Topic 3: What does Tier 2 Reading support look like?  

In This Module

While all students continue to participate in the literacy block, small groups of three to five students receive additional Tier 2 support—typically delivered by the classroom teacher. 

Key features of Tier 2 instruction:

  • Small groups of approximately 3–5 students to allow for direct, explicit instruction
  • Sessions run for approximately 10-20 minutes per day, 5 days a week, over a period of approximately 6-12 weeks 
  • Instruction is intentional, time-bound and explicit, targeting areas such as:
    • Phonemic awareness
    • Vocabulary development, 
    • Fluency 
    • Comprehension
  • Students are grouped based on shared skill needs, and groupings are flexible, shifting based on progress
  • Regular progress monitoring ensures students receive support for as long as needed — and no longer
  • The goal is to provide timely support, not to track students or create fixed ability groups
  • If more than two Tier 2 groups are needed in a class, consider cross-class groupings to maintain alignment with student needs without creating static groupings
  • Tier 2 supports are flexible and responsive, designed for students who require additional support on top of high-quality Tier 1 instruction — but who do not require highly individualized intervention.

Watch two educators discuss the logistics of tier 2 instruction as well as the  importance of precise and succinct instruction at tier 1 and  2 to ensure students are progressing:

Learn more from a central principal and teacher who discuss the time and frequency needed to reinforce skills in Tier 2 for a student with a learning disability:

Click here to learn more about the Dynamic Nature of Tier 2 Literacy Instruction.