Predicting First-Grade Reading Performance from Kindergarten Response to Tier 1 Instruction (Report‪)‬

In recent years, many schools have begun to implement response-to-intervention (RTI) models for the prevention of reading difficulties and to assist in the identification of students with learning disabilities (LD). Implementation of RTI models has shown promise for improving overall reading outcomes and decreasing the number of students with reading difficulties in the elementary grades (e.g., Gersten et al., 2008). Many questions related to RTI remain unanswered, however, including the reliability and validity of the decision-making process for determining student response to instruction and referral for more intensive instructional regimes. One of the primary foci of RTI models is prevention; a large body of research has demonstrated the positive effects of early and targeted reading interventions for students at risk for reading difficulties (Cavanaugh, Kim, Wanzek, & Vaughn, 2004; Mathes et al., 2005; Torgesen et al., 1999; Vellutino, Scanlon, Small, & Fanuele, 2006; Vellutino, Scanlon, Zhang, & Schatschneider, 2008). Consequently, the accurate identification of students who need early intervention has become a key factor in the prevention of reading difficulties (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998). Kindergarten is often the first opportunity educators have to provide instruction and to evaluate students' responsiveness. Thus, in the present study, we examine response to kindergarten classroom reading instruction and evaluate its predictive relation to students' first-grade reading skills. Kindergarten is often the first opportunity educators have to provide reading instruction and to evaluate students' responsiveness.