Many schools use a model in which they wait for students to show a lack of progress before deciding whether they need intervention. This is sometimes known colloquially as the “wait to fail” model. Instead, research points to early intervention’s efficacy in preventing many reading difficulties by leveraging data from literacy screeners to inform evidence-aligned instruction.
ACTION ITEM: Pediatricians can provide families with information about this research so they are equipped to share it with their schools if their children are struggling and told to “wait and see” how they perform in later grades.
Resources
Research showing why early identification and intervention outperform wait-to-fail approaches to reading difficulties.
Prevention and Remediation of Reading Disabilities
Research on how early, intensive intervention can prevent and remediate most reading disabilities.
Waiting to Fail Redux: Understanding Inadequate Response to Intervention
A peer-reviewed article examining why some students respond inadequately to intervention and what it means for earlier action.
Large-Scale Implementation of Effective Early Literacy Instruction
A 2024 Frontiers in Education study on implementing evidence-based early literacy instruction at scale.