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MTSS and assessment

Tiered support and inclusion

How strong whole-class teaching, early screening and targeted intervention fit together. I've gathered webinars, school stories and guides on multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), many from Victorian schools, from Tier 1 teaching for all to targeted Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention.

Practices in this area:Tier 1, 2 and 3Intervention selectionScaffoldingAdjustments

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Watch 8

Learn 83

School story

MTSS at East Loddon P-12 College (Vic) (opens in a new tab)

AERO · Australia

Staff at East Loddon P-12 College in rural Victoria describe their tiered literacy support for secondary students, from classroom practice to small-group and intensive intervention, and the changes they have seen.

FreeOpens at edresearch.edu.au

Interview

Using data in MTSS: Screening (opens in a new tab)

AERO · Australia

Staff from secondary schools in four states explain how they screen students' literacy, including at the move from primary school, and use the results to decide who needs which support.

FreeOpens at edresearch.edu.au

Show 77 more

Interview

Using data in MTSS: Progress monitoring (opens in a new tab)

AERO · Australia

Intervention teachers and specialists from secondary schools describe how they track progress in literacy and numeracy interventions, from weekly fluency checks to mastery tests, and decide when to reteach or move students on.

FreeOpens at edresearch.edu.au

Interview

Leading MTSS (opens in a new tab)

AERO · Australia

Principals and teacher leaders from five secondary schools discuss what leading MTSS takes, from setting the vision and making time to timetabling small intervention classes, backing staff and staying the course.

FreeOpens at edresearch.edu.au

Webinar

Introduction to MTSS in Practice: Building Strong Tier 1 Instruction and Aligned Tier 2 Support (opens in a new tab)

Think Forward Educators, with Stephanie Dehghani, Templestowe Heights Primary School · 30 to 60 minutes · 2026 · Australia

Assistant principal Stephanie Dehghani describes how Templestowe Heights Primary built strong Tier 1 teaching, aligned Tier 2 as an extra dose of core instruction and used data to decide support.

FreeOpens at thinkforwardeducators.org

Webinar

Dyslexia and dysgraphia webinar (opens in a new tab)

Lyn Stone · About 1 hour · Australia

A webinar from Australian linguist Lyn Stone, made for parents who want to know more about dyslexia and dysgraphia. Clear enough for teachers too, and one to pass on to families.

FreeOpens at youtube.com

Talk

Developmental coordination disorder: Professor Amanda Kirby (opens in a new tab)

Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, with Amanda Kirby · About 35 minutes · UK

Professor Amanda Kirby speaks for the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health about developmental coordination disorder, which often shows up at school in handwriting and organisation. Made for clinicians, so heavier going than the short video in this strand.

FreeOpens at youtube.com

Interview

Professor Linda Graham on inclusive education (The School Can't Experience Podcast, episode 50) (opens in a new tab)

The School Can't Experience Podcast, with Linda Graham · About 50 minutes · Australia

Professor Linda Graham, Director of the QUT Centre for Inclusive Education, talks with host Leisa Reichelt about teaching and assessment that every student can access, and what the Disability Standards ask of schools. This is the video recording of the podcast episode.

FreeOpens at youtube.com

Listen 12

MTSS for reading

S5 E17 MTSS for Reading (opens in a new tab)

The Structured Literacy Podcast · with Stephanie Stollar

Stephanie Stollar explains how MTSS for reading differs from traditional RTI, describing it as a comprehensive framework for systems change.

FreeOpens at buzzsprout.com

Education support staff

Deployment of teaching assistants (opens in a new tab)

Evidence into Action

Alex Quigley and Kirsten Mould discuss the EEF's updated guidance on deploying teaching assistants, with Gary Aubin and practitioners reflecting on what works in their settings.

FreeOpens at evidenceintoaction.podbean.com

Developmental language disorder at school

School and DLD (opens in a new tab)

The Talking DLD Podcast (The DLD Project) · Australia

An episode of the Australian Talking DLD Podcast about school for children with developmental language disorder, and what it is like to watch a child struggle there.

