Children in French overseas departments are at a 3-fold increased risk of developing reading problems

France ranks among the countries where socio-economic and cultural inequalities critically impact educational trajectories. Here we report our findings from a study using the DEM-test for preliminary screening of at-risk school children in Martinique, a French overseas department. The present study aimed to (1) highlight the alarming situation in the French overseas departments regarding the number of children experiencing reading difficulties and (2) provide an effective tool for early detection of children at risk for low academic achievement. A standard DEM-test was administered to 399 school-aged children (6–11 years) in Martinique, alongside reading accuracy and fluency assessments using the Alouette test. Based on our recent norms established from a sizeable school-based cohort in mainland France, we identified nearly fifty percent of the children in Martinique screened as at risk for reading problems. This finding confirmed the critical need for large-scale implementation of early screening measures for at-risk children in these geographic areas during their initial years of formal education. We also demonstrated that the DEM test could be a valuable first-line tool across numerous countries and socio-cultural contexts. We believe our results may assist public education and health policies in addressing territorial and educational inequalities. • Children from overseas departments face educational and territorial inequalities. • A major societal issue is identifying children at risk of developing reading problems as early as possible. • Visuo-attentional deficits and reading-related errors are markedly more frequent in Martinique than in mainland France. • DEM-test offers a relevant tool for early screening of children in disadvantaged contexts during early education. • Early identification of reading risk enables timely interventions and improves long-term developmental outcomes.