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Research has emphasized the importance of identifying and supporting children at risk for reading disabilities early in their academic careers. In this study, we design and measure the efficacy of a kindergarten screening tool aimed at identifying children at risk for reading disabilities. This longitudinal study followed 499 children from kindergarten through Grade 3. The kindergarten screening process consisted of assessments of phonological awareness and letter-sound understanding. The results indicate that kindergarten letter-sound understanding is the strongest predictor of Grade 3 reading achievement: the research team was able to predict Grade 3 reading achievement with 80% accuracy based on kindergarten scores.
Volume 1, #1, Article 5: Kindergarten screening for reading disabilities (PDF, 301 KB)
Sherri-Leigh Vervaeke, B.A., B. Ed., is currently a graduate student in the Department of Child and Youth Studies at Brock University. She is interested in researching educational practices around early literacy, and is particularly concerned with early identification and support for learning disabilities.
John McNamara, PhD, is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Child and Youth Studies at Brock University. He teaches both undergraduate and graduate classes in child psychology with a focus on language and learning disabilities. Dr. McNamara’s research interests centre around learning disabilities and early identification.
Mary Scissons, M. Ed., has over twenty years experience supporting Kindergarten to Grade 12 students with learning disabilities. She is a special education teacher and registered psychologist. Mary is the Chairperson of the Kindergarten Screening Research Project. She has a strong commitment to early childhood education with a lifelong interest in early identification and intervention.
Vervaeke, S.-L., McNamara, J. K., & Scissons, M. (2007, April). Kindergarten screening for reading disabilities. Journal of Applied Research on Learning, 1, 1, Article 5, pp. 1-19.