Posted in: Aha! Blog > Eureka Math Blog > Implementation Support > Eureka Math is Your First Stop for RTI
Response to Intervention (RTI) is an approach to academic intervention that helps educators identify and support the learning needs of individual students. RTI begins in the classroom with high-quality instruction and the purposeful evaluation of students and then progresses through increasing levels of support.
Choosing resources for RTI can be a challenge. So many products out there claim to be the best. I used to spend a lot of time looking through different resources and working to align them with my core curriculum, Eureka Math®. But then I realized I could use the curriculum itself as an intervention. Instead of looking to an outside resource for RTI, I started using the Eureka Math resources that were already available as part of the curriculum.
Eureka Math meets all your Tier 1 RTI needs.
In the classroom, I found that Eureka Math provides the high-quality instruction, screening, and support needed for Tier 1 RTI. Independent, authoritative sources agree. According to the Rand Corporation, Eureka Math was the first curriculum fully aligned with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. In addition, EdReports reviewed Eureka Math Grades K–8 and found that the curriculum fully meets the criteria for focus and coherence, rigor and mathematical practices, and usability. And the Louisiana Department of Education gave Eureka Math the best possible score for all indicators of superior quality.
Eureka Math provides periodic opportunities to assess student learning. For instance, each lesson includes an Exit Ticket that allows students to demonstrate what they have learned so you can identify areas where they still need help. The curriculum also provides topic quizzes and module assessments for periodic evaluation of student progress.
Eureka Math includes resources for supplemental classroom instruction. If routine assessment reveals learning gaps or unfinished learning, consider using the coherence links in the Eureka Digital Suite to identify supporting content. Eureka Math teachers have found that the fluency activities identified through the coherence links are effective Tier 1 interventions. Check out the Navigating the Digital Suite article for help finding those coherence links. Additionally, you can modify problems from any lesson for use as a Tier 1 intervention. See the Customizing Problems for All Learners article to learn more about how you can tailor Eureka Math to fit your students’ needs.
Eureka Math is useful for targeted small-group intervention as Tier 2 RTI.
Some of your students may need support beyond their regular math instruction. Once you identify which students need more targeted intervention through Tier 2 RTI, your Eureka Math resources are there to help. Again, the Eureka Digital Suite will be your guide.
Choose a module in the digital suite, and then find the focus grade-level standards and foundational standards that the module covers. Click on any standard to see a list of lessons and fluency activities that support that standard. When students need help with mathematical concepts, identify the appropriate supporting lessons. Focus on the Concept Development portion of each supporting lesson for additional instruction. Then use each lesson’s Problem Set to provide students with additional practice and to give yourself an opportunity to formatively assess students’ understanding. For students who need targeted support with skills, choose fluency activities that support proficiency in those skills. Monitor students as they complete their fluencies to assess their success.
Eureka Math is customizable for deeper individual intervention as Tier 3 RTI.
If students need additional support after Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions, it’s time for the individualized, intensive support of Tier 3 RTI. These students will need to spend additional time each day, above and beyond the core math instructional period engaging with the specific mathematical concepts they still need to work on. You can also find and customize supporting content for an individualized learning situation.
One customization that Eureka Math teachers find helpful is using concrete or representational mathematical models first before reengaging students with more abstract models. There are many concrete or representational models to choose from, including physical or digital objects that students can manipulate or drawings that illustrate the mathematical concepts. Customizing how the math is represented often gives students the entry point they need to engage with it.
Whether for Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3 RTI, look first to your Eureka Math curriculum to ensure that your interventions align with core instruction. Your students will benefit because they’ll learn math in a consistent, coherent manner, and their interventions will naturally connect to their everyday classroom learning.
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Kevin Davis
Kevin Davis is a Eureka Math Implementation Leader for NY. He was formerly a teacher trainer at Onondaga Cortland Madison BOCES in Syracuse, NY.
Topics: Implementation Support