Submitted by Tracey Ely (not verified) on April 10, 2008 - 15:16.
It is time for our presidential candidates to address the literacy needs of learning-disabled children, and urge all the states to focus on this huge problem. A full 20% of our population struggles with reading due to dyslexia, a genetic condition for which there is no known cure, but for which there are effective strategies for overcoming the problem. (Go to LD Online)
Consider these statistics:
85% of special ed students are dyslexic
60% of adolescents in drug/alcohol treatment have a learning disability
35% of dyslexics drop out of school.
60% of adults with severe literacy problems have a learning disability
80% of gang members are functionally illiterate
90% of the incarcerated are functionally illiterate.
We have known for the last 60 years that multisensory, structured, sequential, direct instruction of the structure of the English language can prevent reading failure, not only for dyslexic students, but also for ESL students and other struggling readers.
South Carolina has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country. My local high school in our state capitol has a 51.9% dropout rate! When will the legislators in our state of SC follow through with the mandate of the No Child Left Behind Act, and address the problems of dyslexic students, instead of ignoring them? That is, when will they change outdated laws that allow schools prevent schools from addressing this specific learning disability, and fund appropriate education for learning disabled students. Other states, such as Florida and Texas, have changed their education laws to deal with dyslexia directly, training teachers appropriately and offering early intervention to prevent reading failure. We cannot afford to ignore this issue any longer.
Prevent reading failure for dyslexics to lower dropout rate
Submitted by Tracey Ely (not verified) on April 10, 2008 - 15:16.
It is time for our presidential candidates to address the literacy needs of learning-disabled children, and urge all the states to focus on this huge problem. A full 20% of our population struggles with reading due to dyslexia, a genetic condition for which there is no known cure, but for which there are effective strategies for overcoming the problem. (Go to LD Online)
Consider these statistics:
85% of special ed students are dyslexic
60% of adolescents in drug/alcohol treatment have a learning disability
35% of dyslexics drop out of school.
60% of adults with severe literacy problems have a learning disability
80% of gang members are functionally illiterate
90% of the incarcerated are functionally illiterate.
We have known for the last 60 years that multisensory, structured, sequential, direct instruction of the structure of the English language can prevent reading failure, not only for dyslexic students, but also for ESL students and other struggling readers.
South Carolina has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country. My local high school in our state capitol has a 51.9% dropout rate! When will the legislators in our state of SC follow through with the mandate of the No Child Left Behind Act, and address the problems of dyslexic students, instead of ignoring them? That is, when will they change outdated laws that allow schools prevent schools from addressing this specific learning disability, and fund appropriate education for learning disabled students. Other states, such as Florida and Texas, have changed their education laws to deal with dyslexia directly, training teachers appropriately and offering early intervention to prevent reading failure. We cannot afford to ignore this issue any longer.