What Tier 2 Push-In Support Should Look Like

by Amanda Archbald

Tier 2 push-in support is often misunderstood. When it is well planned, it removes language barriers and strengthens classroom learning. When it is unclear, the specialist teacher can easily be seen as an extra pair of hands rather than a language professional.

This blog outlines what effective Tier 2 support should look like, and how we keep the focus on language rather than content.

Tier 2 support is about language, not teaching the subject

Tier 2 support exists to help pupils access the language of the curriculum. The specialist teacher is not there to re-teach content or complete tasks with pupils, but to support understanding of instructions, explanations, and expected responses.

A useful question to ask is:
Is the difficulty conceptual, or is it linguistic?

If a pupil understands the idea but struggles to follow the explanation, the task, or how to respond, the barrier is likely language.

Why specialist teachers are sometimes seen as teaching assistants

This usually happens when roles are not explicit.

Without clear language objectives, specialist teachers may respond reactively during lessons, helping pupils keep up with tasks or explaining content. Over time, this shifts the perception of the role and limits impact.

Clarity before the lesson matters more than support during it.

What effective Tier 2 push-in support looks like

Strong Tier 2 support is:

• Planned and purposeful
• Focused on specific language goals
• Time-limited and targeted

The specialist teacher works briefly with identified pupils, then supports them to re-join whole-class learning independently. They are not attached to individuals or tables for the duration of the lesson.

Practical strategies that work in a push-in model

Effective Tier 2 strategies focus on language development within the lesson.

These include:

• Pre-teaching key vocabulary or sentence structures
• Providing sentence stems for academic talk and writing
• Breaking down task instructions and highlighting key verbs
• Supporting listening and processing during teacher input

Each strategy helps pupils engage with the same learning as their peers, without reducing expectations.

Protecting the specialist teacher’s role

Specialist teachers need clarity and confidence to stay within their role.

It is appropriate to redirect content questions back to the classroom teacher and to focus instead on the language pupils need to understand, discuss, and record learning.

When language is seen as a shared responsibility, Tier 2 support becomes purposeful rather than performative.

Conclusion

Tier 2 push-in support works best when it is intentional, language-focused, and clearly understood.

When the specialist teacher’s role is protected, pupils are supported to access learning independently and with confidence.