Project 1

Preschool Classification and Prevention of Reading Disabilities

Dr. Beth M. Phillips

The broad goal of this project are to develop a greater understanding of reading disabilities and how they are manifest in young children prior to school entry and the emergence of conventional reading skills.

This project involves two studies: The first will include approximately 1500 children followed from preschool through the end of first or second grade to determine which baseline, growth, family and classroom characteristics best predict which children will be in need of supplemental instruction or intensive interventions to aid their reading development once they receive formal reading instruction in K-2 classrooms. Children will be present in preschool classrooms that may or may not be providing effective preliteracy instruction.

The second study, involving 200 children, will investigate whether provision of intervention to children who show slow growth and low skill levels within the preschool period alters the growth trajectory for these children and reduces the percentage of these high risk children who demonstrate poor reading development and require supplemental help in kindergarten and second grade. These children will be drawn from preschool classrooms already providing effective classroom literacy and language instruction; therefore, these children will be those for whom classroom-level high-quality preliteracy instruction (i.e., Tier 1) is insufficient.

With both studies we will investigate the influence of children’s socio-emotional and attentional skills on their reading capabilities. Results from these studies will provide educators with important tools for increasing the reading skill of children from all backgrounds and for identifying children at significant risk of later reading disabilities. These findings also will help early educators develop strategies to help close the gap between young children who benefit from home environments that provide rich language and literacy foundations and those children whose homes lack such beneficial experiences.

Project 1

Preschool Classification and Prevention of Reading Disabilities

Dr. Christopher J. Lonigan

Dr. Alysia D. Roehrig

Dr. Beth M. Phillips




	Home Our Research Publications Resources Dyslexia Registry FCRR Sharepoint Contact Us A Florida State University Center			Project 1 Preschool Classification and Prevention of Reading Disabilities Dr. Christopher J. Lonigan Dr. Alysia D. Roehrig Dr. Beth M. Phillips The broad goal of this project are to develop a greater understanding of reading disabilities and how they are manifest in young children prior to school entry and the emergence of conventional reading skills. This project involves two studies: The first will include approximately 1500 children followed from preschool through the end of first or second grade to determine which baseline, growth, family and classroom characteristics best predict which children will be in need of supplemental instruction or intensive interventions to aid their reading development once they receive formal reading instruction in K-2 classrooms. Children will be present in preschool classrooms that may or may not be providing effective preliteracy instruction. The second study, involving 200 children, will investigate whether provision of intervention to children who show slow growth and low skill levels within the preschool period alters the growth trajectory for these children and reduces the percentage of these high risk children who demonstrate poor reading development and require supplemental help in kindergarten and second grade. These children will be drawn from preschool classrooms already providing effective classroom literacy and language instruction; therefore, these children will be those for whom classroom-level high-quality preliteracy instruction (i.e., Tier 1) is insufficient. With both studies we will investigate the influence of children’s socio-emotional and attentional skills on their reading capabilities. Results from these studies will provide educators with important tools for increasing the reading skill of children from all backgrounds and for identifying children at significant risk of later reading disabilities. These findings also will help early educators develop strategies to help close the gap between young children who benefit from home environments that provide rich language and literacy foundations and those children whose homes lack such beneficial experiences.