Keeping you up to date
on what is happening with Dyslexia in Tennessee!
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Save the Date...
Another Winter RISE Speaker Series is on its way!
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Make Your Voice Heard
TN Education Funding Formula - Action Needed!
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TN Education Funding Formula - Action Needed |
In October, Gov. Bill Lee announced that he and Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn are launching a review of the state's public education funding formula, with the hopes of creating a new funding model. Schwinn has said the state's goal is to create a brand new funding method "from the ground up," focusing on student needs and individual student subgroups, such as English language learners or students with disabilities.
However, we are hearing from our insiders on the Subcommittee for Funding only a few parents and teachers have communicated in favor of funding designations for dyslexia and reading intervention. Therefore, the committee is considering not including dyslexia and reading intervention in the funding formula.
Action is needed. Please:
2) spread the word to others and request they email.
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2022 Fox Reading Conference, Research to Practice:
Uniting Knowledge and Instruction
Please join us on Saturday, March 26th for our 2022 Fox Reading Conference.
We are thrilled to bring together three nationally-recognized literacy experts for this event!
Dr. Tracy Weeden will offer the presentation,
“Houston, we have a literacy crisis. Analyzing outcomes of adults to inform the implementation of dynamic systems change that fulfills the promise of reading success for all.”
Dr. Stephanie Al Otaiba will follow,
“Supporting Effective Interventions within Response to Intervention and Multi-tiered Systems of Support.”
Barbara A. Wilson, M.Ed. concludes the program,
“Advanced Orthographic Mapping: How the Science of Reading Informs Foundational Reading Instruction Beyond Phonemic Awareness and Phonics.”
This program continues our focus on Structured Literacy principles of direct, explicit, systematic, and diagnostic instruction. Structured Literacy integrates evidence-based instruction in phonology, sound-symbol relationships, syllables, morphology, grammatical and text structure, and word and text meaning to support reading comprehension. Free attendance thanks to a generous donation from the Fox family.
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BARBARA WILSON, M.Ed.
Barbara Wilson is the co-founder and president of Wilson Language Training, which provides materials and professional learning throughout the country. She has worked to improve the lives of individuals with dyslexia for over 30 years. Barbara is the author of 3 programs: Wilson Reading System® for students with dyslexia, now in its 4th edition; Wilson Just Words® an intervention for older students with a word-level deficit; and Fundations® for students learning to read in K-3. Barbara developed and oversees graduate courses and clinical practicums that lead to Wilson® Dyslexia Practitioner and Therapist certifications, which are accredited International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Tier 3 training programs. This certification is also an integral component for several university programs.
Barbara is a founding member of the Global Implementation Society as she is dedicated to implementation and recently co-edited an International Dyslexia Association publication on this subject with an emphasis on how to bridge the gap between research, educational legislation, and classroom instruction. At Wilson Language Training, she assures that the principles of implementation science are incorporated into the literacy work with districts throughout the country. Barbara provides professional expertise for several organizations and efforts dedicated to reading and dyslexia. She is also a reviewer and contributor to the International Dyslexia Association’s fact sheets for parents and educators. In 2015, she testified in front of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee in support of H.R. 3033, the Research Excellence and Advancements for Dyslexia (READ) Act, which was later signed into law. Barbara has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees from two Massachusetts institutions: Becker College and Fitchburg State University.
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DR. STEPHANIE
AL OTAIBA
Dr. Stephanie Al Otaiba is the Patsy and Ray Caldwell Centennial Chair in Teaching and Learning at
Southern Methodist University. She is also a Faculty Affiliate of the Florida Center for Reading
Research, where she previously taught at Florida State University. She received her doctorate in
special education from Vanderbilt University. A former special education teacher, her research
focuses on early literacy interventions for students with or at-risk for disabilities, response to
intervention (RTI), multi-tiered systems of support, and teacher training. She is the author or
coauthor of over 140 journal articles and book chapters. She is the editor of the Journal of Learning Disabilities, she serves on review boards for many journals in education and psychology, and was an
Associate Editor for Education Researcher and Elementary School Journal. She serves on the Board of Directors for the International Dyslexia Association.
