Difficulties with fluent word reading can stem from different underlying causes. Lack of knowledge of the sounds associated with letters and letter patterns will result in weak decoding which can contribute to difficulties with fluent word reading, and in turn, often cause problems with comprehension.
Children might display difficulty with:
Universal screening starting in Kindergarten should assess phonics and decoding skills, in order to identify children who are experiencing word reading problems due to deficits in phonics knowledge and may require instructional support to prevent future difficulties. For more information about universal screening and a list of Massachusetts-approved screening assessments, see Early Literacy Screening Assessments.
Possible underlying root cause(s) of difficulty with phonics and decoding include:
For more information about early identification and continued access to evidence-based instruction as it relates to dyslexia, see the Massachusetts Dyslexia Guidelines .
"When you see students using strategies, such as guessing at words, trying to look at the picture and figure it out…they do become easily frustrated. I've seen students give up, I've seen students push away books and feel like they don't have the joy of reading because they don't understand the process of reading." Beth Villani Reading Specialist Sweetsir School, Merrimac, MA
Intervention is necessary when children do not make adequate progress with phonics and decoding skills even after receiving strong core instruction with opportunities to practice the phonics skills and decoding strategies they have been taught. It is important to determine whether a difficulty with phonics and decoding is stemming from an underlying problem with phonological skills before proceeding with intervention. Classroom-based intervention research has shown that effective interventions can lead nearly all children to develop proficient phonics and decoding (Gersten et al, 2017 , Denton, 2012).
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Foorman, B., Beyler, N., Borradaile, K., Coyne, M., Denton, C., Dimino, J., …Wissel, S. (2016). Foundational skills to support reading for understanding in kindergarten through 3rd grade (NCEE 2016-4008). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE), Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.
Foorman, B., Herrera, S., Dombek, J. (2018). The relative impact of aligning tier 2 intervention materials to classroom core reading materials in grades K–2. Elementary School Journal, 118(3), 477–504.
Gersten, R., Newman-Gonchar, R., Haymond, K., & Dimino, J. (2017). What is the evidence base for Response to Intervention in reading in grades 1–3? (REL 2016-129). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast.
Lovett, M.W., Frijters, J.C., Steinbach, K.A., Wolf, M., Sevcik, R.A., & Morris, R.D. (2017). Early intervention for children at risk for reading disability: The impact of grade at intervention and individual differences on intervention outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology. 106, 889–914.
Vadasy, P. F., & Sanders, E. A. (2013). Two-year follow-up of a code-oriented intervention for lower-skilled first graders: The influence of language status and word reading skills on third-grade literacy outcomes. Reading & Writing, 26, 821–843.
Wanzek, J., Vaughn, S., Scammacca, N., Gatlin, B., Walker, M. A., & Capin, P. (2016). Meta-analyses of the effects of Tier 2 type reading interventions in grades K–3. Educational Psychology Review, 28, 5
Weiser, B., Mathes, P. (2011). Using encoding instruction to improve reading and spelling performances of elementary students at risk for literacy difficulties: A best evidence synthesis. Review of Educational Research, 81(2), 170–200.
Moats. L.C.& Tolman, C. A. (2019). LETRS (3rd edition). Voyager Sopris Learning.
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Last Updated: November 20, 2020
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