Dr. Timothy E Morse

This book presents information about the design and provision of small group instruction to students who present persistent, ongoing learning challenges. This includes students who receive special education services as well as at risk students who need to be provided remedial instruction. At the outset, reasons for using a small group arrangement are offered. These include (a) limits to public school funding that do not allow for 1:1 instructional arrangements to be used with most students who present learning challenges, (b) the instructional efficiency that can be realized through small group instruction, and (c) the fact that group instructional arrangements predominate in schools’ least restrictive environments. Subsequently, numerous details that instructors must attend to as they oversee small group instruction are discussed. These details include identifying which students will comprise a group and the specific curricula content they will be taught, designing an appropriate environment, and using data

While there are many features of a response-to-intervention framework, two stand out as solid reasons why school personnel should be familiar with its basic structure. One reason is that it provides a sound protocol to account for the performance of every student. A second reason is that it provides a structure that is useful for figuring out how to refine instruction so that it is individualized to meet each student’s needs.

This book addresses three broad topics: the structure of a response-to-intervention framework, the fundamental premises and components of the framework, and practical considerations pertaining to its implementation

While useful to both beginning and experienced teachers, as well as other professionals who provide direct and indirect services to students, this book was created first and foremost with preservice teachers in mind. It should prove to be useful to these teachers by enabling them to identify the knowledge and skills they need to acquire in their preparation program.