FreeOpens at thedldproject.com

Show 6 more

Dyscalculia

Understanding dyscalculia (opens in a new tab)

The NCETM Podcast · with Cat Eadle

Dyscalculia specialist Cat Eadle explains what dyscalculia is, how it differs from other maths difficulties, and how mastery-style teaching can help. A short listen of a little over twenty minutes.

FreeOpens at ncetm.org.uk

Phonics for students with DLD

Phonics and DLD (opens in a new tab)

The Talking DLD Podcast (The DLD Project) · Australia

This Talking DLD Podcast episode explains why children with developmental language disorder are at higher risk of reading and spelling difficulty, and shares phonics strategies that help.

FreeOpens at thedldproject.com

Tier 2

Tier Two Instruction That Hits the Mark (opens in a new tab)

The Structured Literacy Podcast · with Jocelyn Seamer

Jocelyn Seamer identifies five reasons Tier 2 intervention often fails, including misalignment with Tier 1 and asking struggling students to learn from separate programs.

FreeOpens at buzzsprout.com

Read 55

Learning difficulties: Victorian Department of Education overview and information guides (opens in a new tab)

Department of Education, Victoria · Guides and explainers · Australia

The Victorian department's overview of learning difficulties for teachers, covering possible signs, whole-school approaches, and links to its information guides on literacy difficulties, including dyslexia and dysgraphia, and numeracy difficulties, including dyscalculia.

FreeOpens at education.vic.gov.au

On how to change your mind (opens in a new tab)

Rebecca Birch (On Education) · Substack · 2026 · Australia

Birch explains how new research on prior knowledge and the expertise reversal effect has partly changed her view on whether gifted learners always need explicit teaching before problem solving.

FreeOpens at rebeccabirch.substack.com

Death by differentiation (opens in a new tab)

Haili Hughes · Substack · 2026 · Australia

Hughes contrasts differentiation that dumbs down tasks or multiplies planning with responsive teaching, which keeps the learning ambitious for everyone and adjusts support when evidence shows it is needed.

FreeOpens at hailihughes.substack.com

Show 49 more

When support starts to limit (opens in a new tab)

Mary Myatt (Curriculum 101) · Substack · 2026 · UK

Myatt explores how well-meant supports, such as simplified tasks and heavy prompting, can lower expectations, and how to keep challenge high while making it manageable for all pupils.

FreeOpens at marymyatt.substack.com

DLD fact sheet (opens in a new tab)

RADLD · Fact sheet · UK

RADLD's fact sheet on developmental language disorder, from the international group that raises awareness of the condition. A short page to share with colleagues and families.

FreeOpens at radld.org

Definition of dyslexia (opens in a new tab)

International Dyslexia Association · Definition · 2025 · USA

The International Dyslexia Association's current definition, adopted in October 2025. It describes dyslexia as difficulty with accurate or fluent word reading and spelling that sits on a continuum and persists despite effective teaching.

FreeOpens at dyslexiaida.org

What is dysgraphia? (opens in a new tab)

Understood · Guides and explainers · USA

Understood's article describes dysgraphia as a writing challenge that affects skills such as handwriting, typing and spelling, and explains how it can affect learning.

FreeOpens at understood.org

Explicit teaching is inclusive (opens in a new tab)

Greg Ashman (Filling the Pail) · Substack · 2023 · Australia

Ashman links tiered support to whole-class teaching, arguing that explicit teaching, including structured literacy, is a strong Tier 1 approach for learning and behaviour and is inclusive of students with disabilities.

FreeOpens at fillingthepail.substack.com

Getting Tier 1 Write (opens in a new tab)

Shaun Brien · Substack · 2026 · Australia

A teacher reads widely on writing instruction, including free AERO courses, and draws out what strong whole-class writing teaching should include, with sentence-level work at its centre.

FreeOpens at mutallyassuredinstruction.substack.com

On the cycle of avoidance (opens in a new tab)

Rebecca Birch (On Education) · Substack · 2025 · Australia

Using her own fear of flying, Birch argues that school accommodations for anxiety can reinforce avoidance, and that participation and low-stakes testing better support students' competence and belonging.

FreeOpens at rebeccabirch.substack.com

Research 9