Morpheus

From Science of Reading: The Podcast

S11 E3: Tier 1: Your MTSS Foundation, with Sarah Brown, Ph.D.

Published
October 7, 2026
Length
46:00
Starts at
17:00

Audio is streamed from the publisher.

Chapters

Read from the show notes

  1. 0:00 Introduction: Tier 1: The MTSS foundation, with Sarah Brown
  2. 3:00 Sarah Brown's background and path to MTSS
  3. 6:00 Defining Tier 1 instruction
  4. 10:00 What an effective Tier 1 looks like
  5. 14:00 Why a strong Tier 1 enables targeted intervention
  6. 17:00 Using data to assess your Tier 1
  7. 21:00 Common misconceptions about Tier 1
  8. 22:00 What Tier 1 intervention looks like
  9. 27:00 Common themes in Tier 1
  10. 38:00 Effective Universal Instruction and closing thoughts

Not from the publisher — times may be approximate.

While Tier 1 instruction is the foundation of a successful Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), it is also the element we most often overlook. On this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Sarah Brown, Ph.D., consultant and co-author of Effective Universal Instruction: An Action-Oriented Approach to Improving Tier 1, joins host Susan Lambert, Ed.D., to explore why this is and what it takes to give Tier 1 the attention it deserves. Together, Sarah and Susan also discuss common misconceptions about Tier 1; why a strong Tier 1 directly determines how targeted and intensive your interventions can be; and how to use data to assess whether your Tier 1 is truly working. Show notes: Vote for Science of Reading: The Podcast to win the Signal Listener's Choice Award—voting ends Oct. 15: amplify.com/signalaward Download our free companion MTSS ebook! Learn more about building a sustainable, data-informed MTSS. Read Effective Universal Instruction by Sarah Brown, Kim Gibbons, and Brad Niebling. Read Routines for Reading Results by Sarah Brown Learn more about System Impact Consulting. Connect with Sarah Brown on LinkedIn. Listen to Season 3 of Amplify’s Beyond My Years podcast. Subscribe to Susan’s new Science of Reading Substack. Join our Science of Reading community Facebook group. Connect with Susan Lambert. Quotes: "Our labels don't define our students' skills and abilities. The quality and intensity of our instruction is really what matters." —Sarah Brown "We are running ourselves ragged trying to provide intervention for too many students." —Sarah Brown "Tier 1 instruction really deserves the same love and attention as your interventions and other tiers." —Sarah Brown "MTSS is a framework, not a roadmap, which means it doesn't look the same in every school." —Sarah Brown Timestamps*: 0:00 Introduction: Tier 1: The MTSS foundation, with Sarah Brown 3:00 Sarah Brown's background and path to MTSS 6:00 Defining Tier 1 instruction 10:00 What an effective Tier 1 looks like 14:00 Why a strong Tier 1 enables targeted intervention 17:00 Using data to assess your Tier 1 21:00 Common misconceptions about Tier 1 22:00 What Tier 1 intervention looks like 27:00 Common themes in Tier 1 38:00 Effective Universal Instruction and closing thoughts *Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute