Response to Intervention better known as "RTI" has been a part of Whiteville Elementary School for four years. This year the RTI program includes all grades Kindergarten through eighth. All of the faculty and staff are working hard to ensure that the students at Whiteville Elementary School are ready for their next step in their education. RTI is a program of 90 minutes of uninterrupted time for both reading and math. Reading time is 8:00 until 10:30 a.m.; although the allotted time is 90 minutes, classes start and end at different time during the 90 minutes period. Math begins at 11:30 until 1:30 again the allotted time is 90 minutes, with the different grades starting and ending at different times. In each classroom the students and the teacher work in small groups, as a whole class, and/or individually, to ensure everyone has an equal learning opportunity. The students work with file folder games, teacher made games, with computers, and other resources which are available to them. If you were to visit one of the classrooms during RTI it would not look or sound like a classroom from the past. There is some noise, lots of movement, and teachers maybe working with one to five students while the other students are working alone or in a small group. You may see more than one teacher in the classroom working with students; the Special Education teacher, teacher assistances or even one of the Foster Grandparents. RTI has taken the art of learning out of the past and placed it in the 21st Century.
The picture above shows students working with a file folder game. They are working together with help from the teacher as it is needed. The picture below is the teacher with a small group of students. During this time the teacher helps to meet the needs of the individual student.