For many schools, literacy initiatives feel like deja vu. State mandates emphasize the science of reading, new screeners roll out each year, and teachers adjust their day-to-day instruction to build stronger reading foundations. Yet despite these efforts, entirely too many students still struggle to read proficiently by third grade.
The problem isn’t a lack of effort. The problem is timing.
Support often arrives only after students fall behind. That’s why schools across the country are turning to a prevention-first approach, applying the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to literacy.
When reading instruction and MTSS work together, every student gains a clearer path toward literacy success.
MTSS organizes reading support into tiers that respond to students’ needs as they emerge. Universal screeners, progress monitoring, and collaboration between teachers and specialists keep instruction responsive and proactive.
In other words, the goal isn’t to catch up struggling readers. It’s to make sure fewer students ever fall behind.
Tier 1 is the foundation of student success, and that applies to literacy, too. It’s the high-quality, standards-aligned instruction that every student receives every day.
When Tier 1 is strong, most students thrive. But when data shows a need for more support, MTSS helps educators act quickly.
Tier 2 provides focused, short-term support for students who need additional help beyond the core classroom instruction.
Tier 2 support is designed to close gaps quickly and build confidence before reading difficulties intensify.
Tier 3 offers the most personalized support for students with ongoing reading challenges.
Tier 3 is intensive by design but still rooted in the same prevention-first philosophy: data-driven, collaborative, and flexible.
Schools that align the science of reading with MTSS are more likely to see consistent results. Instructional methods stay rooted in evidence, and interventions build on the same practices used in daily instruction, just with greater focus and intensity. This consistency helps students experience a seamless path toward reading proficiency, no matter which tier of support they’re in.
In other words, the science of reading explains how students read. MTSS ensures every student has the opportunity to do it well.
Data is what connects each tier. From universal screeners to progress monitoring tools, every piece of reading data tells part of a story about student growth.
Without shared data, reading interventions can feel disconnected. With it, schools create a cohesive, responsive system that meets students where they are.
When literacy data speaks a common language, every educator becomes part of the reading success story.
Talking about MTSS for literacy is one thing, but turning it into an effective, daily practice takes the right tools and visibility. That’s where Otus comes in.
Whether navigating the Minnesota READ Act, the Virginia Literacy Act, or local district literacy plans, Otus helps educators design a system that puts prevention first.
Identifying which learners need help is no doubt a key to reading success, but MTSS is about creating a system that ensures every student receives evidence-based instruction from the start.
When prevention leads the way, intervention becomes part of a continuous cycle of growth, and every student has the opportunity to thrive as a reader.