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As many of you saw, I started working with a new tutoring student this week. Before I began a single lesson, I took the time to assess. When a student is struggling, it can feel urgent to jump straight into teaching. But small group or intervention instruction only works when it is specific and targeted. That requires more than intuition. It requires data. I began by reviewing the universal screener her teacher had already administered to get a quick snapshot of overall skill health. From there, we moved into a diagnostic assessment to pinpoint the exact areas of breakdown. That information allows me to group intentionally, prioritize the right skills, and design instruction that addresses the root issue instead of layering on disconnected activities. Assessment is not about adding more to your plate. It is about protecting your instructional time. A universal screener tells you who may need support. A diagnostic tells you why. Progress monitoring tells you whether your instruction is working. Each type serves a distinct purpose in strong, structured literacy instruction. The data I am sharing in this reel is real and could absolutely be gathered in your classroom. It does not require hours of testing. It requires clarity about which assessment to use and when. If you have ever wondered how to confidently decide what to teach during small groups, I break down the four types of reading assessments and how to use quick phonics screeners in this blog post. Comment WAVE and I will send it to you so you can use your data with purpose 💗
As many of you saw, I started working with a new tutoring student this week. Before I began a single lesson, I took the time to assess. When a student is struggling, it can feel urgent to jump straight into teaching. But small group or intervention instruction only works when it is specific and targeted. That requires more than intuition. It requires data. I began by reviewing the universal screener her teacher had already administered to get a quick snapshot of overall skill health. From there, we moved into a diagnostic assessment to pinpoint the exact areas of breakdown. That information allows me to group intentionally, prioritize the right skills, and design instruction that addresses the root issue instead of layering on disconnected activities. Assessment is not about adding more to your plate. It is about protecting your instructional time. A universal screener tells you who may need support. A diagnostic tells you why. Progress monitoring tells you whether your instruction is working. Each type serves a distinct purpose in strong, structured literacy instruction. The data I am sharing in this reel is real and could absolutely be gathered in your classroom. It does not require hours of testing. It requires clarity about which assessment to use and when. If you have ever wondered how to confidently decide what to teach during small groups, I break down the four types of reading assessments and how to use quick phonics screeners in this blog post. Comment WAVE and I will send it to you so you can use your data with purpose 💗
This simple system took less than 30 minutes to prepare, and with these important steps, my students had it down the first time we tried it without any additional or new issues. … and the best part. ❌No more “IM DONES!” ❌No more “what do I do nows?” ❌No more interruptions when working 1:1 with a student ⬇️Here’s how to implement in 15 minutes or less. ✨First, explain the system and its importance. ✨Second, go over expectations on how to hang onto the clip and what you should not see them doing with the clip - such as throwing it, playing with it, or clipping it onto things you don’t approve of. I have my students clip it on their shirt or their book of choice once they are done. ✨ Have a continuous “finisher” task for them to do such as reading, practicing spelling, etc that they can’t necessarily “finish” while they are waiting. Or multiple options they can jump between. ✨Lastly, make sure to go over EXACTLY how the system works. You can even have a student model it while you explain it. Yes.. the system is simple, but that doesn’t mean we can expect students to understand and follow without visually modeling it first. 🎉And that’s it! This resource is not mine, I found this one for free on TPT, and I used clothes pins that I already had! #teacher #2ndgradeteacher #primaryteaching #homeschoolmom #teachingtips
