What initial action should a teacher take if a child's behaviors are hindering their learning?

When a child’s behaviors are interfering with their learning, initiating the Response to Intervention (RTI) process is a proactive and structured approach to addressing the issue. The RTI framework is designed to identify students who are struggling and provide them with targeted instructional support while monitoring their progress.

Making a referral to the RTI process allows teachers to collaborate with specialists and utilize evidence-based methodologies tailored to the child's specific needs. This process often involves several tiers of intervention, meaning that if initial strategies do not yield the desired results, the interventions can be intensified or modified based on ongoing assessment and response.

This approach is not only effective in targeting the student's academic or behavioral challenges but also promotes a data-driven environment where teachers can track improvement and adapt strategies accordingly. Engaging in the RTI process emphasizes the importance of early identification and intervention, which can lead to better educational outcomes for the child.

In contrast, simply ignoring the behaviors fails to address the underlying issues, discussing with peers may not provide any constructive feedback or solutions, and notifying parents immediately may not be the most effective first step without first identifying specific strategies through RTI. These actions might come later in the process, but the first step should be a well-structured approach like RTI that involves the right