The Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System (VALLSS) is the state-provided screening tool supporting Virginia’s Early Intervention Reading Initiative (EIRI). The EIRI’s goal is to reduce the number of children with reading problems through early diagnosis and immediate intervention.
By screening students in grades K-3, school divisions determine each student's level of risk (low, moderate, or high) for developing reading difficulties and receive state funding for providing reading intervention. All students in the high-risk band must receive intervention services, in addition to their regular classroom instruction.
When students are showing difficulty with reading comprehension in intermediate grades, it is necessary to provide targeted instruction in specific areas to build their reading ability. VALLSS: Grades 4-8 is designed to provide information about why a student might be having difficulty with reading comprehension so that additional instruction can be provided in specific areas to improve overall reading ability, including reading comprehension.