Our new ASK THE EXPERTS section highlights questions from early childhood educators about Recognition & Response, with answers and resources from the experts at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG). 

We hope that the information and resources on this page will help you to bring Recognition & Response to your classroom or program.

Check back here often as new questions and answers will be posted on a regular basis.

If you have a question about Recognition & Response, please send it to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .

Question:  What does the term "tiers” mean in the Recognition & Response model?

Answer:
When children show signs of struggle, the Recognition & Response approach includes steps, or "tiers" that are used to carefully and intentionally modify certain aspects of a program. Within the three tiers, efforts are made to tailor instruction and to provide specific types of support.

Within the first tier or step, the most important thing to consider is whether all children are receiving high quality instruction. To know how well children are responding to the curriculum you will also need to use some screening and observation tools, preferably at the beginning of the school year and then at set intervals over time. This will help you to notice children who appear to be struggling and who may in fact be at risk for reading and other learning difficulties. You can then adjust what you do in the classroom to best meet the learning needs of all of the children. 

In the second tier, you (or perhaps a specialist in reading or language) might work with small groups of children who appear to be struggling with similar types of learning challenges. For example, someone who has specific expertise in reading and phonics might provide targeted small group instruction to students who have difficulty in these areas.

Some children may continue to have difficulties even after small group instruction takes place. These children may then be considered for more specialized instruction in tier three.  In this third step of the model, instruction may be individualized for a particular child's needs, and perhaps happen more often and be more targeted and intensive.  If learning difficulties persist, a team of educators from different fields (for example, reading and counseling) may conduct complete, individualized comprehensive evaluations to determine whether these children are eligible for special education and related services.

Teachers are part of a collaborative problem-solving process in all three tiers with parents, specialists, and administrators to make instructional decisions for each child.  
All in all, the goal is to provide the type of instruction and educational assistance each student needs to be successful!

For more information about the steps or "tiers," sometimes referred to as the "intervention hierarchy," click here.

Question:  What is Recognition & Response?

Answer:
Recognition & Response is a new way of thinking about making sure that all children have the best opportunities to learn.  Whether you think of it as a “model,” “system” or “approach," it is designed to ensure that young children in all types of early care and education settings receive the attention they need to be successful in school.

Unlike ‘special education’ (which by definition focuses attention on a small selection of students who demonstrate ‘problems’ with learning), Recognition & Response is meant for all children and helps adults pay careful attention to the overall quality of their early learning experiences.  When children show signs of struggle, the Recognition & Response approach includes steps that should be taken to modify the program, tailor instruction, and provide specific types of support. It also makes sure that children’s progress is monitored over time and that this information is shared among teachers and parents. 

Additional Resources on RecognitionandResponse.org
FPG Snapshot provides an overview of the Recognition & Response system, and underscores the importance of recognizing and responding to critical early warning signs of learning difficulties in young children.