In the education world, we refer to tier-1 supports as universal programming used with all students in the classroom. These supports fit into the basic principles of Universal Design for Learning and aim to make instruction accessible to benefit most students. In this blog post, I share five tier-1 supports you can immediately implement in your classroom.
Less is More
When it comes to stimuli in the classroom, less is more. This includes visual and verbal stimuli. Limiting visual and verbal clutter during instruction reduces our students’ cognitive load and allows them to focus on learning the essential concepts. Not only is this tier-1 support helpful for English language learners and students with auditory processing challenges, but research shows it benefits all students.
Use Visuals
Minimizing visual clutter does not mean zero visuals in the classroom. Using visuals to support instruction is an excellent tier-1 support to increase your impact in the classroom. Additionally, visuals can also be used to streamline routines. For example, visual schedules help young students learn and understand their schedules more independently. Self-regulation visuals allow students experiencing dysregulation to choose a way to regain control. Low-tech communication boards give students language to express themselves.
Brain Breaks
Asking students to stay engaged and on task throughout the school day is unrealistic. All students benefit from brain breaks throughout the day to reset and refocus. Brain breaks are quick and easy activities that give students a chance to break and reset from the mental hard work of learning. Examples of brain breaks could be movement-based or mental-based. The idea is that these brain break activities activate a different brain network while allowing the learning network to take a break. Good places to look for brain break videos are GoNoodle™ and YouTube™.
Enforce Structure, Rules, and Routines
Creating structure, rules, and routines in your classroom can reduce anxiety and stress caused by students’ uncertainty about what will happen next. Frontloading structure, rules, and routines give students space to learn content throughout the school year.
Prioritize Instructional Supports
While a strong curriculum is undoubtedly necessary for delivering high-quality education, instructional supports play an integral part in engaging instruction. Tap into technology and digital tools to provide differentiated instruction that benefits all students in your classroom.
