Early Intervention in Reading: The Key to Preventing Reading Failure
For my study this week, I read an insightful article by Joseph K. Torgesen on the importance of early intervention in preventing reading failure. This article highlights the critical phonological skills children must develop in NE/Year 1 through to Year 2, such as letter name knowledge, phonemic awareness, and the ability to match sound to print. These skills are essential for decoding unknown words and developing fluent word reading.
When children struggle with these skills, their reading ability and confidence suffer, creating a downward spiral. They may find reading unpleasant and avoid practice, which further impedes their progress. The lack of practice opportunities makes it difficult for them to acquire fluent word-identification skills, which are necessary for reading comprehension and overall academic success.
The good news is that we now have reliable tools to identify children at risk of reading failure early on. Early screening and targeted interventions can provide these children with the necessary support to develop their reading skills and prevent them from falling behind.
Key Strategies for Early Intervention
According to Torgensen, to reduce the percentage of children leaving Primary school with inadequate reading skills, we must change our approach to teaching reading in three ways:
Strong Core Classroom Instruction: Ensure that instruction in New Entrants through Year 4 is explicitly delivered with a balanced emphasis on word-level skills and reading comprehension. This includes making regular use of small instructional groups to cater to children’s varying skill levels.
Screening to Identify At-Risk Children: Implement early screening procedures to identify children at risk of failing to develop reading skills on time. This should involve assessing early reading skills such as letter-name knowledge, phonemic awareness, and vocabulary in NE/Year 1, and measuring oral reading fluency in Year 2.
Appropriate and Extra Instruction: Provide at-risk children with more intensive, explicit, and supportive reading instruction than can be provided by one teacher with a class of 20 or 30 children. This extra support should start early, preferably in Year 1 and Year 2, and may involve small group instruction, one-on-one tutoring, or the use of intervention teachers, such as what we offer at The Study Nook.
Intervention with Older Students
While early intervention is ideal, it is also crucial to address reading difficulties in older students. In the article Torgensen mentions a study of older children. Interventions with children aged 9-12, who were provided 50-100 hours of intense, phonemically explicit, systematic instruction, showed promising results in improving phonemic decoding, reading accuracy, and reading comprehension. However, significant progress in reading fluency was primarily seen in students with mild reading problems. For those with moderate to severe reading impairments, interventions, including repeated reading strategies, had limited impact on closing the fluency gap compared to their peers. These findings highlight the difficulty in overcoming the accumulated deficits in reading practice that these older children have experienced. Although improvements in reading accuracy and comprehension can be achieved, addressing fluency challenges remains a more complex issue.
The development of early reading skills is critical because these skills form the foundation for fluent, accurate reading. Strong word-reading skills are essential for good reading comprehension, and early intervention can prevent the emergence of reading difficulties. Research has shown that early and appropriate interventions can significantly improve reading outcomes, ensuring that children develop the skills necessary for academic success.
Early identification and intervention are key to preventing reading failure. By implementing effective screening and providing targeted, intensive instruction, we can help at-risk children develop the reading skills they need to thrive. As we extend our support into schools, we are committed to working with teachers to create a positive and impactful learning experience for every student.
References
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