In an op-ed in the New York Daily News, Great Minds® CEO and Founder Lynne Munson gives the Big Apple a shout-out for its groundbreaking program to better serve emerging readers and students with dyslexia.
Under the program rolling out this school year, New York City schools will screen all students for dyslexia and provide specialized programs and supports for those who need it. All teachers will receive training on dyslexia, and schools will shift toward using literacy programs rooted in the science of reading.
Lynne explains the curriculum shift in her op-ed, writing, “This involves systematic phonics instruction to help ensure children clearly know the relationship between specific letters and sounds, which is important for all developing readers and essential for students with dyslexia, along with building student background knowledge and vocabulary.”
Some schools have switched to using Wit & Wisdom® as part of the transition to high-quality, evidence-based materials. One such school was featured in an earlier Chalkbeat article.
In her op-ed in the New York Daily News, Lynne explains that her own child, now a high schooler, has dyslexia and is thriving in school because of resources available to her. Lynne says all students deserve that success, and all parents need to be part of the solution, as is happening under the program unveiled by New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
“When you are a parent of a child with dyslexia, you’re well aware of all the ways in which they struggle and you want to help them. It’s vital that policymakers welcome parents into these conversations, and I’m glad (Mayor) Adams is including moms, dads and caretakers in a new literacy advisory council that will help shape the new program,” writes Lynne.
If you’re interested in learning more about dyslexia, we’ve assembled some resources on this site that you might find helpful. And we’d love to learn from you. You can find us on Twitter @WitWisdomELA.
