Catch Them Before They Fall

Author: Torgesen, J.K.
Publisher: American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
Publication Date: 1998, Spring/Summer
Journal: American Educator
Pages: 32-39
Full text available online at: http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/spring_sum98/torgesen.pdf

Abstract (written by WestEd)

"The best solution to the problem of reading failure is to allocate resources for early identification and prevention," says Torgesen. Once children fall behind in word reading skills, intensive interventions are needed. Most children who become poor readers have difficulty identifying printed words — understanding and applying the alphabetic principle in decoding, or "sounding out," unknown words (phonemic awareness) — and are slow to develop "sight word vocabulary." Early identification of children at risk of having reading difficulty is critical, as research has shown that it is unlikely they will ever fully catch up.

Diagnostic assessments, especially for early identification, include those that measure sight-word reading ability (e.g., Word Identification subtest from Woodcock Reading Mastery Test-Revised [1987]), phonetic reading ability (Word Attack subtest), and word reading fluency (e.g., Gray Oral Reading Test-3rd Ed. [1992] for reading ability above beginning first grade; Word Reading Efficiency and NonWord Efficiency [1998] by Torgesen and Wagner). The fluency measure becomes more important after about second to third grade. "Measures that involve out-of-context word reading more directly assess the kinds of word reading skills that are particularly problematic for children with reading disabilities because they eliminate the contextual support on which these children rely heavily," says the author. But reading in context also is important to obtain a complete picture of overall reading.

Torgesen identifies the most critical elements of effective preventive reading programs:

• Quality of Instruction: It must be structured, systematic, and explicit (e.g., phonemic awareness, letter-sound correspondences, blending skills, a small number of pronunciation conventions, use of context clues, strategies for multi-syllable words, and recognition of high-frequency words). Effective classroom instruction coupled with interventions can reduce students who remain at risk by 5 to 7 percent.
  
• The Right Level of Intensity: An effective program may involve several levels of instructional intensity from small-group to one-on-one instruction, depending on the severity of the risk factors for each child.
  
• The Right Children at the Right Time: Identify high-risk children at some time during the kindergarten year for preventive interventions. Two tests can identify problems early: a test of letter names (best for kindergarten) and sounds (best for first grade), and a test of phonemic awareness.