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Benjamin, real PreK student in my current class (Ben is a student in need…

- - - - Ben is unable to write one coherent sentence. His letters make no differentiation between tall and short, show a very high frequency of mirror writing, and spaces between extremely misspelled words are mostly nonexistent. Even the simplest of accurate grammar constructions are absent. In stark contrast to his reading skills, Ben is able to independently focus on writing for a minute or two at a time, despite his output being mostly illegible. He is also happy to show his finished work to the teachers.
      - Tier 1 Writing
        
        Spelling: First look in your Word Book (student-created "dictionary" of words they've learned). Second, ask a friend if they know. Third, sound it out and write the letters you can hear.
        
        Students receive more teacher-led support with spelling in activities that aren't focused on improving writing skills.
        
        Students spend 5 or 10 minutes writing stories after receiving a prompt and discussing what details they will include with a peer. After completing the story, they can independently find other students who have finished and swap writing notebooks to read. At the end of the activity, volunteers will read what they've written to the whole class. They can read even if they didn't finish.
        
        Identifying characters and main characters in stories read to children during "big book" time.
        
        Discussing "Who?" "Where?" "What? (small conflicts)" before writing stories to help students break down the details of their story into small easy choices. Example: "Who will your story be about? Your friend? An animal? A monster?"
        
        Providing laminated alphabets with uppercase and lowercase letters clearly and simply written for each table.
        
        Discussing "Who?" "Where?" "What? (conflict)" after reading stories to help students identify examples of details in stories.
        
        Monitoring for common mistakes and putting modified versions on the whiteboard for students to analyze, discuss with peers, and correct in whole class mode. The modified versions contain the mistake being made, but the details are adjusted so it isn't a quote from a specific student.
        
        Tier 2 Writing
        
        A few minutes after the writing task has started, the teaching assistant will check in with Ben. The TA can sit with Ben for a few minutes to help him focus on correcting a single target problem.
        
        The TA can limit it to one target issue to avoid discouraging Ben or distracting him too much from what is otherwise an engaging writing task for him.
        
        The education team can rotate what target issue to focus on, so Ben is not inundated with criticism. Simple sentence structures or spaces between words, for example, and not both. The following week, the previously untargeted issue can take a turn.
        
        Redirect Ben's attention to the provided alphabet for reference when his letters are hard to decipher.
        
        Tier 3 Writing
        
        An IEP involving Ben's family will be developed, including a list of basic writing skills that Ben will try to master in a defined time. This IEP will be reviewed and updated monthly, using feedback from parents and data collected by the education team.
        
        The education team will contact the family about scheduling a child psychologist appointment for Ben, using any information gained to help update the IEP.
        
        A list of basic writing skills will be created, possibly even going back as far as pre-writing that should have been mastered years before. Ben will perform assessments meant to test each individual item on this list.
        
        Spaces between words
        
        Conjugating the word "be" for different subjects while writing simple sentences.
        
        Pre-writing
        
        Drawing horizontal lines
        
        Drawing diagonal lines
        
        Drawing vertical lines
        
        Drawing circles
        
        Drawing curves
        
        Uppercase and lowercase letters
        
        Short and tall letters, and letters with tails.
        
        During all writing lessons Ben will go with the teaching assistant or the teacher (if available depending on what other students are doing) for at least five minutes for intensive writing re-teaching sessions.
        
        Ben will receive basic letter and sentence tracing homework.
        
        Tiered expectations: Ben will be given easier to reach goals so he feels more motivated and focused by more frequent positive feedback.
        
        Ben can ignore some conventions that other students are encouraged to use, such as uppercase and lowercase letters and periods. Ben must use spaces between words.
        
        Ben can write one coherent sentence instead of a three sentence story.
  - - - Ben is unable to read any book independently for more than a few seconds. If the book is very low level, around level B, he is able to read it by himself, but quickly loses focus before the end of the book, fidgeting in his chair and with the book. With intense support of an adult focusing entirely on him, Ben can read a book of level C, though with very poor pronunciation and volume control.
      - Tier 1 Reading
        
        Tier 2 Reading
        
        Teacher can ask simpler comprehension questions that don't require in depth understand to help keep Team Diglett engaged with material.
        
        Teacher can spend more time reviewing basic phonics when reading the book with Team Diglett.
        
        Teaching team can keep a list of sentences, words, phonics, etc., that members of Team Diglett are struggling with so they can be reviewed during homogeneous reading lessons.
        
        Teaching Assistant can gently refocus students on team Diglett when they are supposed to be doing independent group reading.
        
        Tier 3 Reading
        
        Ben will be moved from Team Diglett and receive materials and instruction designed specifically for him.
        
        During all reading lessons Ben will go with the teaching assistant or the teacher (if available depending on what other students are doing) for at least five minutes for intensive reading re-teaching sessions. These sessions will also let Ben practice reading independently.
        
        He will receive easier books until he has something he can read entirely independently. The difficulty will be increased from there until a reader is found that Ben can focus on a reasonable amount, but not 100%.
        
        The education team will begin collecting data on what books Ben can read, what books Ben can independently focus on, and how long he can focus in units of pages, rounding down if he loses interest mid-page.
        
        An IEP involving Ben's family will be developed, including a prospective series of weekly readers that Ben will try to work through in a defined time. This IEP will be reviewed and updated monthly, using feedback from parents and data collected by the education team.
        
        The education team will contact the family about scheduling a child psychologist appointment for Ben, using any information gained to help update the IEP.
        
        The IEP will contain reading activities for Ben to complete at home in the form of basic phonics review and exercises intended to help improve his focus. Family members will be coached on using positive feedback.
        
        School supervisors will be informed on the creation of the IEP and consulted regarding its content.
        
        A very detailed description of Tier 1 reading activities for Ben's classroom can be found here: Student Grouping Ben is on Team Diglett.