# The READ Act: Early Help for Kids Struggling with Reading

This bill creates a pilot program to help kindergarten through third-grade students who are struggling to learn to read, particularly those with dyslexia or early reading difficulties. The federal government would give grants to five states to test out a new approach to catching reading problems early and providing intensive help before kids fall too far behind.

Here's what would actually happen: Schools in participating states would screen all young students three times a year to identify those having trouble with basic reading skills like recognizing sounds and letters. If a child shows signs of struggling, parents would be notified and asked for permission to provide extra help. The school would then offer specialized reading instruction focused on phonics—teaching kids how letters connect to sounds—delivered by trained teachers using proven methods. The key idea is catching problems in kindergarten or first grade rather than waiting until third or fourth grade when gaps become much harder to close.

The program targets five states chosen to represent different regions and student populations, with each state receiving up to $500,000 per year for three years. Schools participating must have at least 3,000 students and offer full-day kindergarten. Parents keep the right to request special education evaluations at any time, and participation in this program doesn't replace those services. After the three-year pilot ends, the federal government would evaluate whether the approach works and share what they learn with other schools nationwide through an online resource platform.

The bill is based on research showing that early intervention with science-based reading instruction can prevent long-term literacy problems, which the bill notes are connected to higher dropout rates, lower earnings, and increased incarceration. By identifying and helping struggling readers early, the program aims to set kids up for better outcomes before reading difficulties become entrenched.

READ Act

Reading Early and Addressing Dyslexia Act or the READ Act This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to establish an early literacy and dyslexia intervention pilot program to award grants to five state educational agencies to address early reading deficiencies and dyslexia. Under the program, ED must identify (1) evidence-based methods of screening students in grades K-3 for early reading deficiencies and dyslexia; (2) intensive interventions for these students, including phonological awareness and phonemic awareness, sound symbol recognition, and decoding skills; and (3) best practices to instruct educators on the science of reading and how to execute screenings and intensive interventions for these students. Each participating state educational agency must select at least two local educational agencies (LEAs) to participate in the program. Participating LEAs must <ul> <li>provide intensive interventions identified by ED that develop basic reading skills and incorporate systematic phonics instruction to every student in grades K-3,</li> <li>screen each student in grades K-3 three times during each school year using the screening methods identified by ED,</li> <li>notify parents or guardians of screenings, and</li> <li>conduct diagnostic assessments and provide intensive interventions for each student suspected of having an early reading deficiency or dyslexia.</li> </ul> The bill also directs ED to establish an online platform to provide educational agencies with resources, such as methods of targeting instruction for early reading deficiencies and dyslexia.