Applying Response to Intervention in Preschool Settings

See how RTI is applied in preschool settings: http://www.doe.in.gov/primetime/docs/foundations/ages3-5.pdf

With the growing awareness that Response to Instruction (RTI) approaches can and should begin in the early years, schools and teachers nationwide are learning that implementing this idea in even the preschool room can greatly benefit all. As one could grasp from reading anything regards to RTI, including the document, Roadmap to Pre-K RTI: Applying Response to Intervention in Preschool Settings, the word ‘all’ is a key word in regards to the idea of RTI. Broadly speaking, it is a collaborative initiative focused on meeting the needs of all children. Substantial evidence has proven time and time again that early intervention is absolutely pivotal to successfully allowing a child to develop to their fullest potential; therefore, RTI is best practiced when initiated at the pre-kindergarten level. As the document Roadmap to Pre-K RTI beautifully depicts, the features of Pre-K RTI must be adjusted and constructed to best fit within the early childhood culture.

Features such as high-quality classroom instruction, ongoing student assessment and progress monitoring, and family involvement are the general characteristics one should strive for obtaining when practicing RTI (in the preschool classroom). As all successful early educators are aware, our practice always begins with the child. A child-centered curriculum allows for us to focus on the specific needs of the individual. The curriculum must fit into the development strengths and challenges of the child first, and then we construct the curriculum based off of that. RTI is exactly that. With its component of tiered allocation, intense time, effort, and resources match the specific needs of the child. As always, the language a teacher used with young children is cautious and pre-conceived. The Roadmap to Pre-K RTI document reiterates that “as we use RTI with young children, we must frame our language around positive messages..”(6). When we begin to automatically see what the child can do before what he or she can’t, then we automatically set up all for success. I believe that is the single-most important aspect of RTI (or any classroom for that matter). Even at an early age, children often focus on just the setbacks; it is our job to ingrain them with the belief they are all critical and significant members of society—even from birth.