Children who have problems reading also often have problems doing well in their classwork and on tests, even if they have a good understanding of the subjects being taught. Unfortunately, if the reading problems aren’t identified as a cause of the poor scores and grades, a child might be classified as having learning disabilities rather than simply problems with reading. That’s why it’s important to identify reading issues as early as possible, before they cause multiple problems in the future. As studies and classroom practices have shown, helping young children overcome their problems with reading means that they are able to keep up with their classmates, rather than falling farther and farther behind as the years go by.

A school district in Oregon found out how well early intervention works, and their focus on primary school reading-intensive programs has resulted in a remarkable drop in the number of children with reading difficulties in higher grades. They use a system called DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) to evaluate and monitor each student’s level and progress and devote extra time to reading skills during the regular school day, as well as providing summertime help to children who are still having difficulties keeping up. Funding from state and federal sources has helped the school district generate the resources for this intensive, but successful, program.

As the Bethel school district example shows, helping the youngest children get a solid foundation in reading skills will prevent many education-based problems from developing or getting worse later on. Taking the time to teach children in small groups or individually allows instructors to closely observe each child to make sure that the student has the support he or she needs to make steady improvements in reading skills. Although this approach does take time and money to implement, spending those resources on early intervention in literacy will help prevent even more costly intervention for students who are struggling – or even failing – in the higher grades.

Reference: Paglin, C. Practicing Prevention: How One School District Helps Students Avoid Reading Failure. American Educator (Fall 2004)