RtI programs emerge for early learners

By Sue Palko M.Ed., and Chris Frawley M.Ed.

Response to intervention is becoming a hot topic for educators working with the school-aged population. The RtI model emphasizes the provision of early and intensive intervention services to students who are experiencing learning difficulties. By intervening early, educators seek to prevent academic failure and to distinguish between students with learning disabilities and those who are struggling (Coleman, Buysse, & Neitzel, 2006). Though the literature and research addressing RtI with children in early education settings are limited, RtI programs are being developed for teachers, parents and children in early childhood programs. This article will describe the multitiered Recognition and Response program and the early literacy program, EMERGE. Both of these programs are based on the framework of RtI.

Recognition and Response

The Recognition and Response early intervening system is being developed and validated at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for use with 3- to 5-year-olds enrolled in a variety of early education settings. The goal of the Recognition and Response system is for parents and teachers to learn to recognize the early warning signs of a child experiencing learning difficulties and to respond in ways that will positively affect the child’s early success in school (Coleman et al., 2006). There are four components of the proposed Recognition and Response system: 1) an intervention hierarchy, 2) screening, assessment and progress monitoring, 3) research-based curriculum, instruction and focused interventions, and 4) a collaborative problem-solving process for making decisions (See Figure 1). These components are similar to the components in the current RtI models.

Intervention hierarchy

The Recognition and Response system has a three-tier hierarchy typical of many RtI models. Tier 1 represents a research-based curriculum and effective instructional strategies that are aligned with standards for early learning (e.g., Virginia Foundation Blocks for Early Learning) and recommended early childhood practices (Coleman et al., 2006). As in other RtI models, children who are not making adequate progress in Tier 1 are identified to receive interventions and curriculum modifications in Tier 2, often in the form of group interventions. In Tier 3, children who continue to struggle and not make adequate progress in Tier 2 are provided with intensive and individualized instruction, such as one-on-one instruction from the teacher. Children not making sufficient progress in Tier 3 may be referred for a formal evaluation for special education services.

Screening, assessment and progress monitoring

Recognition and Response uses an integrated assessment system that assists teachers with making the decision to move children from one tier to the next. Screening, assessment and progress monitoring are used to determine which children are learning and which ones need additional supports. A comprehensive screening in Tier 1 helps to identify children who meet key benchmarks, children who are developing those skills and children who are not making adequate progress (Coleman et al., 2006). Assessments in Tier 2 can be formal or informal, focusing specifically on the skill area(s) in which the children are experiencing difficulty. In Tier 3, standardized and norm-referenced tests can be used to gather more information about a child. Within each tier, progress monitoring (e.g., checklists, observations, curriculum-based assessments) helps the teacher determine whether or not a child is meeting important benchmarks (Coleman et al.). The Recognition and Response integrated assessment system mirrors the components used in many schools that are implementing RtI.

Research-based curriculum, instruction and focused interventions

Coleman et al. (2006) explain that “the overarching goal of the Recognition and Response system is for teachers to use assessment as part of an integrated instructional system to make improvements in the general early childhood program and to plan focused interventions for children who require additional supports” (p. 4). Ultimately, teachers will use ongoing assessment and data collection to identify children who are experiencing difficulties and to provide, at each tier, the instruction and intervention they need. The developers of the Recognition and Response system are planning to create a toolkit from which teachers can select specific interventions at each tier that match student learning characteristics (Coleman et al.).

Collaborative problem-solving process

As in many models of RtI, teachers, parents and other specialists use a collaborative and systematic problem-solving process at each tier to make decisions on how to meet the needs of children. The steps of the problem-solving process are: a) define the problem, b) analyze the problem, c) develop a plan and 4) evaluate the plan to determine effectiveness. Throughout the use of this process, data from assessments are used to help make informed decisions.

EMERGE

“With raised awareness about the importance of early literacy in early education and care programs, debate is occurring about specific early literacy content and associated instructional strategies” (VanDerHeyen, Snyder, Broussard, & Ramsdell, 2007, p. 198). Two researchers, Maribeth Gettinger and Karen Stoiber, decided to look into how RtI could be used to improve early literacy development with children enrolled in Head Start. They called the early literacy program, the Exemplary Model of Early Reading Growth and Excellence. The EMERGE program is an Early Reading First project funded through the U.S. Department of Education from 2005 to 2008 (Gettinger & Stoiber, 2007).

The EMERGE program has four goals:

Maximize the use of research-based practices to support children’s development of four early literacy skills.
Increase the amount of time children are engaged in interactive shared book reading.
Incorporate the use of a thematic, integrated, research-supported curriculum.
Provide intensive and continuous professional development and coaching support that is grounded in scientifically based knowledge of early literacy development (Gettinger & Stoiber, 2007).

Like the Recognition and Response program, EMERGE includes the essential components of RtI: a three-tier model of intervention that includes a scientifically based early literacy curriculum, universal screening, outcome assessment and progress monitoring. In comparison to the Recognition and Response program, EMERGE has identified specific curricula or activities for each tier. In Tier 1, instruction is built around three core elements: a research-supported curriculum (the Scholastic Early Childhood Program), teacher-directed activities that focus on sound awareness, oral language, alphabet knowledge, print awareness (SOAP) and adult-child shared book reading. Tier 2 involves small-group instruction for children demonstrating difficulty learning the SOAP skills. The small-group instruction provides a stronger focus on these skills. Children who are identified for Tier 3 interventions receive individualized instruction from tutors who do shared book reading with the children and who provide explicit instruction on letters and sounds. Contrary to models of RtI developed for the school-age population, the curriculum and instruction at each tier of the EMERGE model remain focused on the same content, acquiring SOAP skills (Gettinger & Stoiber, 2007). Another difference is the frequency and flexibility of the movement between tiers. Teachers use ongoing observations along with their progress monitoring to determine each child’s instructional needs.

Teacher professional development is an aspect of the EMERGE program that the developers of the Recognition and Response system also have as a goal for their program. There are two types of professional development activities that have contributed to the success of EMERGE. First, three-hour professional development sessions are provided monthly for all teachers. These sessions assist teachers in developing their skills and knowledge in implementing the early literacy curriculum, conducting progress monitoring, using data to adjust instruction and interventions and designing high-quality literacy-rich environments. Secondly, the literacy coach provides on-site coaching and mentoring during collaborative planning for two hours each week. The coach provides support through modeling, working individually with teachers and students and monitoring implementation of the components of the EMERGE model (Gettinger & Stoiber, 2007).

Although the body of evidence around the use of RtI at the early childhood level is small, programs such as Recognition and Response and EMERGE are showing that it could indeed have a role in early childhood settings as a data-based decision-making tool for identifying children at risk for learning difficulties. Through ongoing development and validation of the Recognition and Response program and the continued implementation of the EMERGE program, early childhood educators have two exciting options to consider for RtI models with young children.

For references, or to print this article, please refer to the pdf version