Toad-ally Exceptional Learners: Strong Tier 1 Instruction: What It Looks Like (and What It Doesn't)

When I wrote about Tier 1 instruction last year, I focused on why it matters. [you can find it here] The message is still the same:

If more than 20–30% of your students need supplemental intervention, the first place to look is your core instruction—not your intervention program.

As schools continue implementing MTSS, the Science of Reading, and high-quality math instruction, one question comes up over and over:

What does strong Tier 1 instruction actually look like?

The answer is simpler than many people think. It isn't about having the newest curriculum or creating elaborate lessons. It's about ensuring every student receives explicit, systematic, grade-level instruction every single day.

Tier 1 Is for Every Student

Tier 1 is the instruction all students receive in the general education classroom.

Its goal is straightforward:

Teach grade-level standards.
Prevent learning gaps before they become significant.
Provide enough support so that most students are successful without additional intervention.

Research consistently suggests that when Tier 1 instruction is implemented well, approximately 80% of students should be successful with core instruction alone. Additional intervention should be reserved for students who truly need it rather than becoming the norm (National Center on Intensive Intervention; Fuchs & Fuchs, 2006).

What Strong Tier 1 Reading Instruction Looks Like

The Science of Reading has helped clarify what effective reading instruction includes. High-quality Tier 1 reading instruction should include:

Explicit teaching of phonemic awareness and phonics in the primary grades
Systematic instruction that follows a logical scope and sequence
Daily opportunities to read connected text
Vocabulary and oral language instruction
Fluency practice with appropriate texts
Comprehension instruction using grade-level material
Frequent checks for understanding

Teachers aren't simply exposing students to skills—they are teaching them directly, modeling their thinking, providing guided practice, and gradually releasing responsibility to students.

What Strong Tier 1 Math Instruction Looks Like

Effective math instruction goes far beyond memorizing procedures. Students should have opportunities to:

Build conceptual understanding before memorization
Use manipulatives and visual models
Explain their mathematical thinking
Solve problems in multiple ways
Practice math facts to build automaticity
Apply skills to real-world situations
Receive immediate feedback

Fluency still matters—but it develops alongside understanding rather than replacing it.

Assessment Should Guide Instruction

One common misconception is that more assessments automatically improve instruction. In reality, effective Tier 1 classrooms use assessment intentionally.

Teachers regularly use:

Universal screening
Classroom observations
Exit tickets
Student work samples
Quick formative assessments

The goal isn't collecting more data. The goal is collecting useful data that helps teachers decide what to teach next.

Intervention Cannot Replace Core Instruction

One of the biggest mistakes schools make is trying to solve a Tier 1 problem with Tier 2 interventions. Imagine trying to fill a bucket with a hole in the bottom. Adding more water won't solve the problem until the hole is fixed.

The same is true in education.

If large numbers of students struggle with the same essential skills, it's time to examine:

Was the skill explicitly taught?
Did students have enough practice?
Was instruction systematic?
Did teachers check for understanding before moving on?
Did students receive immediate corrective feedback?

Strengthening core instruction benefits every student—not just those who struggle.

Questions to Reflect On

As you think about your own classroom or school, consider these questions:

Are all students receiving grade-level instruction?
Are lessons explicit rather than relying on discovery alone?
Is there enough guided practice before independent work?
Do assessments actually change instruction?
Are interventions supporting core instruction rather than replacing it?

These questions often lead to meaningful conversations during PLC meetings, MTSS discussions, and instructional coaching.

The Bottom Line

Tier 1 instruction remains the foundation of an effective MTSS system.

When teachers provide explicit instruction, use evidence-based practices, monitor student understanding, and respond to student needs, fewer students require intensive intervention. Intervention programs will always have an important place in education. But the strongest intervention we can provide is often improving the instruction every student receives from the very beginning.

When Tier 1 is strong, everyone benefits—students, teachers, interventionists, and entire school systems.

References

Fuchs, D., & Fuchs, L. S. (2006). Introduction to Response to Intervention: What, Why, and How Valid Is It? Reading Research Quarterly, 41(1), 93–99.
National Center on Intensive Intervention. (n.d.). Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).
National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction.
Archer, A. L., & Hughes, C. A. (2011). Explicit Instruction: Effective and Efficient Teaching.