Dyslexia; Resources for Educators & Caregivers to Know More & Share with K-12 Students

One of my greatest joys, and the reason I wanted to become a school librarian to begin with, is introducing children to literature and watching them grow to love reading as much as I do. Unfortunately, that doesn't come as easy for all students. One reason young readers may struggle, is dyslexia. It is one of the most common learning disorders, affecting up to 10-20% of the population. The reason we're not quite sure the exact percentage of the population that struggle with this, is that in the past there was more confusion over how to diagnose and treat dyslexia. In the last 10 years there has been much more research on the matter, and now we know so much more about the diagnosis and implications. Legislation is being rapidly passed across the United States in regards to what responsibility public schools and teachers share in identifying and helping students that are dyslexic. Things are beginning to change! The earlier these children's challenges are spotted, the better their chance at academic success, so it is so important for K-12 educators to jump on board in training on dyslexia. Hopefully educators can help identify children, and direct their caregivers towards helpful resources with a greater rate of success now! We want educators to feel empowered to teach their students and create confident readers across the board. Please use the curated website to find resources that can help you as an educator or caregiver better understand this specific reading disorder, and also resources that will help students with specific learning needs on their reading journey. That way we can all explore new horizons through the books in the library! Here you will find several helpful websites that can aide students by providing games, books, and downloadable lessons, or teach the adults in their lives more about dyslexia. It is helpful for students with dyslexia to use audiobooks, or ebooks that they can manipulate the backgrounds and fonts, so you will find several apps that allow this. There is still much confusion as to what exactly dyslexia is, and if you'll watch the videos included, you'll find some easy to follow information to guide you. There are also some helpful articles, including on the new dyslexia legislation being passed in each state in regards to public schools. The podcast section has some great stuff for parents and educators alike. I hope you find this helpful! -K. DeAnne Anderson