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DR. TRACY WEEDEN
Dr. Tracy Weeden is a seasoned leader dedicated to advancing literacy success for all, and academic excellence for children regardless of zip code. Weeden has spent her career developing innovative academic programs while scaling transformational systems change. While serving for the past 5 years as President and CEO of Neuhaus Education Center (NEC), Dr. Weeden has expanded the reach and impact of the Neuhaus Education Center from a local non-profit to a broader impact across the State of Texas, and on a national and international level. The NEC mission provides evidence-based professional learning to educators, information and resources to families, and adult literacy services.
Prior to serving at NEC, Dr. Weeden was the Executive Director of Academic Planning for Scholastic Achievement Partners. Dr. Weeden also spent 5 years as the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment for the Houston ISD. In Katy ISD, Weeden served as a high school English teacher, a recruiter, and then as the Coordinator of Personnel Development in central office for Katy ISD.
Dr. Weeden also served as a middle school Dean of Instruction in Katy ISD. Her roots are in her beloved City of Detroit, where and she served as a high
school English and Theatre Arts Teacher. Weeden professes to always remaining a teacher at heart. A graduate from the University of Detroit, with a B.A. in Speech Communications and English, Dr. Weeden also received her M.Ed. and Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Houston and is a loyal Cougar.
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Knox County Dyslexia Council
Dyslexia Symposium
on Feb. 26, 2022
at Berean Christian School
for parents and educators
In person only
8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Food truck will be on campus
2329 Prosser Road
Knoxville, Tennessee 37914
phone (865) 521.6054
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The newly formed West TN
Multi-Sensory Structured Literacy Consortium met in November and December at the Bodine School in Memphis, TN and virtually. The first meeting focused on structured literacy training and certification, and we discussed tips for setting up a tutoring practice. At the second meeting we looked at different types of tools for screening students for intervention and remediation.
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Representatives from the TN branch of the International Dyslexia Association, Decoding Dyslexia TN, the Literacy Association of TN, and the TN branch of the Academic Language Therapy Association led the meetings. We will meet again in early 2022.
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Tennessee Disability Pathfinder (“Pathfinder”) helps people with disabilities, their family members, educators, and other professionals find and access resources, support, and services available to meet their needs.
Currently, the services listed for Dyslexia interventions are limited. If you are a provider or practitioner, please consider adding your company or organization to the directory. If you are already listed, please make sure you have a "tag" for dyslexia.
Questions? Please reach out to Pathfinder Staff at (800) 640-4636.
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The California Governor Gavin Newsom is releasing a new book this week,
“Ben and Emma’s Big Hit” - with all proceeds going to the International Dyslexia Association!
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Additionally, the publisher has shared the official link to the book page, with links to multiple retailers who are carrying the book: Buy it here!
From California Governor Gavin Newsom comes an empowering picture book about a young boy with dyslexia who discovers a new way to look at reading.
Ben loves baseball. He loves the lines of diamond-shaped field and the dome of the pitcher's mound. What Ben doesn't like is reading. Ben has dyslexia, which means letters and sounds get jumbled up in his brain, and then the words don't make sense. But when Ben starts looking at reading like he looks at baseball, he realizes that if he keeps trying, he can overcome any obstacle that comes his way.
In this empowering story by California Governor Gavin Newsom, inspired by his own childhood diagnosis of dyslexia, readers will learn that kids with the determination to try (and try again) can do big things.
*This book is set in a font specifically designed
to be easier for people with dyslexia to read.
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In addition to offering valuable information about dyslexia and its characteristics, this handbook provides information on assessments, effective teaching approaches, self-advocacy ideas, and a vast array of resources.
We encourage you to share this handbook. The more families we can inform, the more children we can help!
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The board members serving on the IDA-Tennessee branch
are passionate and dedicated individuals
with a variety of experiences;
please let us know if you are interested in serving with us!
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Did you know?!
You get your
1st year of IDA and TNIDA membership for FREE!
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As a member of IDA, you will be equipped with the latest information to best position you to advocate for your child or yourself, teach students with reading difficulties, and support the people in your life with dyslexia. Your membership includes exclusive access to our extraordinary community of researchers, teachers, professionals, and parents. Your membership supports teacher preparation and training in Structured Literacy instruction which will help thousands of children in the years to come.
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Happy Holidays from Everyone from TN-IDA!
And....Happy New Year!
Let us know how we can help with anything dyslexia-related this winter season. Till Everyone Learns to Read!
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