Resources
The more you know about the science of reading, why so many children struggle to learn to read, what your legal rights are, and what effective instruction really looks like, then you are on your way to becoming your child's best advocate and an agent of change for all students.
Where to find more information
We share with you the following websites, documentaries, and books that others have found helpful in educating themselves about dyslexia and reading difficulties. Please note that DD-DC does not officially endorse, represent, or have any legal connection to any of these resources.
LOCAL RESOURCES
DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education | https://osse.dc.gov/page/special-education-students-disabilities
Learning Disabilities Association of DC | https://ldaamerica.org/lda-chapters/washington/
DC Capital Area Branch of the International Dyslexia Association
Hard Words: Why Aren't Kids Being Taught to Read - Emily Hanford, September 10, 2018
Hard to Read: How American Schools Fail Kids With Dyslexia- Emily Hanford, September 11, 2017
At a Loss for Words: What's Wrong With How Schools Teach Reading- Emily Hanford, March 30, 2023
Why Millions of Kids Can't Read and What Better Teaching Can Do About It - Emily Hanford, January 2, 2019
Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong- Emily Hanford, October 20, 2022
What the Words Say: Children of Color are less likely to get help- Emily Hanford, April 26, 2023
NATIONAL RESOURCES:
Understood.org | www.understood.org
International Dyslexia Association
Bookshare | www.bookshare.org
Children’s Dyslexia Centers, Inc | www.childrensdyslexiacenters.org
Learning Ally (formerly RFB&D) | www.learningally.org
National Center for Learning Disabilities | www.ncld.org
LD Online | www.LDonline.org
Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy | www.wrightslaw.com
Dyslegia: A Legislative Information Site | www.dyslegia.com
Yale Center for Dyslexia & /creativity | www.dyslexia.yale.edu
Assistive Technology reviews | http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/
Assistive Technology Solutions | http://www.assistivetechnology.oakhillct.org/
U.S. Dept of Education Guidance Letter to Districts | https://sites.ed.gov/idea/idea-files/osep-dear-colleague-letter-on-ideaiep-terms/
U.S. Law: “READ Act” H. R. 3033 | http://bit.ly/1p6jTX3
U.S. Law: “READ Act” [press release] | http://1.usa.gov/1phfyAT
RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS
IDA's Dyslexia in the Classroom: What Every Teacher Needs to Know.
The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity's video showing successful dyslexics reflecting back on their schooling.
Learning Ally's helpful guides about dyslexia, its potential indicators, and accommodations.
Learning Ally's free on-demand webinars with edWeb:
IDA's list of fact sheets including Effective Reading Instruction for Students for Dyslexia.
The Dyslexia Training Institute's The Lowdown on Dyslexia specifically for teachers, including clips from "Dyslexia for a Day" and "Dyslexia for a Day - Writing" -- simulations that mimic what it's like to be a dyslexic student in the classroom.
PBS Misunderstood Minds simulator helps you experience a decoding difficulty.
Ameer Baraka tells his devastating story of undiagnosed dyslexia at the US Senate Committee Hearing on Dyslexia.
​
FILMS ABOUT DYSLEXIA:
The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia | www.thebigpicturemovie.com
Dislecksia – The Movie | www.dislecksiathemovie.com
Embracing Dyslexia | www.embracingdyslexia.com
Being You | roadtripnation.com/roadtrip/being-you#showdlsfkjadlk
Other dyslexia related films list with links | http://u.org/2dayJaR
BOOK RESOURCES:
Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level
by Sally Shaywitz, M.D.; Vintage (2005) — A popular book that explains dyslexia and provides parents with knowledge and tools for helping their children become fluent readers.
Parenting a Struggling Reader by Susan L. Hall and Louisa C. Moats; Broadway (2002) — This book explains how school systems work and provides real-world practical guidance on how to understand and work within the framework of the public school system. It also helps us understand when to look beyond public schools for additional resources.
Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy: The Special Education Survival Guide
by Pam Wright and Pete Wright; Harbor House Law Press (2006) — This book acknowledges that having a child with a learning disability (or any disability) can be emotionally challenging. This book helps parents channel their emotions by educating them on their child's legal right to a free and appropriate public education and guides them on how to be the best possible advocate for their child.
The Human Side of Dyslexia: 142 Interviews with Real People Telling Real Stories About Their Coping Strategies with Dyslexia
by Shirley Kurnoff; London Universal, (2001) — Just as the title says, this book is packed with real stories by people with dyslexia. While many books on dyslexia focus on the mechanics of the learning disability, this is the human story of the people who live with it. Through their stories, we learn their strategies and tools for coping. Many of the stories are inspirational and will be a comfort to parents who worry about their child’s future.
Multisensory Teaching of Basic Language Skills by Judith Birsh and Suzanne Carraker (4th Edition) --A comprehensive textbook on all facets of evidence-based pre-reading literacy skills, decoding, reading, spelling, handwriting, comprehension, and composition skills, among others. This is primarily a book for educators or anyone who wants an in-depth understanding of the substantial body of knowledge required to teach reading and related skills effectively to at-risk learners.
The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science
by Norman Doidge; Penguin Books (2007) — An astonishing new science called “neuroplasticity” is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the human brain is immutable. In this revolutionary look at the brain, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Norman Doidge, M.D., provides an introduction to the concept of neuroplasticity and how this brilliant scientist and his colleagues transformed the lives of the people they treated in groundbreaking ways.
The Dyslexic Advantage: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain
by Brock L. Eide M.D. M.A. and Fernette F. Eide M.D., Plume (2012) — In this book, Brock and Fernette Eide explain how 20% of people—individuals with dyslexia—share a unique learning style that can create advantages in a classroom, at a job, or at home. Using their combined expertise in neurology and education, the authors show how these individuals not only perceive the written word differently but may also excel at spatial reasoning, see insightful connections that others simply miss, understand the world in stories, and display amazing creativity.