Intervention and Prevention

Intervention and prevention efforts in reading seek to help students before they fail in school. These articles, research briefs, videos, webcasts and other resources can help parents and teachers support a struggling reader. See also our section on Response to Intervention (RTI).

Featured partner: National Center for Learning Disabilities

Featured Video: Intervention and Prevention

See all Intervention and Prevention video

Our PBS Series:
Launching Young Readers

Deborah Norville

Find out how to help young readers learn to decode individual words accurately and quickly.

Nick Spano

Meet real-life children who struggle with reading but don't give up! A lively show geared for kids.

The Basics

Elementary teacher with student in classroom

Best Practices in Planning Interventions for Students With Reading Problems

Prevention and Intervention of Writing Difficulties for Students with Learning Disabilities

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

RTI and Reading: Response to Intervention in a Nutshell

RTI Goes to Pre-K

Early Screening Is at the Heart of Prevention

For Parents

When Writing Is Hard

When Writing Is Hard

The Parent-Teacher Conference

The Parent-Teacher Conference

Common Signs of Dyslexia

Common Signs of Dyslexia

Response to Intervention (RTI): A Primer for Parents

Having Your Child Tested for Learning Disabilities Outside of School

When to Call Your Child's Teacher

When to Call Your Child's Teacher

Does My Preschooler Have Delayed Development?

Does My Preschooler Have Delayed Development?

Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia, and Vision

Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia, and Vision

Back-to-School, for Parents!

Back-to-School, for Parents!

Successful Transition to Kindergarten for Learners Who May Be at Risk for Learning Disabilities

Successful Transition to Kindergarten for Learners Who May Be at Risk for Learning Disabilities

Handwriting: What's Normal, What's Not

Handwriting: What's Normal, What's Not

For Teachers

Improving Practice: Four Essential Components Supporting Quality Reading Instruction

Teacher assessing student's reading skills

The Simple View of Reading

Common Types of Reading Problems and How to Help Children Who Have Them

Reading instruction with teacher and her elementary students

Literacy Programs Evaluation Guide

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

Remediation Training Improves Reading Ability of Dyslexic Children

Selecting Assessments for Your School

Professional Development Webcasts

Listen, watch, and learn from top experts in these engaging roundtable discussions. Each webcast features a 60–minute video as well as recommended readings and suggested discussion questions.

The Role of RTI in LD Identification

Implementing Response to Intervention in Early Childhood Settings

Talking Tutoring

English Language Learners with Learning Disabilities

Assessment: On Track for Reading Success

Establishing an Effective Reading Program

Research & Reports

The cognitive foundations of learning to read: a framework for preventing and remediating reading difficulties

An Analysis of Two Reading Intervention Programs: How Do the Words, Texts, and Programs Compare?

Near- and far-transfer effects of an executive function intervention for 2nd to 5th-grade struggling readers

Additional Resources We Recommend

The LD Checklist: Recognize and Respond

National Center for Learning Disabilities

National Center on Intensive Intervention

American Institutes for Research

Center on Response to Intervention

American Institutes for Research

Find the best apps for building literacy skills.

Literacy Apps

Find the best apps for building literacy skills.

Target the Problem: Pinpoint the problem a struggling reader is having and discover ways to help.

Target the Problem

Pinpoint the problem a struggling reader is having and discover ways to help.

Ready for Kindergarten! What parents, teachers and child care providers need to know.

Ready for Kindergarten

What parents, teachers and child care providers need to know.

Our Podcasts: Watch or listen to our classroom video, author interviews and more.

Our Podcasts

Watch or listen to our classroom video, author interviews and more.

FAQs About Reading: Real questions from parents and educators, answered by experts.

FAQs About Reading

Real questions from parents and educators, answered by experts.

"You may have tangible wealth untold. Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold. Richer than I you can never be — I had a mother who read to me." — Strickland Gillilan

Classroom Strategies
Research-based teaching strategies

Reading Basics
From print awareness to comprehension

Reading 101 Course
K-3 professional development course

Looking at Writing
Writing samples from real kids pre-K–3

More in Teaching Reading:

Why Some Kids Struggle
The reasons why some kids struggle with reading

Target the Problem!
Pinpoint the problem a struggling reader is having and how to help

Reading Interventions
Watch one-on-one reading support in action with K-3 students

FAQs
Questions about reading, writing, dyslexia and more

More in Struggling Readers:

Author Interviews
Meet your favorite authors and illustrators in our video interviews

Book Finder
Create your own booklists from our library of 5,000 books!

Themed Booklists
Dozens of carefully selected booklists, for kids 0-12 years old

Nonfiction for Kids
Tips on finding great books, reading nonfiction and more

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