Dyslexia Screening
Literacy Screening seeks information to support all students, but beginning in the 2021-22 school year, the Selah School District began screening students in Grades K-2 for weaknesses in literacy skill(s) development that may be associated with dyslexia. As required by the Washington State Dyslexia Statue, “...each school district must use multitiered systems of support to provide interventions to students in kindergarten through second grade who display indications of, or areas of weakness associated with, dyslexia.” (RCW 28A.320.260) With appropriate instruction and support, a child with dyslexia can learn to read and write. Beneficial instruction is clear and aligned with evidence based standards.
Why is my child being screened? Early and intense intervention to address reading difficulties is the best way to prevent early problems from becoming more severe over time. With early identification and early intervention, students at risk for reading difficulties, including dyslexia, can succeed in school and graduate ready for college, career, and civic life.
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Screening tools serve the purpose of assessing how well all students are responding to core instruction and if a student is at risk for reduced learning outcomes.
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Screening tools can provide schools and educators with data to modify or adjust core instruction or if a new or additional intervention is needed.
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Data from screening tools may help schools and districts evaluate the effectiveness of their instruction and intervention program(s).
What is Dyslexia? Dyslexia Explained
What Is Dyslexia?
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A difference in the brain that makes processing speech sounds difficult, specifically the ability to hear, substitute, and change individual sounds in words.
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Characterized by challenges with reading and spelling, particularly with the connections between letters and sounds.
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Likely to lead to problems learning and remembering vocabulary, understanding what is read, and getting thoughts on paper.
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Not related to overall intelligence.
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Not a visual problem or caused by a lack of motivation, interest, exposure to rich literature, or ineffective classroom instruction.
All children, including those with dyslexia, have talents, interests, and strengths. All children should be encouraged and we can use those strengths to advance their learning. Children with dyslexia may have strong verbal and thinking skills, such as:
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Creative, outside-of-the box problem-solving skills,
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Listening skills,
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Imagination and curiosity skills,
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Recognizing patterns,
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Building, assembling, and working with objects,
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Athletic, artistic, or musical skills.
Additional Dyslexia Resources For Families and Caregivers