Dyslexia Awareness
In case you missed the October issue of this newsletter, Dyslexia Awareness is a time to increase understanding of the strengths and challenges associated with dyslexia, and to share resources and success stories. Positive dyslexia awareness is key to inspire, educate and support at-risk students and their families.
This year, students were screened for dyslexia characteristics in September and October. This screening involved students in grades K-2, those who received dyslexia interventions the previous year, and students referred by their teachers in grades 3-12.
Screener results help guide instruction and intervention specific to patterns of individual strengths and challenges providing students opportunities for academic achievement (IDA, 2020). Encourage our students to read each day.
Let's Support Dyslexia Awareness!
Benefits of Screening and Early Detection
Universal Screening: K-2 Reading
- Fewer struggling readers by 4th and 9th grade
- Early intervention to strengthen neural pathways for automaticity
- Screening identifies students at-risk for reading difficulties
- Quickly identify students who require intervention
- Provide interventions to develop literacy skills and reading achievement https://dyslexiaida.org/universal-screening-k-2-reading-2/ IDA, 2021
Support for Families and Students
- Give encouragement to families, advocate for students and provide accessible information about literacy, dyslexia, and interventions.
- Knowledge is power. Learn all you can, because dyslexia does not go away.
- Weekly interventions support improved skill development.
- Teach students to love reading, and make it fun.
Kane, K.(2022) Dyslexia Awareness Month an Interview With a Parent. U.S. DOE. https://sites.ed.gov/osers/2022/10/dyslexia-awareness-month-an-interview-with-a-parent/
Ways to Accommodate Students With Dyslexia?
Suggestions to implement in K-12 classrooms:
- Extra Time- allow extra time or shorten assignments
- Accommodations-allow students to show their learning in various ways
- Assistive technology- text-to-speech apps, keyboards, audiobooks, allow alphabet strips, number lines, record and share class lectures
- Highlight Strengths-protect student's self-esteem, praise effort
- Encourage paired learning-strategy can break down barriers, increase knowledge and improve learning
- Patins link-https://www.patinsproject.org/drm/resources/dyslexia/dyslexia-resources/262-get-smart-about-specific-learning-disabilities-sld/file
- Accommodations http://dyslexia.yale.edu/advocacy/national-advocacy/the-truth-about-accommodations/
Quote of the Month
"If you get to the children earlier, we might not be able to close the gap, but we can really minimize it greatly."
- Sally Shaywitz
Helpful Resources and Links:
Spread dyslexia awareness with an email signature graphic!
Email Signature:To download, visit-https://dyslexiaida.org/IDAGoRed/
International Dyslexia Association: https://dyslexiaida.org
Learning Ally. https://learningally.org/
The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity
For Information, please contact:
Pamela Howard, M.A.
District Dyslexia Coordinator
Reading Specialist Trained in Dyslexia
School City of East Chicago
219-354-9504 ext. 42255
Email: phoward@ecps.org
Phone: 219-3549504... 42255