In a situation where a child exhibits problematic behavior, it is natural for parents and educators to want to stop that behavior. What I have learned, however, is that it is important to not just concentrate on the behavior, but figure out why it is occurring. This is when RtI² can be useful because it does not immediately move onto punishment, but rather investigates the reasons behind the behavior through pattern observation and data collection. The support becomes more personalized depending on the needs of the child. Two children may show the exact same behavior for completely different reasons. One may be avoiding work that feels too difficult, while another may be looking for attention. The same intervention probably won't work for both. When we understand the reason behind a behavior, we have a much better chance of giving a child the support they actually need (Knoff et al., 2011). __________________________________________________________________________________ Referen...