Parents & Caregivers
Demo page Helping to Raise Readers
Parents are their children’s first teachers. By speaking and reading to their children, adults help develop their language and early literacy skills. Learning to read is difficult, but the good news is that with the right instruction most children can be taught to read.
Raising a Reader
Parents are their children’s first teachers. There are simple, but important, things you can do to help raise your child to be a reader. Children are born with their brains “hardwired” to learn language. Listening and speaking develop naturally. Reading and writing must be learned. By speaking and reading to your children—starting at birth—you help develop their language and early literacy skills.
If Your Child Struggles
Learning to read is difficult, so it’s not surprising that many children struggle. The good news is that with early help and the right instruction, many reading problems can be prevented and most children can be taught to read. Trust your instincts and be persistent in finding help.
Comprehensive Reading Evaluation Services
Literacy How offers Comprehensive Reading Evaluations for struggling readers to help parents determine the best next steps for their child. The purpose of a comprehensive reading evaluation is to present a functional assessment of an individual’s strengths and weaknesses. These can form decisions for appropriate instruction and effective interventions.
SLD/Dyslexia Resources
Tap into these resources and the excellent organizations dedicated to informing and supporting parents and teachers of students with SLD/Dyslexia. Don’t go it alone. Keep up with the latest in identification, instruction, advocacy, and student and parent empowerment.
Articles
Learn more about how to teach students with SLD/Dyslexia in these articles by Margie Gillis:
Addressing Reading Issues: Multisensory
Structured Language Basics
Help for an Older Child with Reading Problems.
Recommended Reading
- Emanuel, G. (November 29, 2016) How science is rewiring the dyslexic brain. National Public Radio, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/11/29/503693391/researchers-study-what-makes-dyslexic-brains-different.
- Felton, R., Hook, P. & Lowell, S. (2014). Basic facts about assessment of dyslexia. International Dyslexia Association.
- Gillis, M. (December 2018). Chronicles from the Classroom. All teachers are responsible for all students’ success. The Examiner 7:5.
- Gillis, M. (February 2018). Chronicles from the Classroom. Teachers must be critical thinkers and informed consumers. The Examiner 7:1.
- Kilpatrick, D.A. (2015) Essentials of assessing, preventing, and overcoming reading difficulties. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
- Moats, L. & Dakin, K. (2007). Basic facts about dyslexia and other reading problems. International Dyslexia Association.
“Once you’ve seen science-based reading instruction delivered well, you’ll want it for your kids.”
— Tyre, P. (2011). The good school. How smart parents get their kids the education they deserve. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, p.113.
Organizations
COUNCIL OF PARENT ATTORNEYS AND ADVOCATES, INC.
Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. is an independent, nonprofit peer-to-peer network of attorneys, advocates, parents and related professionals dedicated to protecting and enforcing legal and civil rights of students with disabilities and their families at the national, state, and local levels.
CSDE
CSDE’s Special Education Publications include best practice resources, eligibility and guidance documents, and parent/family resources.
DECODING DYSLEXIA
Decoding Dyslexia–CT has been instrumental in promoting legislation that supports students with SLD/Dyslexia.
Decoding Dyslexia is a network of parent-led grassroots movements across the country concerned with the limited access to educational interventions for dyslexia within the public education system. [They] aim to raise dyslexia awareness, empower families to support their children and inform policy-makers on best practices to identify, remediate and support students with dyslexia.
DYSLEXIA HELP
DyslexiaHelp at the University of Michigan offers resources for professionals, parents, and students with dyslexia.
DYSLEXIAVILLE
Dyslexiaville is the first media company for kids with dyslexia and other learning differences. Their mission is to help kids succeed in school and life because of, and not in spite of, their learning differences. Visit YouTube to see their series “Super d! Show”.
DYSLEXIA SOCIETY OF CONNECTICUT
Dyslexia Society of Connecticut is “dedicated to achieving reading proficiency for all Connecticut residents through evidence-based training for teachers in order to provide appropriate explicit, systematic instruction for students with dyslexia and related reading disabilities.”
THE DYSLEXIA FOUNDATION
The Dyslexia Foundation was established to identify and assist children with dyslexia and to establish higher levels of learning through specialized programs promoting better reading.
THE INTERNATIONAL DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION-CT
The mission of IDA-CT is to provide parents and educators with the training and expertise to help identify and support individuals with Dyslexia. This includes parent roundtables, professional education, seminars, and other resources to increase public awareness and remediation of dyslexia. The CT Branch is dedicated to providing the most up to date research, resources and a voice in legislation to ensure an equitable education in public schools.
THE INTERNATIONAL DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals with dyslexia, their families and the communities that support them. IDA supports literacy through research, education, and advocacy.
See IDA’s Fact Sheets, Dyslexia Handbook. What Every Family Should Know,Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading.
LEARNING ALLY
Learning Ally is a national nonprofit providing resources, training, and technology for teachers and schools, 80,000 human-voiced audiobooks for students with learning & visual disabilities, and an online community, 1 in 5.
LD ONLINE
LD OnLine is a website on learning disabilities, disorders, and differences sponsored national public television. Parents and teachers of learning disabled children will find authoritative guidance on attention deficit disorder, ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dysnomia, reading difficulties, speech and related disorders.
NATIONAL CENTER ON IMPROVING LITERACY
National Center on Improving Literacy is a partnership among literacy experts, university researchers, and technical assistance providers, with funding from the United States Department of Education. Their mission is to increase access to, and use of, evidence-based approaches to screen, identify, and teach students with literacy-related disabilities, including dyslexia.
NATIONAL CENTER FOR LEARNING DISABILITIES
National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) connects and parents and others with essential resources, provides educators with evidence-based tools, and engages advocates in public policy initiatives.
