Intervention and Prevention

What Is This Thing Called RTI?

By: American Federation of Teachers (2008)

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a complex subject and states and districts have a lot of discretion with the implementation of this three-step, research-based approach to intervention and placement. Learn about some of the common misconceptions of the RTI process and read about additional RTI web sources.

Having Your Child Tested for Learning Disabilities Outside of School

By: Reading Rockets (2008)

Children who struggle with reading often need extra help. This help usually comes from the school, but some parents choose to look outside of the school for professionals who can assess, diagnose, tutor, or provide other education services. The following article provides information on how to find the right person for your child.

Three Things Research Tells Us about Interventions for Struggling Readers

By: Joe Torgenson, et al. (2007)

This article, excerpted from a larger guidance document from the Center on Instruction, looks at what research tells us about helping students who read below grade level, and highlights the following findings: 1) schools must provide varied instructional support, based on the degree and nature of the student's difficulty; 2) it is important for students to learn comprehension strategies, and strategy instruction should be coordinated between literacy specialists and content-area teachers; and 3) more research is needed to prove which instructional improvements are really effective.

Response to Intervention (RTI): A Primer for Parents

By: Mary Beth Klotz and Andrea Canter (2007)

Learn what questions to ask about Response to Intervention (RTI), an approach to helping struggling learners that's gaining momentum in schools across the country. The National Association of School Psychologists tells you the most important features of the process, key terms, and its relationship to special education evaluation.

RTI Goes to Pre-K

By: FPG Child Development Institute (2007)

Can teachers and parents of preschoolers identify learning problems early enough to prevent problems later in school? The Recognition & Response model helps adults know what to look for and how to help, so that later remediation and special education may not be necessary.

Recognizing Reading Problems

By: Reading Rockets (2007)

The Role of the School Psychologist in the RTI Process

By: National Association of School Psychologists (2006)

School psychologists working in districts that use Response to Intervention (RTI) can offer expertise at many levels, from system-wide program design to specific assessment and intervention efforts with individual students.

Learning Disabilities and Young Children: Identification and Intervention

By: National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (2006)

The National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities developed an overview on screening, diagnosing and serving children age four or younger. The document was developed for researchers, administrators, and people who need an academic overview.

Selecting Assessments for Your School

By: American Federation of Teachers (2006)

There are over two dozen individually administered screening tools produced for the primary grades. Considering their subject matter and purpose, schools must decide which assessment best fits their needs. This article gives an overview of the screening tools and the kind of information they provide.

Recognition and Response: An Early Intervening System for Young Children At-Risk for Learning Disabilities

By: Mary Ruth Coleman, Virginia Buysse, and Jennifer Neitzel (2006)

Some young children show signs that they may not be learning in an expected manner, even before they begin kindergarten. These children may exhibit problems in areas such as language development, phonological awareness, perceptual-motor abilities, and attention, which have been considered precursors of learning disabilities in older children. However, under current state and federal guidelines, these children are unlikely to meet eligibility criteria for having a learning disability. This is because formal identification of a child's learning disability generally does not occur until there is a measurable discrepancy between the child's aptitude and academic achievement, often not until the second or third grade.

Teaching All Students to Read: Practices from Reading First Schools with Strong Intervention Outcomes

By: Elizabeth Crawford and Joseph K. Torgesen (2006)

Improving the effectiveness of interventions for struggling readers is critical. It requires a school-level system for early identification of 'at risk' students and then providing those students with intensive interventions. This article describes what the Florida Center for Reading Research has learned by visiting Reading First schools that have demonstrated success in reaching struggling readers. School leaders will find ideas described here that can help them successfully meet the unique challenges within their own schools.

RTI and Reading: Response to Intervention in a Nutshell

By: G. Emerson Dickman (2006)

RTI is not a particular method or instructional approach, rather it is a process that aims to shift educational resources toward the delivery and evaluation of instruction that works best for students. This article provides a quick overview of RTI as it relates to reading.

Helping Children With Communication Disorders in the Schools

By: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2005)

The following are frequently asked questions on how to help children with communication disorders, particularly in regards to speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

Improving Mathematics Problem Solving Skills for English language learners with Learning Disabilities

By: Diane Torres-Velasquez and Diane Rodriguez (2005)

Clues to Dyslexia from Second Grade On

By: Sally E. Shaywitz (2004)

Find out how the specific signs of dyslexia, both weaknesses and strengths, in any one individual will vary according to the age and educational level of that person.

Clues to Dyslexia in Early Childhood

By: Sally E. Shaywitz (2004)

Learn about the specific signs of dyslexia in early childhood. Both weaknesses and strengths, in any one individual will vary according to the age and educational level of that person.

Clues to Dyslexia in Young Adults and Adults

By: Sally E. Shaywitz (2004)

Learn about how the specific signs of dyslexia, both weaknesses and strengths, in any one individual will vary according to the age and educational level of that person.

Waiting Rarely Works: Late Bloomers Usually Just Wilt

By: American Federation of Teachers (2004)

Start Early: The First Three Years

By: U.S. Department of Education (2004)

What parents do or don't do in the preschool years has a lasting impact on children's reading ability. Learn some facts about the importance and need for literacy experiences in the first three years.

Early Screening Is at the Heart of Prevention

By: American Federation of Teachers (2004)

Early intervention works. Because it is also expensive, it’s important to be able to identify the kids who are most at risk of reading failure. Thanks to a new generation of screening assessments, we can identify these students as early as kindergarten—and then invest in interventions for them.