance, a lack of hearing aids, or glasses? 

Remember Tier 2 builds on Tier 1, and students need to be engaged in Tier 1 to be successful. 

Quality Tier 1 includes the explicit and structured teaching of skills that underpin word recognition such as:

• phonic skills,

• phoneme awareness,

• word decoding,

• and vocabulary and morphological awareness skills.

Identifying Learners for Tier 2

Students who are not making the expected progress in acquiring foundation literacy skills will benefit from more targeted Tier 2 or Tier 3 support.

Students may need targeted support in a range of areas related to literacy.
• For younger learners who are struggling to learn to read, Tier 2 typically focuses on building their underlying skills in word recognition. Being able to decode printed words and spell words efficiently is fundamental to reading comprehension and writing processes.
• Older learners may have mastered decoding and spelling skills but struggle to comprehend text or struggle to compose written text.

The implementation of Tier 2 teaching at the appropriate level of intensity and explicit teaching will ensure that students who receive this support will experience accelerated growth in reading and spelling during this period.

It is important to celebrate effort and progress!

After completing Tier 2 and testing what next for students?

What if my student hasn't made expected progress?

• Has the student completed 40 lessons over 10 weeks, of Tier 2 BSLA teaching, as per the provided lesson plans?

• Have the lesson plans been implemented with fidelity by a trained BSLA teacher or facilitator? That is, 4 x 30-minute lessons per week for 10 weeks, incorporating phoneme segmentation and blending, phoneme manipulation, and small group reading in every lesson.

• Does the student have additional needs that may be interfering with their ability to fully engage with the teaching - e.g., has their hearing and vision been checked recently; do they have additional speech and/or language or learning needs that require additional support from a specialist?

Tier 3

It encompasses individualised support based on the individual needs of a student, typically provided by a specialist outside of the classroom setting. This may include, but not be limited to, a Speech-language Therapist, Resource Teacher of Literacy or Learning and Behaviour, Resource Teacher of the Deaf, or other appropriate specialists. Tier 3 can also occur alongside Tier 1 and Tier 2 support for some students. 

Delivering Tier 2

• 4 x 30 minute sessions a week for 10 weeks
• Tier 2 learners should receive both Tier 1 and Tier 2 lessons 4 x weekly.

Some options for delivery of Tier 2 lessons that have worked in a range of contexts include:

• A BSLA-trained literacy specialist runs the Tier 2 teaching. If this is the model that is chosen, it is useful to have teachers or teacher aides within the school observe some sessions so that capacity within the school is being built.

• The classroom teacher delivers the Tier 2 teaching (with support from a BSLA facilitator in adapting activities to suit learners’ needs).

• Tier 2 teaching is shared between the class teacher and the BSLA-trained literacy specialist, or another trained BSLA teacher, in the school (e.g., two lessons per week are taken by a BSLA teacher and two lessons per week are taken by a BSLA literacy specialist in the school).

• A BSLA-trained teacher aide supports the implementation of Tier 2 by taking the rest of the class for another activity (e.g., monitoring literacy stations) while the teacher works with the Tier 2 students. 

It is recommended that teachers keep an attendance record for the students in the BSLA Tier 2 group. It is important that each student receives approximately 40 BSLA Tier 2 lessons prior to their next monitoring assessment.

Remember the reason that we are supporting student's phoneme segmentation and blending skills in Tier 2 teaching is to ensure they are building skills that are essential for reading and spelling new words.

Students are supported to build speed and accuracy when working through the phoneme manipulation chain.

Move from checking sound knowledge to manipulating blocks to make word chains. Then writing/recording sounds on personal whiteboards.

As students grow as learners, scaffolding can be changed, reduced or removed over time.

Reflection

As discussing with a collegue how can we incorporate this into our of an hour of reading and writing when we don't have teacher aide support?