"In a small volume, Sheila Alber-Morgan addresses RTI in a much more comprehensive way than other texts. The book provides critical features of RTI across reading, writing, handwriting, and spelling and is packed with practical information for each tier." —Nancy L. Cooke, Associate Professor of Special Education University of North Carolina at Charlotte "Alber-Morgan clearly and concisely articulates the theoretical and empirical bases of RTI—an important and worthy achievement. For the classroom teacher, her book provides numerous assessment and instructional strategies for turning the great promise of RTI into reality for students." —William L. Heward, Professor Emeritus The Ohio State University Practical intervention strategies for diverse learners who struggle with literacy! Literacy is a critical foundational skill for success in school and throughout adulthood. Covering both reading and writing instruction, this book shows K–8 teachers how to build the literacy skills of diverse learners, including those with disabilities and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, in inclusive classrooms. Sheila Alber-Morgan discusses instruction and assessment within a Response to Intervention (RTI) framework and demonstrates how to provide targeted support to students struggling with literacy or those who may require special attention to achieve success. Providing specific interventions for tiers 1, 2, and 3, this book offers: Evidence-based practices such as guided note taking, the use of response cards, peer-mediated instruction, self monitoring, and direct instruction Strategies for phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension Methods for teaching handwriting, spelling, keyboarding, and the writing process A discussion on using thematic units to integrate reading and writing With sample assessments, graphic organizers, and brief case studies of students, this timely volume assists teachers and literary specialists in providing the support that diverse learners need to succeed.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments About the Author 1. Overview Universal Design and Response to Intervention Diverse Learners and Inclusive Classrooms NCLB and Evidence-Based Practices Special Education Law RTI and Assessment Curriculum-Based Measurement RTI and Literacy Instruction Explicit Instruction and Active Student Responding Peer-Mediated Instruction Integrating Language Arts Programming for Generalization Collaborative Teaching Summary 2. Assessing for Intervention in Reading RTI and CBM reading CBM Reading Methods Oral Reading Fluency CBM Maze CBM Early Reading Vocabulary Matching Miscue Analysis and Comprehension Checks Authentic Assessment Summary Maya 3. Implementing Multi-Tiered Reading Instruction Evidence-Based Practices Reading Instruction: Tier 1 Reading Instruction: Tiers 2 & 3 Phonemic Awareness: Tier 1 Phonemic Awareness: Tiers 2 & 3 Alphabetics: Tier 1 Alphabetics: Tiers 2 & 3 Fluency: Tier 1 Fluency: Tiers 2 & 3 Vocabulary: Tier 1 Vocabulary: Tiers 2 & 3 Comprehension: Tier 1 Comprehension: Tiers 2 & 3 Summary Alexei 4. Assessing for Intervention in Writing RTI and Writing Assessment CBM Writing Measures Managing CBM Writing Writing Rubrics Portfolios Summary Dylan 5. Implementing Multi-Tiered Writing Instruction Evidence-Based Practices Handwriting Instruction: Tier 1 Handwriting Instruction: Tiers 2 & 3 Keyboarding Instruction Spelling Instruction: Tier 1 Spelling Instruction: Tiers 2 & 3 Writing Process: Tier 1 Writing Process: Tiers 2 & 3 Computer Technology for Writing: Tier 1 Computer Technology for Writing: Tiers 2 & 3 Summary Carmen 6. Using Thematic Units to Integrate the Language Arts Creating Thematic Units for Multi-Tiered Instruction Selecting a Theme Identifying and Obtaining Resources and Materials Identifying Language Arts Skills Planning Multi-Tiered Instruction Summary 7. Programming for Generalization of Literacy Skills Selecting Representative Teaching Examples Making the Classroom Resemble Generalization Settings Providing Students with a Means to Access Reinforcement Arranging Ways to Transfer Skills to Different Settings Training Students to Transfer Skills 8. Closing the Research to Practice Gap References Index