Giving Compass' Take:

• Educators can use a variety of online and print resources to support students with dyslexia in schools. 

• How does personalized learning or social-emotional instruction help support dyslexic students? 

• Understand more about what reading looks like when you're dyslexic.

Dyslexia impacts every instructional task a student faces in school. Fortunately, there is a window of opportunity to tackle and remedy this language-based learning disability at an early age.

Whether or not your school and district take formal measures to screen and support students with dyslexia shouldn’t interfere with your ability to measure reading skills and provide support. Here are three tools educators can access immediately to identify, accommodate and support their students with dyslexia.

  • Online dyslexia screeners: If you haven’t received any training regarding dyslexia, you can always access an online screener. Screeners don’t diagnose your student, but they do informally assess their alignment with characteristics of students with dyslexia, depending on their grade level.
  • Existing assessments: Every school collects reading data, especially for K-3 students. A parent can find more information about what data that is by visiting their state Office of Education page and looking under “early literacy.”
  • Online and print resources: There are excellent free online resources available through the International Dyslexia Association, Bright Solutions for Dyslexia, and The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity. Many webinars and informational videos are available on YouTube.
  • Using what you know: Every school should have a working team of educators who are assessing the needs of students. This team should be part of the larger conversation regarding reading assessment and intervention.

Once the administration at my school saw our reading data, they supported my idea to implement a reading program. Reading data gathered from NWEA MAP testing and other standard assessments indicated there were many students who were struggling with reading. With the support of the administration, we offered training in the components of evidence-based reading instruction to every educator and paraeducator in grades K–5. There were educators with varying degrees of knowledge in structured literacy. Those with the most education and experience provided support for teachers who were just beginning their training.

Read the full article about helping students with dyslexia by Donell Pons at SmartBrief.