Implementing RTI with English Learners by Fisher Douglas;Fewy Nancy;

Author:Fisher, Douglas;Fewy, Nancy;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Solution Tree
Published: 2011-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 4

Tier 2: Supplemental Interventions That Build Language and Content Knowledge

NINTH-GRADE STUDENT MINH rushes to her next class. It’s English with Ms. McLean, and even though the content of the course stresses her quite a bit, she knows she also benefits from the extra support she receives. Minh has made limited progress in her English language proficiency, and despite being in US schools for seven years, she is still at level 3 (intermediate or developing), according to her eighth-grade state language assessment. However, Minh is at a new school that has a strong RTI component that is used to address the needs of its many English learners.

Mihn’s English teacher has organized a unit of instruction on the essential question “Does age matter?” Every day the class listens to a passage from the target text, Peter Pan (Barrie, 1902/2003), and Ms. McLean uses this to teach lessons on literary devices. In addition, all the students in the class select related books from an extensive list of novels and informational texts about young and old characters facing challenges. Ms. McLean explains that this approach allows her to differentiate instruction (Tier 1) to accommodate student interests, background knowledge, and reading levels. Minh has chosen Hattie Big Sky (Larson, 2006) because, as she shares, “I like story about girls who must live alone in strange place.” Minh and several other students who are reading the same book meet three times a week to discuss the text, and sometimes the English teacher joins their group.

However, Minh also needs further support, and so she meets twice a week with several other English learners and Ms. McLean. As part of this supplemental intervention (Tier 2), Ms. McLean previews passages from Peter Pan that she’ll be reading later in the week with the whole class. She and the students examine the vocabulary and talk about the literary devices the English teacher will be highlighting. On this day, she draws their attention to the device of the kite that the main character uses to travel. As she asks them a question, she draws a kite to ensure they know the term. “Why do you think a kite is important in this scene?” she begins. The group engages in a lively discussion of a kite as a toy for little kids, and Minh queries, “Is it important that the kite is flying thing?” Ms. McLean nods in agreement. “Do you remember the term for that?” she asks, and gestures to the poster of literary devices she has displayed in the classroom. Minh furrows her brow in concentration and scans the list, then brightens. “A symbol!” she says, and Ms. McLean expands Minh’s response as she writes it on a chart. “The kite is a symbolic device because it …” She pauses, and another student finishes the sentence. “Because it shows Peter’s need to be free,” he says. For the next several minutes, the group explores this idea, and Ms. McLean records their ideas on chart paper for them. As the discussion draws to a close, Ms.

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