Beyond Words

JANUARY 2023

Welcome to Beyond Words, a newsletter designed specifically for parents and students in Round Rock ISD.

Hello!

I hope 2023 finds you and your families well and excited for a new year! In this edition, you will find parent- and student-focused content including :

- highlights from our fabulous students and teachers;

- an interesting article on dyslexia educational settings;

- spelling insights from the International Dyslexia Association (IDA);

- strategies for reading aloud to children of all ages;

- plus our famous people with dyslexia feature showcasing Orlando Bloom;

- and much more!

Our team’s mission is to provide reliable, intentional support with programming and compliance to ensure student success. This commitment goes beyond our students and campuses to include you, our parent community. It is from this intentional commitment to serve you, that the newsletter was created.

My hope is that each time you open our quarterly newsletter you will find inspiration, new learning, and insight into the world of dyslexia.

~ Kimberly

Imagine … You’re sitting in an Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) meeting, discussing your child’s dyslexia services for their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The question of educational setting (where your child will receive direct dyslexia instruction) comes up, and the committee is faced with two choices: general education or special education setting. What is best for your child? How do you know? What do these choices really mean?

It is important for you, the parent, to understand the options for your child when it comes to the educational setting of their dyslexia services. You are a member of the ARD committee, and the unique understanding you have of your child and their needs is vital to the decision-making process. So, let’s break down the two possibilities.

Standard Protocol Dyslexia Instruction in General Education Setting

Dyslexia instruction in the general education setting is taught by a certified teacher who has been trained in a program (Texas Dyslexia Handbook, page 44) that fits the state guidelines for direct dyslexia instruction (Texas Dyslexia Handbook, pages 39-43). The teacher follows the standard protocol dyslexia instructional (SPDI) program with fidelity (Texas Dyslexia Handbook, page 39). This means that dyslexia instruction in the general education setting follows the program as it is written. For example, Dyslexia Service Providers in Round Rock who are trained in the Wilson Reading System (WRS) program will follow the instructional guidelines, procedures, pacing, and will make instructional planning decisions according to the WRS program as written by its designers.

Specialized Dyslexia Instruction in Special Education Setting

In a special education setting, students are instructed by a teacher certified in special education and trained in dyslexia instruction. The teacher is, therefore, able to deliver specially designed instruction (Texas Dyslexia Handbook, page 40). This means that the teacher can modify and adapt the standard protocol dyslexia instructional program to fit the individual needs of a student. For example, they can adjust the pacing of the program, add scaffolds, reduce the number of instructional minutes per week, and so on, as guided by data that demonstrates the student’s needs.

Data & Deciding Which Setting Fits Your Child

So, how do you know which setting is right for your child? The answer comes down to data!

It is always the goal for students to be in the least restrictive environment (LRE) for instruction (IDEA Section 1412a5). Therefore, if data supports that your child is able to make progress in the standard protocol dyslexia instructional program, then the general education setting would be appropriate. There is no reason to modify the curriculum without a data-based need to do so. There is also no academic or social-emotional benefit to placing a child in a more restrictive environment than data shows is necessary (see Least Restrictive Environment Brief, page 6). There may even be a detriment in terms of social and emotional well-being.

If there is data to show that a child is unable to make adequate progress with the standard protocol dyslexia instructional program, or the data indicates another reason why they would have trouble accessing the program when implemented with standard protocol fidelity, then a special education setting with specially designed dyslexia instruction may be appropriate.

The Bottom Line

It all comes down to determining the best, data-based decision for your child that will promote growth and development with their goals. Understanding the purpose behind each dyslexia instructional setting allows the ARD committee to work as a partnership in the best interest of your child.

What causes spelling problems? Click below for insights the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) provides into the relationship between spelling and dyslexia, and learn the reasons people with dyslexia are challenged with spelling.

Double File Trail Elementary School librarian, Keri Rabe, and Dyslexia Support Provider Beth Saunders, collaborated to present campus staff with the benefits of using Learning Ally and Chrome books to encourage, promote and increase student independent reading. Staff learned how the audiobook resource is a powerful tool for student access to self-selected or assigned books that are engaging, high-interest, and age-appropriate. The school was also recently awarded a grant for new Apple iPods which has helped students with dyslexia to have books on the go. Ms. Rabe and Ms. Saunders agree that “Learning Ally has been terrific for kids who want to enjoy the books their classmates are reading. We are hoping to keep the momentum going with teacher support.”

If you are sitting in an intervention class at Ridgeview Middle School, you might be learning about the many rules of the English language for reading and spelling. On this day, students in Adela Perry's classroom are engaged as they learn strategies for adding suffixes to multisyllabic words. Sometimes they watch and listen while Ms. Perry builds a word and explains the rule, and other times they're invited to share their knowledge and build the word using magnetic letter tiles to incorporate the multisensory learning strategy. Whatever the activity, you can be sure that students are engaged and participating in the learning process!

Many students have exciting career aspirations, especially our students with dyslexia. A sophomore at McNeil High School shared with her teacher and Dyslexia Support Provider, Shanell Deats, that she has dreams of becoming a doctor. Ms. Deats’ student receives direct dyslexia instruction using a multisensory structured language program. The student hopes to complete the program in order to be prepared to read, spell, and understand complex medical terminology that will be necessary for her chosen profession.

“My goal is to be somewhere in the medical field,” the student shared. “I’m not 100% sure if I want to be a pediatrician or a psychologist yet, but I know that for both of those jobs, you need to understand medical terminology, which is not easy. I’ve learned a lot from my teacher, and when I finish I feel like I’ll be able to succeed more in my goal.”

Learn how to support the social and emotional needs of your students with dyslexia. Click on the button below to check out these parent modules from Made by Dyslexia!

Audiobooks can help build a foundation for learning by empowering students to read independently. Audiobooks can provide access to a wide range of popular books, as well as standards-aligned texts.

Kimberly Berry-Corie, Director of Dyslexia Services

Katie Bryan, Lead Instructional Specialist

Wanda McMillian, Lead Program Specialist

Allie Raney, Instructional Program Specialist

Jessica Abbott, Program Specialist, Round Rock Vertical Learning Community

Cheryl Baker, Program Specialist, Stony Point Vertical Learning Community

Ashli Framjee, Program Specialist, McNeil Vertical Learning Community

Ruthann Gaede, Westwood Vertical Learning Community

Martha Garza, Cedar Ridge Vertical Learning Community

Beyond Words is published 4 times annually, October, January, April, and August.

Round Rock Independent School District

Round Rock, Texas

We are committed to providing reliable, intentional support within programming and compliance to ensure student success.