At Future Ready Five, we believe that every child deserves a strong start on their educational journey. That’s why we provide universal literacy interventions to children ages 3–5, helping them build the foundational skills they need for kindergarten success!
To ensure each child receives the support they need, we use trusted tools like the BRIGANCE® Early Childhood Screens and The Reading House® assessment at the start and end of our program. But despite their importance, these screeners are often misunderstood.
In this post, we’re breaking down some of the most common myths about early childhood screening tools—and sharing the facts that every parent, caregiver, and educator should know. Understanding the truth behind these tools can make a world of difference in how we support young learners from day one.
MYTH: Screening results can label or limit a child.
FALSE. Screenings are used to support, not label—the results we gather help guide our staff and the child’s teachers in providing the right support at the right time. We use each child’s results as a baseline for their learning journey and can recommend further interventions from other organizations if we feel it’s absolutely necessary.
MYTH: The screenings take too long to be practical.
FALSE. Most BRIGANCE® screenings take just 10–15 minutes per child, and The Reading House® only takes 5–8 minutes to complete. The Reading House® screens pre-reading skills, helping identify what children need before they begin formal reading instruction, while the BRIGANCE® assesses their overall development—including physical, language, academic, and social-emotional skills. We analyze the results from both screeners to have a better overall understanding of each child’s skills and areas of growth.
MYTH: Once a child is screened, there is no need to screen them again.
FALSE. Screening is most effective when it’s ongoing—tracking development over time ensures children get the right support at the right moment. That’s why we screen all children as they enter our program in the Fall, using those results to identify the children who are right on track or the ones who need further assistance or potentially additional interventions. For the children assessed in the Fall who were most at risk, we screen them in the Winter to monitor their progress, and then we administer screenings for a third time for all children in the Summer when the cohort ends.
MYTH: Screenings are only useful for children in special education or who need special assistance.
FALSE. The BRIGANCE® and The Reading House® screeners were purposefully designed for all children, helping educators track milestones and provide targeted interventions across a wide range of a child’s abilities. The Reading House® assessment covers a range of early literacy skills—including print awareness, phonological awareness, and oral language development—which make up the foundation of early literacy. Ensuring that each child has a strong grasp of these skills before they enter kindergarten is key to their educational success.
MYTH: Screening tools are the same as diagnostic tests.
FALSE. Screenings are brief check-ins that can flag potential concerns—the results don’t diagnose a child but will help us decide if further evaluation is needed. In fact, these tools are designed for use by teachers, caregivers, or paraprofessionals with basic training—no advanced degree is required. Additionally, just because a child isn’t flagged as needing additional intervention, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t participate in the Kindergarten Readiness Collaborative. Ongoing observation and early literacy support are essential to increase every child’s chances for success.
When we understand what early literacy screenings are—and what they’re not—we can better support the incredible potential in every child. Tools like BRIGANCE® and The Reading House® give us valuable insight, not labels. They help us meet children where they are and guide them forward with intention, care, and evidence-based strategies.
At Future Ready Five, we’re proud to use these tools to inform our literacy interventions and celebrate each child’s growth along the way.
Interested in learning more about our Kindergarten Readiness Collaborative?