Our efforts to ensure that more students read proficiently by the end of third grade will not succeed unless our schools find an effective way to teach the 2.4 million students with learning disabilities, according to a report released today by the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.

With nearly 5 percent of U.S. students diagnosed with dyslexia or other reading challenges, schools must adopt a comprehensive approach that emphasizes early identification, research-based lessons and new technology for these students, according to “Don’t Dys Our Kids: Dyslexia and the Quest for Grade-Level Reading Proficiency.”

At the same time, the strategies developed for children with learning disabilities should be applied in every classroom to bolster reading skills for all students, helping to narrow achievement gaps and reduce dropout rates.

“Don’t Dys Our Kids” provides a far-reaching overview of the history and progress in understanding and meeting the needs of children with dyslexia, as well as the persisting challenges that must be overcome, to ensure that all students can read proficiently by the third grade. The report also highlights best practices and examples of solutions that are already working in communities, including Universal Design for Learning as a concept by which to provide personalized instruction that benefits all students.

Based on interviews with nearly 30 experts, the report stresses the need to maintain high standards for all students and provides a collection of recommended actions for advancing this movement.

“We know the brain research, we know the best practices, we know what works to ensure that dyslexic students learn to read,” said Stewart Hudson, president of the Tremaine Foundation, a Connecticut-based philanthropy that invests educational policies and programs that assist those with learning disabilities. “We need to use what we know to help all children read on grade-level and succeed in school.”

Among the recommendations are:

• Early identification: Research shows that intervention efforts with dyslexic children are more effective before age 7, but many learning disabilities aren’t identified until students are in their teens. A Response-to-Intervention model can provide increasing levels of support to help identify children as early as pre-kindergarten. Children can be screened as young as 2 in child care settings or doctor’s offices.

• Research-based curriculum: Neuroscientists have determined that the brains of dyslexic students operate differently than those of other children. Research also indicates the best teaching techniques for these students can also help other struggling readers learn to read and comprehend words. Phonics are important but cannot be the only component of a reading program. The report recommends curriculum based on Universal Design for Learning principles that provide multiple means of engaging and teaching children with different learning styles.
  

• Better teacher preparation: Too few teachers are trained in how to teach reading, and even fewer know how to spot learning disabilities. Teacher preparation courses, whether in education schools or professional development tracks, should emphasize the brain science, screening practices and teaching techniques that can help all children learn to read.

• Technological advances: Assistive technology can help students with disabilities listen to books, organize material and read on a screen that provides more space between words or lines of type. New technology can also make it easier to assess learning differences. Yet only an estimated 25 to 35 percent of learning disabled students have access to such technology in school. Schools should expand the use of such material when possible.

• Parent engagement: Parents play a key role in identifying and addressing learning disabilities. While some develop into strong advocates, others don’t understand what their children need or how to secure it. Worse, they view the diagnosis as a stigma and are reluctant to seek help early on. A broad parent engagement strategy can help provide the support for these students, as well as other struggling readers.