This simple system took less than 30 minutes to prepare, and with these important steps, my students had it down the first time we tried it without any additional or new issues. … and the best part. ❌No more “IM DONES!” ❌No more “what do I do nows?” ❌No more interruptions when working 1:1 with a student ⬇️Here’s how to implement in 15 minutes or less. ✨First, explain the system and its importance. ✨Second, go over expectations on how to hang onto the clip and what you should not see them doing with the clip - such as throwing it, playing with it, or clipping it onto things you don’t approve of. I have my students clip it on their shirt or their book of choice once they are done. ✨ Have a continuous “finisher” task for them to do such as reading, practicing spelling, etc that they can’t necessarily “finish” while they are waiting. Or multiple options they can jump between. ✨Lastly, make sure to go over EXACTLY how the system works. You can even have a student model it while you explain it. Yes.. the system is simple, but that doesn’t mean we can expect students to understand and follow without visually modeling it first. 🎉And that’s it! This resource is not mine, I found this one for free on TPT, and I used clothes pins that I already had! #teacher #2ndgradeteacher #primaryteaching #homeschoolmom #teachingtips
Which of our resources have you found to be the most helpful in your classroom? #teachingideas #teachingresources #freeresource #teachingstrategies #teacherpd #edchat
Which of our resources have you found to be the most helpful in your classroom? #teachingideas #teachingresources #freeresource #teachingstrategies #teacherpd #edchat
The evidence-based move is: keep the target grade-level in Tier 1, and differentiate the pathway—explicit modeling, guided practice, frequent checks for understanding, and cumulative review—so more students can successfully access that instruction. 🧠 Tier 1 is the universal core. It’s where we protect consistent, research-based instruction for all students—while still responding to learner needs through differentiation. 📉 When we “level” Tier 1, we shrink opportunity to learn. Students who need more teaching can end up with less access to grade-level knowledge, vocabulary, and complex text—because the core is replaced by below-level materials and fragmented skill work. So the research-aligned stance is straightforward (and powerful): ✅ Same grade-level aim in Tier 1 ✅ Different supports to reach it That’s the pathway work: • clear teacher modeling and think-alouds • guided practice with high success rates • frequent checks for understanding + immediate feedback • scaffolds that fade as students gain independence • cumulative review so learning sticks Tier 1 isn’t where we sort students. Tier 1 is where we teach students—cohesively, clearly, and coherently. And yes, I LOVE the em dash. 🤣 Staci Bain, Ed.D. Author of Empowered to Teach and Lead: Whole-Group Literacy Instruction Made Easy Host of On the Road to Literacy Success Podcast Co-Founder | Educate America® LLC Former LETRS National Facilitator | Teacher | Principal | Executive Director 👇 Want to get going? ✅ Comment NEWSLETTER — join Educate’s FREE Goers community (Tier 1 updates + free phonics scope & sequence + podcast drops first). ✅ Comment BOOK — grab the Tier 1 blueprint for whole-group literacy instruction. ✅ Comment ROADMAP — access grade-level, step-by-step Tier 1 planning and teaching support. ✅ Comment BUNDLE — quick-hit Mini Bundles for targeted Tier 1 upgrades. ✅ Comment BOOTCAMP — plan a full week of Tier 1 instruction with me (grade-level specific). ✅ Comment TRAIN ME — onsite or virtual professional learning, or become a certified trainer for your school.
The evidence-based move is: keep the target grade-level in Tier 1, and differentiate the pathway—explicit modeling, guided practice, frequent checks for understanding, and cumulative review—so more students can successfully access that instruction. 🧠 Tier 1 is the universal core. It’s where we protect consistent, research-based instruction for all students—while still responding to learner needs through differentiation. 📉 When we “level” Tier 1, we shrink opportunity to learn. Students who need more teaching can end up with less access to grade-level knowledge, vocabulary, and complex text—because the core is replaced by below-level materials and fragmented skill work. So the research-aligned stance is straightforward (and powerful): ✅ Same grade-level aim in Tier 1 ✅ Different supports to reach it That’s the pathway work: • clear teacher modeling and think-alouds • guided practice with high success rates • frequent checks for understanding + immediate feedback • scaffolds that fade as students gain independence • cumulative review so learning sticks Tier 1 isn’t where we sort students. Tier 1 is where we teach students—cohesively, clearly, and coherently. And yes, I LOVE the em dash. 🤣 Staci Bain, Ed.D. Author of Empowered to Teach and Lead: Whole-Group Literacy Instruction Made Easy Host of On the Road to Literacy Success Podcast Co-Founder | Educate America® LLC Former LETRS National Facilitator | Teacher | Principal | Executive Director 👇 Want to get going? ✅ Comment NEWSLETTER — join Educate’s FREE Goers community (Tier 1 updates + free phonics scope & sequence + podcast drops first). ✅ Comment BOOK — grab the Tier 1 blueprint for whole-group literacy instruction. ✅ Comment ROADMAP — access grade-level, step-by-step Tier 1 planning and teaching support. ✅ Comment BUNDLE — quick-hit Mini Bundles for targeted Tier 1 upgrades. ✅ Comment BOOTCAMP — plan a full week of Tier 1 instruction with me (grade-level specific). ✅ Comment TRAIN ME — onsite or virtual professional learning, or become a certified trainer for your school.
