Screening to intervention: closing the follow-through gap
Why universal screening laws underdeliver without funded intervention mandates — and the three policy levers that fix it.
Coming soon
Research library
Research & white papers
A century of reading science, distilled — plus our own plain-language briefs for parents, educators, and policymakers.
Start here
What the science says
A century of reading research converges on a few durable findings. These are the ones every parent and educator should know:
- Dyslexia is real and neurobiological. Brain imaging consistently shows differences in how people with dyslexia process written language, particularly in left-hemisphere reading networks.
- The core deficit is usually phonological. Difficulty noticing and manipulating the sounds inside words makes mapping letters to sounds hard — that's why decoding and spelling suffer while thinking does not.
- Early identification changes outcomes. Intervention in K–2 is dramatically more efficient than remediation later; risk can be identified before formal reading instruction even begins.
- Structured literacy works. Explicit, systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, morphology, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension is the evidence-based approach — for students with dyslexia, it is essential.
- Accommodation and intervention are partners. Assistive technology keeps students learning grade-level content while their word-level skills are remediated. It's not "cheating"; it's access.
Reading list
Landmark research & accessible reads
Foundational science
- Shaywitz, S. — Overcoming Dyslexia (updated edition): the classic accessible overview from the Yale researcher.
- Seidenberg, M. — Language at the Speed of Sight: how reading works and why instruction often ignores the science.
- Dehaene, S. — Reading in the Brain: the neuroscience of how brains learn to read.
- National Reading Panel Report (2000): the meta-analysis that established the five pillars of reading instruction.
Practice & policy
- Moats, L. — Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science (AFT): why teacher knowledge matters.
- IDA — Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading: what effective training covers.
- Ontario Human Rights Commission — Right to Read inquiry report (2022): a systemic view of reading as a human right.
- Hanford, E. — Sold a Story (podcast): the reporting that accelerated the national instruction debate.
White papers
Dyslexia Institute briefs
Our plain-language briefs synthesize research for busy decision-makers. First titles in progress — members receive each release by email.
Assistive technology in the IEP: an implementation guide
A practical framework for writing AT into IEPs and 504 plans so it's actually used — not just listed.
Coming soonWhat "evidence-based" should mean when schools pick reading programs
A buyer's checklist for administrators evaluating curriculum claims against actual research quality.
Coming soon