A well-written blog about the Senate’s vote to reject Senator Bill Cassidy’s Dyslexia Amendment to the ESEA/ No Child Left Behind Act.
News & Articles
Senate Rejects Dyslexia Amendment from ESEA No Child Left Behind
This is a quick two minute video; the vote was 12-10.
Pa. launches pilot programs to help students struggling with dyslexia
Excerpt: “The pilot is not just about having these kids get better services. It’s really about helping teachers to be better trained to know what to do in a classroom,” said Reott. “We really want the teaches to be helped as much as the children.”
Lawmaker calls for more teacher training, resources to help students with dyslexia
Article about SB117, which would implement a three-year pilot program providing $650,000 to be set aside to train teachers on how to recognize and intervene for students with dyslexia.
New law identifies dyslexia as ‘primary disability’
“Gov. Dannel Malloy, an honorary board member of Smart Kids, has been open about his own learning disability. In June, he signed a law (Public Act 14-39) that identifies dyslexia as a “primary disability” for special education services and requires teacher education programs to train future teachers in dyslexia recognition and intervention. The law went into effect Jan. 1.”
How 6 Days of Dyslexia Training Made a Big Impact on a School District
This is an article about two teachers in Illinois who received the “It Takes a Village” Award from Everyone Reading Illinois, which is a nonprofit dedicated to assisting dyslexic individuals.
“In 2012, the two women sought out extra training to help them understand, identify and teach kids with dyslexia. … In the last three years, the two women have screened all incoming kindergartners and first-graders in their school district for signs of dyslexia. That’s more than 100 students. They’ve also shared their knowledge about dyslexia with every teacher in their district and have used intervention in the classroom to help kids read.”
The Difference Between Decodable Words and Sight Words
This article from Understood.org provides useful information about decodable, non-decodable and sight words.
Wasatch Reading Summit – October 7 & 8, 2016
October 7 & 8, 2016
Salt Lake Community College Miller Campus
Registration on Eventbrite
Decoding Dyslexia Utah, Utah State Office of Education and University of Utah Reading Clinic are excited to announce the Wasatch Reading Summit. The conference will feature a Keynote address by Nancy Mather, author of Essentials of Dyslexia Assessment and Intervention and Woodcock-Johnson IV: Reports, Recommendations, and Strategies. Click on the registration link above to view the many break-out sessions by national and local experts.
IDA’s Reading, Literacy & Learning Conference (Orlando, FL): October 26th – 29th, 2016
The International Dyslexia Association’s 67th annual conference will be held in Orlando, Florida this year.
Reading in the Rockies (Vail, CO) – October 7th & 8th, 2016
Reading in the Rockies began at Manor Vail over 25 years ago. This conference has gained a reputation for being one of the country’s premier conferences for addressing the needs of at-risk readers and writers. The concept is to provide a time and place for teachers to learn, collaborate, and relax in a beautiful environment. Our topics and our speakers address relevant, essential and distinctive topics to build your capacity to support student success, improve your teaching skills, expand your thinking and continue to cultivate your knowledge with practical application strategies. Each year is no exception!! This is truly a conference worth investing your time and money to attend.
Wilson Certification – University of Utah Reading Clinic
The information below is from the University of Utah’s Reading Clinic website.
The following services are available to educators:
- A three-day Wilson Introductory Workshop (see flyer).
- Available to all educators while space remains.
- Complete reservation form to reserve a spot for the April 20 – 22, 2016 workshop.
OR
Complete reservation form to reserve a spot for the April 26 – 28, 2016 workshop. - Tuition must be received by the UURC before a spot is guaranteed.
- A year-long practicum in the Wilson Language Level I program (see flyer).
- Available to all educators while (limited) space remains.
- Funded through a donation from the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation.
- Review the policies for a scholarship.
- Complete application for a scholarship.
- The above 3-day Introductory Workshop is a prerequisite for Level I Certification.
Educators that have previously attended a 3-day Introductory Workshop not conducted by the UURC will be required to pay a $250 tuition differential for the year long practicum.
- (Applications for the 2016-2017 school year will be posted at the beginning of January 2016.)
- Courses in the Wilson Language Level II program.
- Available to educators who have successfully completed the Level I training – by invitation only.
- Review the policies for a scholarship.
- Funded through a donation from the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation.
Utah Reading Interventionist Endorsement
The Reading Interventionist Endorsement begins in Fall 2016 and focuses on Tier II and Tier III interventions. A Level I Reading Endorsement is a prerequisite. Decoding Dyslexia-UT worked alongside the USOE and Kathleen Brown of the University of Utah Reading Clinic to develop this new certification. PC READS was kept in the loop during its development. Wilson Level I Certification fulfills the Tier III Practicum requirement.
PC READS Quarterly Newsletters
PC READS began a newsletter in spring 2014. Newsletter editions have been published quarterly since fall 2014. If you have information that would be useful to include in one of our newsletters, please contact us. Thank you.
PC READS 2016 Spring Newsletter
PC READS 2016 Winter Newsletter
PC READS 2015 Summer Newsletter
PC READS 2015 Spring Newsletter
Challenges for Students with Dyslexia: Test Taking – 12 Tips for Teachers
Very often, dyslexic students appear to have mastery of a lesson, but struggling demonstrating their knowledge on a text. This article provides advice on how teachers can make test taking more effective for dyslexic students.
