RtI and Early Childhood Education - How Do They Fit Together?

RtI and Early Childhood Education - How Do They Fit Together?

Lots of hype, but does it make sense?

With all the attention that Response to Intervention has bought about in educational circles, it is small wonder that it has found its way into the Early Childhood Education setting, but exactly how do the two fit together?

Much attention has been given to that question and I recently read a great article about it that was jointly authored by the Division for Early Childhood (DEC), the National Association for Education of Young Children (NAECY) and the National Head Start Association (NHSA).  The article provides guidance on how to conceptualize RtI within early childhood and defines the context in which it should be considered.

A recent paper suggest the following features be considered in the framework for RtI in Early Childhood Education:

• A multi-tiered aspect - where high-quality instruction is delivered across tiers to support the diverse learning needs and levels of support needed for the young children served in Early Childhood programs.
• Use of high-quality curriculum for all children.  Curriculum for young children is defined primarily as one that is developmentally appropriate, guided by team/family decisions and uses research-based instructional strategies.
• A systematic way to screen, assess, and monitor progress based upon outcomes.
• Opportunity for collaborative problem-solving to help guide decisions about what an individual child need to support learning and development.

The paper goes on to discuss some of the most common misunderstandings and misconceptions with regards to RtI and Early Childhood Education.  It is definitely worth a read.  (Click here to read the complete article regarding misconceptions on RtI and ECSE)

View an interview with Dr. Barbara Willer

Another interesting resource that was recently shared is a new video interview with Dr. Barbara Willer, Deputy Executive Director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. In the interview, Dr. Willer discusses how early childhood education is changing, the benefits of incorporating technology into early childhood lesson plans, and what to expect from the future of this field.  (click here to view Dr. Willer's video interview)

Kathy Steffens is a Special Educator with 20+ years experience.  She is available for questions regarding district RTI implementation and staff development training.  You can reach her at RightResponsetoRTI@gmail.com