NEUHAUS EDUCTION CENTER
Neuhaus Education Center, dedicated to promoting reading success, provides evidence-based professional development to educators, information and resources to parents, and direct services to adult learners. Read their dyslexia guide, You CAN Help Your Child.
SMART KIDS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES®
Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities® is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the parents of children with learning disabilities (LD) and attention-deficit disorder (ADHD). Parents can sign up for their newsletter, read blogs, tips, attend events and more.
TENNESSEE CENTER FOR THE STUDY AND TREATMENT OF DYSLEXIA
The Center for Dyslexia is one of MTSU’s research centers. It actively conducts research, supports the translation of research to practice, and offers resources for educators and parents.
UNDERSTOOD
Understood aims “to help the millions of parents whose children, ages 3–20, are struggling with learning and attention issues,” including daily access to free expert advice, resources, tips, and a secure parent community.
WRIGHTSLAW
Wrightslaw offers accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities, including a newsletter, blog, and extensive advocacy and law libraries.
YALE CENTER FOR DYSLEXIA AND CREATIVITY
Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity aims to uncover and illuminate the strengths of those with dyslexia, disseminate information, practical advice and the latest innovations from scientific research, and transform the lives of children and adults with dyslexia.
Comprehensive Professional Development
Ten one-day workshops are focused on covering all the core components of comprehensive literacy which are depicted in our READING WHEEL. Workshops are aligned to the Literacy How Professional Learning series of books and offer teachers background knowledge needed for effective reading instruction as well as assessment tools and hands on activities to use with students
Mentors deliver evidence-based content targeted primarily for PreK-5 general education and special education teachers
Phonemic Awareness:What It Is and How to Teach It
Learn why phonemic awareness is a necessary prerequisite for learning to read. Understand the developmental sequence of phonological awareness, become comfortable producing the sounds of English, practice segmenting and blending words to five sounds. Learn how to engage children in key instructional strategies and activities that teach this critical skill to mastery utilizing our Phonemic Awareness and Phonics Handbook.
Date and time ___________
Know the Code: Explicit, Systematic, Differentiated Phonics Instruction
Gain a basic understanding of the history and origins of English and learn about the research supporting phonics instruction. Become familiar with tools for phonics, including words sorts, phoneme/grapheme mapping, syllable types, and the purpose and power of decodable text. Learn songs, games, and activities to engage students in word study for differentiated small group instruction utilizing our Phonemic Awareness and Phonics Handbook.
Date and time __________
Juicy Vocabulary: Making Words Stick
Vocabulary encompasses several critical dimensions in the area of literacy including word relationships, multiple meaning words, and morphological elements. Learn about the essential components of robust vocabulary instruction and its relationship to reading comprehension. Find out how to select, extend, and maintain words in order to tackle the “30 million word gap” utilizing our Vocabulary Handbook.
Date and time ___________
Advanced Code Instruction and Morphology
Learn the rationale behind instruction in the study of affixes (prefixes and suffixes) and Latin roots and Greek combining forms to build students’ vocabulary and improve their spelling. Learn how to incorporate morphology instruction into your language arts instruction—whether you teach K-1st or 2nd grade and beyond. Use our Vocabulary Handbook
Date and time ___________
SYNTAX INSTRUCTION:THE BRIDGE BETWEEN READING FLUENCY AND COMPREHENSION
In order to read fluently and comprehend connected text, students must understand a variety of sentence structures. Learn how to support students’ reading fluency and comprehension by teaching phrasing and sentence structure with a focus on oral language. Find out ways to incorporate grammar and syntax into your language arts block. This workshop will set the stage for the following workshop on written expression utilizing our Syntax Handbook.
Date and time ___________
WRITING IS NOT A SEPARATE SUBJECT: EXPLICIT WRITING INSTRUCTION AND THE WRITING PROCESS
This workshop will build on the prior workshop (Syntax Instruction) as you identify and recognize the various skills that are necessary for proficient writing. Learn how to recognize students’ developmental stages of writing and the strategies and interventions that support writing at the sentence and discourse levels. Learn how to integrate this systematic and explicit writing instruction into your curriculum using your existing writing program.
Date and time ___________
ORAL LANGUAGE AT THE CORE: PREPARING STUDENTS TO ENGAGE IN CLOSE READING
Speaking and listening are the foundation of literacy. Learn about oral language development and its relationship to language comprehension and reading comprehension. Learn what makes reading comprehension challenging for many students and what students must be able to know and do in order to read text “closely.” Participants will also learn how to analyze the text and the task to ensure that students develop reading proficiency.
Date and time ___________
ASSESSMENT:WHY AND HOW TO DIG DEEPER TO DRIVE INSTRUCTION
Learn to use and analyze “dig deeper” diagnostic assessments to drive your instruction. This workshop focuses on the how and why of informal assessments for each of the areas studied over the course of this professional development series. Gain experience with the administration and analysis of quick and easy diagnostic assessments to inform your instruction.
Date and time ___________
READING COMPREHENSION: UNDERSTANDING NARRATIVE TEXT
How do the elements of story structure relate to the Common Core State Standards? Learn about the relationship between macrostructure and microstructure, the two levels of narrative structure. Practice analyzing literature to identify key story grammar elements. Learn effective classroom instructional practices designed to promote comprehension of narratives.
Date and time ___________
READING COMPREHENSION: WHY AND HOW TO TEACH INFORMATIONAL TEXT
The Common Core State Standards emphasize the importance of expository/informational texts. Understand expository text structures and the importance of syntactic structures in text comprehension. Gain an awareness of the types of comprehension problems your students may be having related to text and sentence structure. Understand the literate language requirements of expository text and learn methods and activities that will support students in their comprehension of expository text.
Date and time ___________