Plan intensive instruction on foundational reading skills for students in Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions.

Instruction at Tier 2 and Tier 3 must be intensive and focused on the critical grade-level reading skills, such as phonemic awareness, decoding, reading comprehension, and fluency. Students in Tier 2 interventions should receive small group instruction focused on up to three foundational reading skills three to five times a week for 20 to 40 minutes per session. At Tier 3, schools should intensify instruction by focusing on fewer skills and providing extended daily sessions. Research suggests systematic, explicit instruction is most effective, so teachers should incorporate instructional strategies and supports, such as modeling, scaffolding, thinkalouds, and graphic organizers, and provide students with immediate corrective feedback. Teachers need to build skills gradually and provide frequent practice opportunities to ensure that students have mastered a reading skill before moving on.