Even though I look dog tired in the video, the message is still important. 😮‍💨 Teachers and school leaders deserve more than “Fix Tier 1.” Why? Because “fix it” without grade-level specificity, per grade level, is just another unhelpful sound bite. Educators deserve the actual HOW: 📚 What does Tier 1 look like in real time, per grade level? ⏱️ How long does each part actually take? 🧠 What do we teach first, next, and why? ✍️ How do decoding, encoding, connected text, and writing fit together inside one cohesive block? 📘 That’s why I wrote a 211-page Tier 1 book. 🧑‍🏫🏫 That’s why there is a growing national, site-based training team. 🎬🖱️ That’s why I spent months writing and filming teaching content in classrooms so you can click your mouse and see Tier 1 teaching in action inside the asynchronous Tier 1 Roadmap courses. HERE we are determined to reduce intervention numbers by strengthening shared, grade-level Tier 1 instruction built from the inside out. Staci Bain, Ed.D. Author of Empowered to Teach and Lead: Whole-Group Literacy Instruction Made Easy Host of On the Road to Literacy Success Podcast Co-Founder | Educate America® LLC Former LETRS National Facilitator | Teacher | Principal | Executive Director ⬇️ Comment TRAIN ME to apply to become a site-based facilitator. ⬇️ Comment EMPOWERED to get the link to the Tier 1 book. ⬇️ Comment ROADMAP to get the link to the Tier 1 Roadmap courses.
Even though I look dog tired in the video, the message is still important. 😮‍💨 Teachers and school leaders deserve more than “Fix Tier 1.” Why? Because “fix it” without grade-level specificity, per grade level, is just another unhelpful sound bite. Educators deserve the actual HOW: 📚 What does Tier 1 look like in real time, per grade level? ⏱️ How long does each part actually take? 🧠 What do we teach first, next, and why? ✍️ How do decoding, encoding, connected text, and writing fit together inside one cohesive block? 📘 That’s why I wrote a 211-page Tier 1 book. 🧑‍🏫🏫 That’s why there is a growing national, site-based training team. 🎬🖱️ That’s why I spent months writing and filming teaching content in classrooms so you can click your mouse and see Tier 1 teaching in action inside the asynchronous Tier 1 Roadmap courses. HERE we are determined to reduce intervention numbers by strengthening shared, grade-level Tier 1 instruction built from the inside out. Staci Bain, Ed.D. Author of Empowered to Teach and Lead: Whole-Group Literacy Instruction Made Easy Host of On the Road to Literacy Success Podcast Co-Founder | Educate America® LLC Former LETRS National Facilitator | Teacher | Principal | Executive Director ⬇️ Comment TRAIN ME to apply to become a site-based facilitator. ⬇️ Comment EMPOWERED to get the link to the Tier 1 book. ⬇️ Comment ROADMAP to get the link to the Tier 1 Roadmap courses.
Want instant insight into what students actually learned? 🧠 Exit slips are one of the simplest, highest-impact formative assessment tools… and they take less than two minutes! 
Just two questions can reveal recall, reasoning, misconceptions and who needs support or extension next lesson. Try this tomorrow:
✔ One recall question
✔ One reasoning question
✔ Use the answers to guide your very next lesson Share + follow for more evidence-informed teaching that works in real classrooms. #FormativeAssessment #ExitSlips #TeacherTips #teachersofinstagram #evidenceinformed
Want instant insight into what students actually learned? 🧠 Exit slips are one of the simplest, highest-impact formative assessment tools… and they take less than two minutes! 
