Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

Treering Leads the Yearbook Industry by Introducing Dyslexia-Friendly Fonts

San Mateo, CA – Treering, a leader in customizable yearbooks, proudly introduces a dyslexia-friendly font to its collection, marking a significant stride towards inclusivity in design. Recognizing the power of typography in storytelling, Treering unveils 44 new fonts that empower users to share their narratives with style and clarity.

Allison Vecchio, Treering’s Director of Design, notes, “Typography evolves with design trends, impacting message perception. We value user input and have responded to requests for diverse fonts.”

Inspired by the Dyslexia Friendly Font Collection, Treering embarked on the journey to incorporate a dyslexia-friendly font, resulting in the integration of OpenDyslexic. Designed by Abelardo “Abbie” Gonzalez, OpenDyslexic addresses challenges faced by dyslexic readers with features like enhanced letter weight, distinct shapes, and consistent baseline.…Read More

Georgia Adds Classworks® Reading Screener to State-approved Universal Screener and Dyslexia Screener Lists

The Georgia Department of Education (GA DOE) recently added the Classworks Reading Universal Screener assessment to two state-approved lists. The Classworks screener is now approved by the state as a Universal Reading Screener and a Qualified Dyslexia Screening Tool for Grades K–3.

In April 2023, the Georgia Early Literacy Act (HB538) required the state to, among other requirements, establish a uniform standard for measuring literacy, approve high-quality literacy instructional materials for teaching students in K-3, and provide for the approval and use of universal reading screeners for K-3 students. The state provided a list of approved universal screeners and dyslexia screening tools to support school districts in choosing high-quality resources.

“Classworks Universal Screeners are already widely used by Georgia districts to effectively assess students’ proficiency and identify students who may need additional support,” notes Melissa Sinunu, Classworks President and Chief Operating Officer. “We are thrilled the GA DOE has added the valid and reliable resource as an approved assessment tool to help teachers identify students who may be at risk for dyslexia and as an essential part of school district’s comprehensive literacy programs.”…Read More

West Virginia Department of Education selects Istation’s ISIP™ Assessment for Reading, Math, and Dyslexia Screening

Dallas, TX (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Istation, a leader in educational technology, announced today that the West Virginia Department of Education has selected Istation as a K-3 formative assessment for literacy, numeracy, and indicators of dyslexia selection criteria. This approval will empower schools and districts across West Virginia to implement Istation’s Indicators of Progress (ISIP) assessment to measure readiness in critical skills, identify learning barriers, and improve instructional approaches. 

“This news means classrooms across West Virginia will receive screening tools to help educators implement an evidence-based approach to learning.” said Vice President of Research and Assessments, Victoria Locke, Ph.D., “During the 2023-2024 school year, K-3 student achievement benchmarks will directly benefit from having Istation available.”

With the goal of improving student grade-level proficiency for early learners in reading and mathematics, the Third Grade Success Act requires every school to establish a process for ensuring the developmental and academic progress of all students with evidence-based tools. 

Istation’s reading and math assessment provides an evidence-based method for evaluating literacy skills, core math competencies, and dyslexia risk factors by offering benchmark assessment resources that facilitate universal screening more than three times a year.…Read More

Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) Names Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready® Assessment a Qualified Dyslexia Screening Tool for Grades K–3

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass.—The GaDOE recently named Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready Assessment as a Qualified Dyslexia Screening Tool for Grades K–3. School districts across the state can now use the program’s online Diagnostic and offline literacy assessment tasks to support with the identification and referral of students who exhibit characteristics of dyslexia. Today, the i-Ready program serves more than 11.5 million students and approximately one-third of all Grades K–8 students in the United States, including approximately 485,000 students in Georgia.

“It is so important that teachers have effective tools to identify students who may be at risk for dyslexia,” said Elizabeth Bassford, vice president of content and implementation at Curriculum Associates. “Now teachers across Georgia can use i-Ready’s single assessment along with its offline literacy assessment tasks to complete the screening and identification process, and develop individualized, data-driven instruction to support each student who will benefit from that specificity.”

All programs named to GaDOE’s Qualified Dyslexia Screening Tool list undergo a comprehensive review and demonstrate that they address—and measure—specific components. These components include phonological awareness and phonemic awareness, sound symbol recognition, alphabet knowledge, decoding skills, encoding skills, rapid naming, accuracy of word reading on grade-level text, and sight word reading efficiency skills.…Read More

Ohio Department of Education Names Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready® Assessment an Approved Dyslexia Screener for Grades K–3

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass.—The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) recently named Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready Assessment as an approved Comparable Assessment to Ohio’s K–3 Diagnostic Assessment for the Third Grade Reading Guarantee with Dyslexia Screening (K–3 Diagnostic/Dyslexia Screener) and Tier 1 Dyslexia Screening Measure (Dyslexia Screener). Starting in the 2023–2024 school year, districts across the state can now use i-Ready’s online Diagnostic and offline literacy assessment tasks to screen for risk factors of dyslexia and help provide data-driven instructional support to students. In addition, i-Ready can now be used for five additional assessment areas as outlined by the ODE this coming school year.

“Districts and schools throughout Ohio can now leverage the power of i-Ready for a number of their assessment needs, including screening students who many need specialized supports to excel in reading,” said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates. “Having a single, comprehensive assessment solution such as i-Ready is so important because it eliminates the need for districts to administer multiple, redundant assessments. This gives teachers more time back in their schedules so they can deliver impactful and personalized instruction, which is critical for the achievement of all students.”

