The Early Reading Screening Instrument: a method for identifying kindergarteners at risk for learning to read.

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Early identification of reading difficulties is crucial for intervention.
• Existing screening tools may lack comprehensive predictive validity.
• Kindergarten readiness for reading impacts future academic success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Early Reading Screening Instrument (ERSI) as a tool for identifying children at risk of reading failure.
• To evaluate the predictive validity of the ERSI for first-grade reading skills.
• To assess the reliability and potential for a shortened version of the ERSI.

Main Methods:

• Administered the ERSI to 149 kindergarten children.
• Followed up with standardized reading assessments for half the sample in first grade.
• Conducted a split-half reliability study on the ERSI.

Main Results:

• Total ERSI scores showed a strong correlation with first-grade reading skills.
• Reading comprehension in first grade was most strongly predicted by ERSI scores.
• ERSI subtests for word recognition and invented spelling were key predictors of first-grade word analysis and comprehension.

Conclusions:

• The ERSI is a valid and reliable tool for assessing reading readiness in kindergarten.
• Early screening using the ERSI can facilitate timely interventions to prevent reading failure.
• The ERSI's subtest content is adaptable for cross-cultural and multilingual screening.