Many at-risk students enter school significantly delayed in language, with receptive and expressive vocabularies significantly lower than that of higher-income peers. They struggle with semantics and syntax. Language as a barrier to comprehension gets worse as they fall behind, and it isn't the only obstacle:

• Insufficient background knowledge. Many students lack the frames of reference necessary to form appropriate mental pictures and build new knowledge and concepts (Hasselbring & Goin, 2004)

• Audio-phonological deficits. Some students have audio-phonological deficits that contribute to remedial "treatment resistance" (Torgeson, 2000). They simply don't learn to read through alphabetic instruction.

• Self-efficacy. Sustained learning engagement, which depends on self-efficacy and motivation, is the over-riding factor through which instruction affects outcomes (Guthrie and Wigfield, 2000). When students don't believe they can learn, they literally can't!

When at-risk students haven't responded to core instruction and traditional interventions, they need something different. Failure Free is the proven alternative that compensates for the crippling learning deficits that prevent so many at-risk students from succeeding.

In an experimental design study (Florida Reading Quarterly), failing 3rd and 4th grade at-risk students in the treatment group scored higher on post-tests of word recognition and compre hension. Teacher attitudes also improved.