October is Dyslexia Awareness Month, and this week we’re sharing words from one of the panelists at our recent film screening and panel discussion. In “The Right to Read Shouldn’t Require a Fight,” Dr. Sarah Holbrook writes about her years as a special education teacher, and about a student she cared about deeply and didn’t yet know how to teach to read. That experience changed the direction of her career.
Many of us who are parents know a version of that feeling: wanting to help our child and not knowing how. The missing piece is rarely care. It’s knowing what effective reading instruction looks like, and what to ask when it doesn’t hold together.
That’s why we’re hosting a free webinar on Sunday, October 25: is your district’s reading instruction a Frankenstein curriculum? We’ll cover how to spot one, plus the questions parents and board members can ask.
Each district has a Shared Decision-Making Committee that gives parents a voice on curriculum, budget, and school climate before the Board votes, yet most people don't know it exists.
Support parent voice in your district by using our ready-to-send email to request a seat on the committee today.
Request a Seat →
School districts are no longer required to submit their annual literacy attestation, removing a key accountability check on whether reading programs align with the science of reading.
Support restoring this requirement through our letter campaign to State legislators, Governor Hochul, and NYSED.
Send Your Letter →
Confronting the
Frankenstein Curriculum
Many districts have added phonics or phonemic awareness programs without letting go of three-cueing, leveled readers, and guess-and-check strategies. On paper it looks like progress. In the classroom, the approaches work against each other.
We’ll look at what the data shows across New York and Long Island, and what coherent instruction looks like from curriculum to classroom.
New to this topic? Get up to speed first with our presentation, What Every Parent and Teacher Should Know (42:25). [Watch on YouTube →]
Passcode: LILiteracy
OCT
15
Recognizing DLD
Students with DLD can read words accurately, so the gap in their language and comprehension often goes unseen. In honor of International DLD Awareness Day on Oct. 16, IMSE’s session covers how DLD overlaps with dyslexia, how it differs, and what to look for across speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Learn More
S8044
Passed Assembly & Senate
Library Literacy Education Guidance
A bill directing the State Librarian to give New York’s public and association libraries guidance on evidence-based literacy practices has passed both houses of the Legislature. It now awaits Governor Hochul’s signature. We’ll be launching an Action Alert soon asking you to urge the Governor to sign it into law.
Become a District Lead
Growing our voice means growing our impact. We're looking for passionate Science of Reading advocates to serve as the point person for their school district. Help literacy advocacy accountability be heard.
As a District Lead, you'll help us:
Be the contact for LILC members and parents in your district
Spread the word on our events, campaigns, and district updates
Encourage turnout at BOE meetings + public comment opportunities
