Smart starts: a curriculum-based screening tool for at-risk students with learning disabilities in Thai language at the early elementary level

This study presents the development and validation of a curriculum-based screening tool to monitor and identify early elementary students at risk of learning disabilities in Thai reading. The research consisted of three phases: (1) designing and validating the tool; (2) pilot testing; and (3) revising for efficiency. Participants were 2,955 students in Grades 1–3 in Bangkok selected through simple random sampling. Six tool versions were created, tailored to grade levels and semesters. The tools showed strong psychometric properties. Content validity achieved high IOC scores. Pilot testing indicated item difficulty of 0.17–0.93, discrimination indices above 0.35, and high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.87–0.98). The finalized tools included T-score conversion tables and classified students into four proficiency levels. This tool provides teachers with a reliable mechanism for early identification and timely intervention, supporting inclusive practices. By directly mapping the four T-score proficiency tiers onto a Response to Intervention (RTI) framework, the tool enables teachers to deliver immediate, differentiated classroom support ranging from targeted small group drills to intensive specialist interventions. However, since the participants was restricted to urban Bangkok, caution is warranted regarding its generalizability to rural or linguistically diverse regions, and future studies should explore its predictive validity.