Improving Outcomes for Students with or at Risk for Reading Disabilities

Reading difficulties present serious and potentially lifelong challenges. Children who do not read well are more likely to be retained a grade in school, drop out of high school, become teen parents, or enter the juvenile justice system. Thus, preventing reading difficulties early in children's school careers has potential long-term benefits to the individual as well as society. This book describes what has been learned regarding the improvement of reading outcomes for children with or at risk for reading disabilities through research funded by the National Center for Education Research and National Center for Special Education Research. The synthesis describes contributions to the knowledge base produced by IES-funded research across four focal areas: assessment, basic cognitive and linguistic processes, intervention, and professional development. This book also offers specific recommendations to help educators identify students in need of intervention and implement evidence-based interventions to promote their reading achievement. It also describes how to carry out each recommendation, including how to address potential roadblocks in implementing them.