Just two questions can reveal recall, reasoning, misconceptions and who needs support or extension next lesson. Try this tomorrow:
✔ One recall question
✔ One reasoning question
✔ Use the answers to guide your very next lesson Share + follow for more evidence-informed teaching that works in real classrooms. #FormativeAssessment #ExitSlips #TeacherTips #teachersofinstagram #evidenceinformed
We have to stop treating “I do, We do, You do” like it’s just a routine to check off. It’s cognitive load management. It’s clarity. It’s confidence-building. When students struggle during independent work, it’s not always effort. Sometimes we just moved to “You do” too quickly. The “I do” makes your thinking visible. The “We do” protects accuracy. The “You do” should feel earned, not forced. Especially this time of year, when we’re tempted to think, “They should know this by now,” it might be time to revisit guided practice instead of adding more independent work. Clarity before independence. Always. Save this for your next planning session 🤍 and follow for more one-minute instructional breakdowns. And tell me…which phase do you think we rush the most? #teacherclarity #formativeassessment #directinstruction #instructionalcoaching #elementaryteachers
We have to stop treating “I do, We do, You do” like it’s just a routine to check off. It’s cognitive load management. It’s clarity. It’s confidence-building. When students struggle during independent work, it’s not always effort. Sometimes we just moved to “You do” too quickly. The “I do” makes your thinking visible. The “We do” protects accuracy. The “You do” should feel earned, not forced. Especially this time of year, when we’re tempted to think, “They should know this by now,” it might be time to revisit guided practice instead of adding more independent work. Clarity before independence. Always. Save this for your next planning session 🤍 and follow for more one-minute instructional breakdowns. And tell me…which phase do you think we rush the most? #teacherclarity #formativeassessment #directinstruction #instructionalcoaching #elementaryteachers
I didn’t start tracking Tier 2 students who weren’t escalating because I had extra time. I started because I didn’t trust what I couldn’t see. No office referrals. No blow-ups. No obvious red flags. Just slower responses. Fewer check-ins. More “I’m fine.” When I logged every one of those students for 30 days, 4 patterns repeated. Not dramatic ones. Not suspension-level ones. Disengagement. And none of it showed up in our formal data yet. That’s when I realized: Tier 2 doesn’t fail because we don’t care. It fails because we wait for visible behavior. By the time it’s visible, it’s late. So I stopped relying on: • Memory • End-of-week catch-up • Hoping I’d remember who needed a follow-up And built a system that logs the moment while it’s happening. Not perfectly. Not in a giant spreadsheet. Just fast. Three clicks. In real time. So the students I worry about most don’t depend on my brain capacity that day. If you’ve ever looked at your Tier 2 list and thought, “I know someone’s slipping… I just can’t prove it yet.” The tracker I use is linked in my bio.
I didn’t start tracking Tier 2 students who weren’t escalating because I had extra time. I started because I didn’t trust what I couldn’t see. No office referrals. No blow-ups. No obvious red flags. Just slower responses. Fewer check-ins. More “I’m fine.” When I logged every one of those students for 30 days, 4 patterns repeated. Not dramatic ones. Not suspension-level ones. Disengagement. And none of it showed up in our formal data yet. That’s when I realized: Tier 2 doesn’t fail because we don’t care. It fails because we wait for visible behavior. By the time it’s visible, it’s late. So I stopped relying on: • Memory • End-of-week catch-up • Hoping I’d remember who needed a follow-up And built a system that logs the moment while it’s happening. Not perfectly. Not in a giant spreadsheet. Just fast. Three clicks. In real time. So the students I worry about most don’t depend on my brain capacity that day. If you’ve ever looked at your Tier 2 list and thought, “I know someone’s slipping… I just can’t prove it yet.” The tracker I use is linked in my bio.
Stop waiting until April. Early in my career, I treated mid-year data like a checkpoint. By April, testing pressure hit. And I was trying to accelerate growth at the last minute. Here’s what I learned: February is leverage. • Misaligned small groups stall growth. • Decodables that don’t match skills plateau students. • Inconsistent word practice blocks fluency. You don’t fix outcomes in April. You influence them now. That’s why principals should do focused small group walkthroughs now. I created a free 15-Minute Small Group Alignment Audit, use it in three classrooms this week to quickly see: • Instruction vs. data alignment • Decodable to skill match • Intentional practice opportunities Small tweaks now protect end-of-year results. Download. Walk three classrooms. See the difference. Comment or DM “ALIGN” and I’ll send it to you! #structuredliteracy #mequelboldenconsulting #scienceofreading #elementaryprincipals #earlyliteracy