8 Things Every Teacher Should Know About Dyslexia
“As teachers, we get so excited seeing students understand a new concept and grow exponentially in one year’s time. But there is always that group of students in every teacher’s career that they just weren’t able to help the way they wanted to. They knew the kids were bright. They knew they were motivated to learn. They knew they were supported at home. They knew they had all the opportunities to learn. However, for some reason, these kids just struggled with reading and spelling—despite the help of teachers and parents. Dyslexia is much more common than most people—even teachers—think.”
Dyslexia PSA: A Letter to My Teacher
Watch this short, heart-warming video in which a student thanks a very special teacher.
“Meet Patrick Whaley, a young entrepreneur whose dyslexia was discovered by a dedicated middle school teacher, Mrs. Wanda Bennewitz. He writes a letter of gratitude to her, and this public service announcement captures his words and the first time Patrick saw Mrs. Bennewitz since being in her class.”
The One Common Classroom Mistake Hiding in Plain Sight
See if you can spot the five mistakes in the alphabet picture chart – you may be surprised!
A special education teacher’s personal journey of discovery
Excellent, honest article that addresses the need for teacher training on dyslexia and reading instruction.
Dear Friend with Dyslexia
The final entry written by Jodi DeVries after attending a summer institute on the Neuroscience of Reading with Dr. John Gabrieli and Dr. Joanna Christodoulou at MIT. Be sure to read the first three parts of this article. Links are available at the end of her post.
“Neuroscientists can show you all sorts of pretty brain pictures indicating how, when you read, your brain looks much different than non-dyslexic readers. It’s a brain thing. It’s not an effort thing. It’s not an instruction thing. It’s not an intelligence thing. It’s a brain thing.”
The Neuroscience of Reading – Part 3
Theories on the Causes/Effects of Dyslexia & Reading Interventions
The third part of this article begins:
Theories on the Causes/Effects of Dyslexia
On the third day of the Learning and the Brain: Neuroscience of Reading summer institute, Dr. Gabrieli shared some other theories about presenting causes/effects (it’s very difficult to determine which is a cause and which is an effect) of dyslexia. One of these was that of rapid auditory processing. In the English language, many of the letters, and in fact, even entire words are nearly identical in the sound waveforms that they produce.
The Neuroscience of Reading – Part 2
Why do children struggle with letter reveals? and What does our brain do when we read?
The second post begins with: “The second day of Learning and the Brain’s “Neuroscience of Reading” summer institute was a continuation of great learning. The majority of the lecture time was spent examining what’s going on in the brain of regular readers and those with reading disorders, specifically dyslexia.”
The Neuroscience of Reading – Part 1
This four part article is a blog post made by Jodi DeVries, who attended a Learning and the Brain summer institute on the Neuroscience of Reading with Dr. John Gabrieli and Dr. Joanna Christodoulou at the MIT campus in Cambridge, MA.
What a Successful Public School Dyslexia Program Looks Like
A personal story out of Texas.
“I want educators and public school administrators to know that it can be done. All these public school employees invested in my child without resistance. It is messy. It is costly. Not every teacher is perfect. Not every student is perfect. However, it is happening in our district!”
What Makes a School Dyslexia-Friendly?
Another good article by Kyle Redford. Excerpt below.
Use of the Word “Dyslexia”
This is a more significant indicator than one may initially think. Using the word helps to demystify and validate the condition. If teachers and administrators use the word regularly, and without hesitation, it reassures students that there is nothing to be ashamed of and that dyslexia is not something to hide. It also sets a tone that encourages students to self-advocate in their classes.
Strategies to Support Struggling Readers Which Don’t Require a Ph.D. in Neuropsychology
This article, by Kyle Redford, includes specific suggestions teachers can put to use in their classroom.
“Most importantly, these strategies help me address the access gap between the haves and the have-nots with learning issues in my class. Since no one can claim that every student who deserves accommodations is receiving them, I want to know that I offer my students who don’t have formal evaluations whatever tools they need to succeed, particularly when I intuitively know they need something different. “
The Dos and Don’ts of Teaching Children How to Read
Some children seem to just know how to read, but the majority of students will need explicit instruction.
“It’s crazy, but a lot of elementary schools teachers don’t actually know how to teach kids to read. Some have been taught that it is their job to express enthusiasm for reading but don’t really know how to impart the nuts and bolts of it. A teacher like that may be fine for your child. In fact, about 25 percent of children seem to learn to read almost by osmosis, but about 75 percent need some sort of instruction. About a quarter of those kids will need systematic, explicit instruction to learn to read or they will struggle.”
What to expect in a dyslexia evaluation
Another post from the University of Michigan’s Dyslexia Help website.
Understanding the Full Evaluation Process
An overview of the evaluation process provided by Understood.org. A good read for any parent considering the evaluation process.
Pieces of a Comprehensive Dyslexia Evaluation
A thorough article from the University of Michigan’s Dyslexia Help website. A good read for any parent considering the evaluation process.
Tests for Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities
Comprehensive list of tests provided by the University of Michigan’s Dyslexia Help website.