According to the ODE, approved assessments on the Comparable Assessment to Ohio’s K–3 Diagnostic Assessment for the Third Grade Reading Guarantee with Dyslexia Screening (K–3 Diagnostic/Dyslexia Screener) list may be used by school districts to determine if a student is—or is not—on track in reading, as well as to identify students at risk for dyslexia based on direct assessment of performance in several key areas. The results from the approved assessments, such as i-Ready, may be used by school districts to guide instruction and intervention throughout the school year.…Read More

How to evaluate literacy programs that pledge to accelerate learning

The NAEP results in late 2022 revealed that reading scores fell for both fourth and eighth grade readers as a result of the pandemic. Only 33 percent of fourth graders are reading proficiently, which means that two-thirds read below grade level. For eighth graders, the scores are even lower with only 31 percent reading proficiently, and more than two-thirds reading below grade level.

While instruction informed by reading science is necessary for all students, it is essential for students who are at risk for reading challenges due to dyslexia, developmental language disorder, or other factors. Teachers need real-time progress monitoring data, data-driven action plans, and instructional tools that allow them to deliver the right instruction either inside or outside the classroom.

Schools and districts want to know the literacy program they choose is firmly grounded in the science of reading (i.e., more than 50 years of research) and has proven itself in real classrooms. Whether a literacy company has been in the market for 60 years or 60 days, there are ways to fact-check its solutions to determine if its research is valid, there is proven efficacy, and it can fulfill the promises they make to teachers and students. For district leaders, it is critical to understand the importance of the science of reading and the role of Structured Literacy as they review available literacy solutions.…Read More

Don’t wait: The importance of early dyslexia intervention

A learning disorder that can impact a child’s ability to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols—but that doesn’t affect general intelligence—dyslexia often goes unnoticed until a student displays significant struggles with reading and/or writing. The most common of all neuro-cognitive disorders, dyslexia impacts about 20 percent of the US population and represents 80-90 percent percent of all individuals who have learning disabilities.

In some cases, a dyslexia diagnosis doesn’t happen until a student is in second grade, with some cases going unnoticed until the learner is already in high school. With research showing that interventions are the most effective when they are done in kindergarten and first grade, the earlier the intervention the better.

To avoid an even bigger learning gap, we need to take a closer look at early identification, the early warning signs to look for, and what steps to take if you suspect dyslexia. …Read More

With Rising Concerns About Dyslexia in Young Learners, Riverside Insights Introduces First-of-its Kind Playbook to Streamline Evaluations

ITASCA, Ill. – Riverside Insights®, a leading developer of research-based assessments and analytics, today debuted a new Assessment Playbook focused on streamlining the evaluation of dyslexia, the most common learning disability, affecting 20% of the population. The new playbook makes assessments more effective and efficient by providing a recommended process for selective testing and a specific test list for querying the most salient features of dyslexia.

“The pandemic disrupted teaching and learning, and has led to a dramatic increase in the number of students who are referred for dyslexia evaluations by their teachers and/or parents. Consequently, evaluators must determine if a student’s reading difficulties are primarily a reflection of this disruption or an indication of a true reading disability,” said dyslexia expert Dr. Nancy Mather, a professor in the  College of Education, Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies at the University of Arizona. “To address this issue and the increase in assessment referrals, evaluators need effective and efficient assessment tools to ensure that all students are accurately identified and get the help they need. In this way, children can be provided with systematic interventions prior to experiencing chronic reading difficulties.”

In the 2021-2022 school year, more than 20 states – including California, Florida, Texas and Connecticut – updated their dyslexia legislation, passing new codes and statutes to support more effective identification and intervention practices to address the increasing dyslexia referrals.…Read More

3 strategies we use to turn struggling students into confident readers

The ability to read–and read well–sets kids on a path to success. That’s why at Cambridge School, we focus on helping students with learning differences learn how to read. Students attend Cambridge School because they have been diagnosed with a language-based learning difference, such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, auditory processing disorder, or executive function difficulties, and have struggled in traditional academic settings. 

But if you walk into a Cambridge School classroom during one of our reading sessions, you will see engaged students reading both silently and aloud, using devices and books. You will see teachers working one-on-one with students checking their fluency progress and reviewing important comprehension skills and relevant vocabulary. You will see hard-working students becoming more motivated, confident readers. 

Each year our students make notable fluency gains, with many reading at or above grade level by the end of 8th grade or sooner. In the 2021-22 school year, all students in grades 2-8 made fluency gains from the fall to the spring, with a 52 percent average percent increase in words read correctly per minute. How do we accomplish this?…Read More

Lexia Learning’s Founder, Robert Arthur Lemire, Dies at Eighty-Nine

BOSTON (June 23, 2022) – Lexia® Learning, a Cambium Learning® Group company, is saddened to announce that the company’s founder, Robert A. Lemire died on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Lemire was eighty-nine and passed away following a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Lemire created Lexia Learning in 1984 after watching his son struggle to learn to read. Lemire received guidance from his friend, Dr. Edwin Cole, a noted neurologist, head of the Reading Clinic at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the founder of several schools for students with dyslexia like his son. Lemire realized that many other children had reading difficulties and most of them did not have the resources that his family did.

Together with neighbor Dr. Littleton Meeks, an expert in technology, Lemire and Dr. Cole decided to create a company that would use computer technology to help students receive the explicit, systematic, and personalized instruction they needed to become successful readers and confident learners. In 1992, Lexia expanded its mission to serve not only readers with dyslexia but all readers from beginners and inclusive of struggling readers. Today, the company serves more than 5.5 million students across more than 3,300 school districts in all 50 states and territories.…Read More