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New York’s Dyslexia Task Force Act: What Does This Mean to Me?

On May 24, 2022, The New York Senate passed The Dyslexia Task Force Act A.2185-B/S.441-C. Senator Brad Hoylman sponsored the Senate bill. The bill had already passed on the Assembly side, where Assemblymember Robert Carroll sponsored it. The bill’s next stop is with Governor Kathy Hochul. After that, the Governor signs the bill into law. That will be a day of celebration! A few years ago, I wrote about New York’s Guidance Memo on Students with Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia when it passed. Any legislation or activity that improves literacy or education for children with dyslexia is favorable, and anything that passes in New York is significant. We owe it to ourselves to celebrate any type of progress. However, as parents and guardians struggling to get children the reading services they need, nothing can happen fast enough. Even the best bills are not the entire solution. However, policy is critical, and policy influences the culture of literacy. This bill is the start of good policy. What’s promising about The Dyslexia Task Force Act is that it provides an opportunity to carve out specific frameworks designed to identify struggling readers and writers due to potential dyslexia/dysgraphia. The Task Force also documents the most appropriate interventions and trainings proven to demonstrate high gains when properly implemented. Additionally, the task force’s work happens… | Read More »New York’s Dyslexia Task Force Act: What Does This Mean to Me?

Diverse Books, Decodable Books & Libraries

Diverse books, decodable books and libraries. They are all part of innovative community literacy solutions! We’re So Much More than Phonics The science of reading, structured literacy, direct instruction, systematic, explicit instruction. It all sounds severe and not that much fun. The fact is, nothing is more thrilling than reading with automaticity. Automaticity happens when a child learns to decode. Some kids will need less instruction on decoding, while others, especially those who struggle with reading issues like dyslexia, will need a ton of practice. There is no love of reading when a child cannot read the words, and that is why teaching decoding is part of the love of reading. Still, all of that work decoding is nil if a child doesn’t understand what they are reading. Diverse Books Here’s the shocker! Those of us advocating for the science of reading advocate for content and context. If children learn to decode and do not understand what they read, they will not become skilled readers. Access to books and content is an important way to help children improve reading. We call it “books that teach, and books that tell.” We are passionate about diverse literature so that children can engage with books that show families and communities that look like our world. According to The Read in Color program, less… | Read More »Diverse Books, Decodable Books & Libraries

Will New York’s Guidance Memo on Students with Disabilities Resulting from Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia Change Anything?

New York is making progress towards better dyslexia awareness, and the acknowledgment of science-based approaches to reading. That’s the good news! As a parent, though, what I want to know is will the guidance memo change anything. Will more teachers get trained? Will we get more effective services? In August 2018, the Deputy Commissioner of The State Education Department sent out a guidance memo on Chapter 216 of the Laws of 2017: Students with Disabilities Resulting from Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia. The memo went out to the following stakeholders: District Superintendents Superintendents of Public Schools Public School Administrators Charter School Administrators Superintendents of State-Operated and State-Supported Schools Executive Directors of Approved Private Schools Nonpublic School Administrators Directors of Special Education Directors of Pupil Personnel Services Chairpersons of Committees on Special Education Organizations, Parents, and Individuals Concerned with Special Education In plain English, the purpose of the guidance memo is to inform school districts about the specific educational needs of students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia. Furthermore, the memo confirms that these very explicit terms can be used for evaluations, eligibility determinations and drafting IEPs (Individualized Education Program). #SayDyslexiaNY Just look at the stakeholders. The memo is out!  Now that the good word is out when we start complaining that our kids aren’t learning to read, the services aren’t working, and… | Read More »Will New York’s Guidance Memo on Students with Disabilities Resulting from Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia Change Anything?