Stop waiting until April. Early in my career, I treated mid-year data like a checkpoint. By April, testing pressure hit. And I was trying to accelerate growth at the last minute. Here’s what I learned: February is leverage. • Misaligned small groups stall growth. • Decodables that don’t match skills plateau students. • Inconsistent word practice blocks fluency. You don’t fix outcomes in April. You influence them now. That’s why principals should do focused small group walkthroughs now. I created a free 15-Minute Small Group Alignment Audit, use it in three classrooms this week to quickly see: • Instruction vs. data alignment • Decodable to skill match • Intentional practice opportunities Small tweaks now protect end-of-year results. Download. Walk three classrooms. See the difference. Comment or DM “ALIGN” and I’ll send it to you! #structuredliteracy #mequelboldenconsulting #scienceofreading #elementaryprincipals #earlyliteracy
If you have students who “forget” directions the second you say them, here are 3 things you can do (that aren’t repeating yourself again). 👇 Because most of the time, this isn’t a listening problem. It’s a **working memory + processing load** problem. When students are expected to hold multi-step directions in their head *while* gathering materials, transitioning, regulating their body, and starting the task… those directions disappear fast. Here are 3 research-informed fixes that actually improve follow-through: ✅ **1. Make directions visible (not just verbal).** Post them. Write them. Display them. Give a checklist. If the directions aren’t accessible *while students are working*, you’re relying on memory instead of support. ✅ **2. Reduce the number of steps students have to hold at once.** Instead of giving 5 directions in one sentence, break it into smaller chunks and deliver steps in sequence. This lowers cognitive load and increases accuracy. ✅ **3. Build in a “check-in system” before students start.** Ask students to repeat directions back, highlight the first step, or point to what they’re doing first. This supports comprehension and prevents mistakes that lead to shutdown, avoidance, or frustration. Students who “forget” directions aren’t always being careless. Often, their brain is doing too much at once. Support doesn’t lower expectations. It makes follow-through possible. #specialeducation #executivefunctioning #classroomstrategies #teacherlife #inclusiveeducation
If you have students who “forget” directions the second you say them, here are 3 things you can do (that aren’t repeating yourself again). 👇 Because most of the time, this isn’t a listening problem. It’s a **working memory + processing load** problem. When students are expected to hold multi-step directions in their head *while* gathering materials, transitioning, regulating their body, and starting the task… those directions disappear fast. Here are 3 research-informed fixes that actually improve follow-through: ✅ **1. Make directions visible (not just verbal).** Post them. Write them. Display them. Give a checklist. If the directions aren’t accessible *while students are working*, you’re relying on memory instead of support. ✅ **2. Reduce the number of steps students have to hold at once.** Instead of giving 5 directions in one sentence, break it into smaller chunks and deliver steps in sequence. This lowers cognitive load and increases accuracy. ✅ **3. Build in a “check-in system” before students start.** Ask students to repeat directions back, highlight the first step, or point to what they’re doing first. This supports comprehension and prevents mistakes that lead to shutdown, avoidance, or frustration. Students who “forget” directions aren’t always being careless. Often, their brain is doing too much at once. Support doesn’t lower expectations. It makes follow-through possible. #specialeducation #executivefunctioning #classroomstrategies #teacherlife #inclusiveeducation
Create standards aligned presentations, projects, intervention resources in seconds with TeachShare. Comment YES for the link!
Create standards aligned presentations, projects, intervention resources in seconds with TeachShare. Comment YES for the link!
After 12 years in special education math, here’s what I know: When one worksheet has to magically meet ❤️students 3 grade levels behind 🧡students on level 💚 and students who finish in 4 minutes …it doesn’t work. So what happens? • The struggling students shut down • The on-level kids survive • The advanced kids coast • And you feel like you’re failing everyone at once Tiering fixes that. ✅Same standard. ✅Same skill. ✅Different access points. Inside Tiered Assignments 101, I show you exactly how to: ✔️ Create 3 levels of practice without tripling your prep ✔️ Keep rigor high while adjusting structure and scaffolds ✔️ Use editable templates so you’re not starting from scratch ➡️ Comment LEVELED and I’ll send you the details 💛
After 12 years in special education math, here’s what I know: When one worksheet has to magically meet ❤️students 3 grade levels behind 🧡students on level 💚 and students who finish in 4 minutes …it doesn’t work. So what happens? • The struggling students shut down • The on-level kids survive • The advanced kids coast • And you feel like you’re failing everyone at once Tiering fixes that. ✅Same standard. ✅Same skill. ✅Different access points. Inside Tiered Assignments 101, I show you exactly how to: ✔️ Create 3 levels of practice without tripling your prep ✔️ Keep rigor high while adjusting structure and scaffolds ✔️ Use editable templates so you’re not starting from scratch ➡️ Comment LEVELED and I’ll send you the details 💛
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