Catch Them Before They Fall: How Early Intervention Can Help Children at Risk for Dyslexia

Catch Them Before They Fall

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Many parents do not begin to worry about reading until their child is already struggling in kindergarten, first grade, or second grade.

But the early signs of dyslexia and language-based learning differences can often be seen much sooner.

Some preschool children have difficulty hearing the sounds in words, remembering sound patterns, learning letters, producing certain speech sounds clearly, following longer directions, or developing the early language skills that prepare the brain for reading.

At Wellington-Alexander Center, we believe early identification matters. When we recognize these risk factors before a child begins formal reading instruction, we have an opportunity to strengthen the foundation before frustration, avoidance, and loss of confidence take hold.

This is the heart behind AIM to Prevent, our preschool prevention program designed to support children who show early indicators of dyslexia and other language-based learning challenges.

Why Preschool Matters for Reading Development

Reading does not begin when a child opens a first-grade reader.

The foundation for reading begins much earlier, through oral language, sound awareness, listening, memory, vocabulary, motor development, attention, and the ability to notice and work with the sounds in spoken words.

Before children can successfully sound out words, they need to understand that spoken words are made of individual sounds. They also need to be able to hear those sounds clearly, hold them in memory, and connect them to letters.

For many children, these skills develop naturally through language-rich experiences at home and in preschool. For others, these skills are less secure and need to be taught more directly.

When these early skills are weak, children may enter kindergarten already at risk for reading difficulty.

What Are Early Signs of Dyslexia Risk?

Preschool children who are at risk for dyslexia may not all look the same. Some are talkative and bright but struggle with letters and sounds. Others may have difficulty with speech clarity, memory for words, or following verbal directions.

Early signs may include:

These signs do not automatically mean a child has dyslexia. But they do suggest that a closer look may be helpful.

Early screening allows us to identify children who may benefit from additional support before they experience repeated failure with reading.

What Is AIM to Prevent?

AIM to Prevent is a preschool intervention model developed through Wellington-Alexander Center to help strengthen the early oral language and phonological skills that support later reading and spelling.

The program was created to help “catch children before they fall.” Instead of waiting until a child is already behind in reading, AIM to Prevent focuses on the skills that come before reading.

The program targets foundational areas such as:

The goal is not to teach preschoolers to read before they are developmentally ready. The goal is to prepare their brains to receive reading instruction with greater ease and confidence.

Turning “Fuzzy” Sounds Into Clear Sounds

One of the important ideas behind AIM to Prevent is that some children do not have clear, stable representations of speech sounds.

In simple terms, a child may hear sounds in a “fuzzy” way.

For example, the child may not fully notice what makes /f/ different from /th/, or /p/ different from /b/. If the brain does not clearly recognize the sounds in spoken words, it becomes much harder to connect those sounds to letters later.

AIM to Prevent helps children build clearer phonemic representations by teaching them to notice sounds in a multisensory way.

Children learn to pay attention to:

This approach helps children understand speech sounds more clearly and prepares them for later phonics instruction.

When children can hear, feel, and notice the differences between sounds, they are better prepared to blend sounds together, take words apart, connect sounds to letters, and learn to read and spell.

Why Oral Language Is the Pathway to Literacy

At Wellington-Alexander Center, we often say that oral language is the pathway to literacy.

Reading is built on spoken language. Children need to understand words, sentences, sounds, and meaning before they can fully make sense of print.

This is why early intervention should not focus only on letters. Letter knowledge is important, but it is only one piece of the reading readiness puzzle.

Children also need strong oral language skills, including:

When these skills are strengthened early, children are in a better position to benefit from reading instruction in kindergarten and beyond.

The Preschool Project

Wellington-Alexander Center first explored this prevention model through preschool programming designed to identify and support children who showed early signs of dyslexia risk and language-based learning difficulty.

In the original preschool pilot project, pre-K students were screened using measures related to phonological awareness, phonological memory, and letter identification. Children who demonstrated difficulty in these early skill areas participated in small-group intervention focused on strengthening foundational oral language and pre-reading skills.

The intervention included approximately 40 lessons and targeted the sound-awareness skills children need before formal reading instruction begins.

Later, with support from the Fred J. Wellington Memorial Foundation for Child Development and the Burton Family Foundation, Wellington-Alexander Center expanded this work through a preschool project within the Kyrene School District.

This project included screening, teacher training, classroom-based support, small-group intervention, and coaching designed to help preschool teams identify and support children at risk for later reading difficulty.

What We Learned

The results of this work supported what we believe deeply: early intervention matters.

Across the preschool prevention work, children demonstrated growth in the foundational skills associated with later reading success, including phonological awareness, phonological memory, rapid naming, nonword repetition, and oral language skills.

Just as importantly, the project showed that preschool children can be taught to notice and work with speech sounds in a more precise way. These are not skills that must be left to chance. With the right kind of support, children can build stronger foundations before they are expected to read.

For parents, this is hopeful.

It means we do not have to wait until a child is failing before we respond.

Why This Matters for Families

Too often, children with dyslexia are identified only after years of struggle.

By that time, many children have already begun to believe that reading is something they cannot do. They may avoid books, resist homework, compare themselves to classmates, or say things like, “I’m just not good at reading.”

Early identification gives us a chance to change that story.

When we recognize risk factors early, we can support the child before reading becomes a daily source of stress. We can help strengthen the language and sound-awareness skills that make reading possible. We can also help parents understand their child’s learning profile sooner, rather than waiting for the gap to widen.

Preschool Intervention Is Not About Pushing Children Too Soon

Some parents worry that early reading support means pushing academics too early.

That is not the goal of AIM to Prevent.

Preschool intervention should be developmentally appropriate, playful, language-rich, and engaging. It should help children build readiness skills through movement, speech, listening, sound play, interaction, and guided practice.

The goal is not pressure.

The goal is preparation.

When children develop stronger oral language and phonological foundations in preschool, they are better prepared for the reading instruction they will receive in kindergarten and first grade.

When Should Parents Seek Support?

Parents may want to ask about early screening or evaluation if their preschool child:

An early screening does not label a child. It helps identify whether the child may benefit from support.

For many families, that information brings relief. It gives parents a clearer understanding of what they are seeing and what to do next.

Helping Children Before They Fall

The phrase “catch them before they fall” reflects the heart of this work.

We want to identify children early.
We want to strengthen the skills that support reading before children experience repeated failure.
We want to help families understand that dyslexia risk can be recognized and addressed before a child falls behind.

At Wellington-Alexander Center, our work with preschool prevention continues to reflect Dr. Ann’s vision: helping children build the language and learning foundations they need to become more confident readers, writers, and learners.

If you have concerns about your preschool child’s early language, sound awareness, letter learning, or readiness for reading, we would be happy to help you determine whether screening or evaluation may be appropriate.

We also welcome private schools and district schools that are interested in training their teams or exploring pilot programs within their own schools. If your school would like to partner with us to build early screening, prevention, and intervention support for children at risk for dyslexia, we would be glad to help.

Ready to Learn More?

Contact Wellington-Alexander Center to learn more about early screening, preschool prevention, and intervention for children at risk for dyslexia and other language-based learning differences.