The Oklahoma Dyslexia Law Solution Complying With Ease and Effectiveness

By Amanda Burnette, President + CEO, Winsor Learning

Every child can be a successful reader. With the passage of Oklahoma’s new law, HB 2804, requiring dyslexia screening for students in grades K through 3 not reading at grade level, it’s more critical than ever that schools and districts have the resources needed to comply with ease, effectiveness, and affordability and ensure success when students with dyslexia are identified.

Choosing a dyslexia intervention program can seem daunting, and there are many factors to consider. To help schools and districts cut through the noise and make a curriculum choice with confidence, we’ve developed a simple five-step checklist:

1. Does it comply with existing law and nationwide legislative trends?

When evaluating curriculum for legal compliance, the first thing to ask is, “Is this program Orton-Gillingham based?” More than three quarters of states have passed dyslexia laws, and though each statute is unique, a central feature of all dyslexia laws is the requirement of four essential Orton-Gillingham instructional techniques:

■ Systematic. The curriculum must ensure consistency so that it can be taught in the same way by different teachers.

■ Cumulative. Each lesson must build on previous learning to ensure a strong foundation.

■ Structured. The curriculum should begin with simple concepts and proceed in a logical progression to more complex tasks.

■ Sequential. It should meet children at their current level and progress as they develop.

2. Is it proven?

Orton-Gillingham is one of the most widely studied approaches of instruction for students with dyslexia and has been cited by the National Reading Panel as one of the most effective approaches for teaching reading. But the fact is, not all Orton-Gillingham curriculum comes with a proven track record.

3. How will it impact my staff?

It’s no secret that teachers already have a lot on their plates. The best curriculum in the world is no good if they don’t have the capacity to teach it correctly. When evaluating dyslexia reading curriculums, make sure to ask the following questions:

■ How much teacher training is required?

■ How detailed and specific are the lesson plans?

■ How much prep time is required for each lesson?

■ Can the lessons be effectively taught by classroom aides or volunteers?

4. How difficult will it be to implement?

With a new curriculum in any subject area, an immediate challenge is building capacity. This means making sure you understand the training requirements — both initially and over time. A program that requires extensive training for teachers can have real implications for you and your bottom line. Before choosing a curriculum, make sure you understand:

■ How much initial training is required?

■ What kind of training will be needed in the future?

■ Who can participate in the training sessions?

5. Are there any hidden costs?

Every district faces budget pressure. Every decision, no matter how student-centered, has a financial component. That’s why it’s so important to understand all of the costs. With dyslexia curriculum, that means knowing:

■ Is teacher training included?

■ Will additional training be required?

■ Are all instructional materials included?

■ Will I need to replace materials every year?

WINSOR LEARNING’S SONDAY SYSTEM® stands apart across all these considerations. Developed by nationally renowned Orton-Gillingham expert Arlene Sonday, the program has simplified an otherwise complex approach into a streamlined, easy to implement multisensory curriculum that empowers teachers to get more students reading sooner—without the added time and cost of additional training. Teachers need just one day of training to be up and running, and lesson plans are just 35 minutes in length.

More information about the Sonday System®, its Orton-Gillingham lesson plans, its cost-effective teacher training requirements and its simple, multisensory reading intervention strategies for students with dyslexia may be found at winsorlearning.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Amanda Burnette is President + CEO of Winsor Learning. She is a former teacher and school administrator and is a nationally recognized expert in reading instruction.