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State officials looking at preschool dyslexia screening
Oct 18, 2019 12:45 pm
Rachel Silberstein is reporting for the Times Union the state of New York could require dyslexia screening in preschool. The state does not currently have a consistent standard for schools to screen students for the disorder. Dyslexia is a general term for disorders that cause difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but does not affect general intelligence. At a forum held recently at the Rockefeller Institute of Government in Albany, several experts in the field discussed common misconceptions amount educators about dyslexia and made a case for early detection and intervention. Researchers say that students who cannot read at grade level by the time they get to third grade are unlikely to ever catch up to their peers. "About 60 percent of kids learn to read no matter what you do with them. But about 40 percent don't and need direct instruction," Assemblywoman Joanne Simon said. "There are a lot of perceptions about dyslexia. What we want to do is make this easy and make sure we are helping the most kids." It is estimated that about one in five children have dyslexia, although some experts say the figure is significantly lower. Seven states in the U.S. have passed laws requiring schools to test students for dyslexia in early grades. Read the full story in the Times Union.