I am extremely lucky.  I learned to read at a very early age; not only that- I developed the ability to read very quickly.  Of course, I always was bored easily in school- which may explain why I spent more of my elementary days in the hallways than the classroom.  And, had I been born a decade later, probably would have been dosed with massive doses of Ritalin.

And, according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities , 1/5 of all US kids have learning or attention problems.  But, just 6% are afforded special education services- and those don’t start until the third or fourth grade.   These kids who have a tough time coping with math and reading are the preponderance of those with special ed needs.

The big problem is reading IS fundamental.  If we want our kids to have a safe and productive life, to be able to be productive citizens, they need to be able to read (and comprehend).    Back in 2017, a lawsuit (Gary B et al. v. Whitmer et al.) against the state of Michigan was brought alleging that reading is a constitutional right.  (Only 6% of fourth graders and 7% of eighth graders in Detroit met that standard.)  The US Court of Appeals (6^th Circuit) held in favor of the litigants, sending the case back to the judge who dismissed it in 2018.  Governor Gretchen Whitmer just settled that lawsuit last year (in favor of the students).

It’s so cruel that we don’t really help these kids.  That’s despite the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).   This law stipulates the services our public schools ought to offer.

Of course, like every other benefit we try to provide our disadvantaged, certain rich and privileged folks feel that these benefits are too beneficial.  So, while this law supposedly covers a maximum of 40% of the special education costs incurred, all we end up providing is 17%.

Which means it’s often up to the parents to acquire and utilize the tools that help kids overcome dyslexia.  These are primarily ‘sequential phonics program’ books.    These books, increasing in complexity, afford interesting stories (not like See, Dick, Run).   In so doing, kids acquire the decoding skills that afford them the ability to read proficiently.

Yet, as you can see from the above list,  these tomes have price tags approaching $ 100- or about 7 or 8 bits a page.  (Reminds me of my grad school texts published by Academic Press that had price tags exceeding $0.25 a page.   Back when even Gnomon Press only charged $0.10 a page to copy items.  Yes- I copied the books and didn’t buy them.)

There is an open source solution, though.  (Or, is that finally?)  There are some 120 lessons offered by opensourcephonics.org.  The goal is to train kids to understand and use the common phonics patterns to comprehend words.   This helps connect the written words to the spoken language the kids have learned since they were infants.

But, no matter what, waiting until the third or fourth grade puts these kids behind the 8 ball.  Way behind.

Imagine my surprise finding out little things that can help.  Not from my buddies that suffer from dyslexia- or those who have kids who may be among the dyslexic.  Because they didn’t know about these, either.

Let’s start with two simple tasks.  Things that we can recognize no later than kids in first grade.

Kids who constantly fail to recognize their left from their right.  (I had that problem- but that’s because I was a lefty in a righty world.  And, kept being told that we write with our right.  Thankfully, that’s an exception.)

But, the second thing is something that scares me.  Not being able to tie one’s shoes.  Why does that scare me?  Because nowadays kids get shoes with Velcro straps.  Or their shoes are tied loosely and then get slipped on.  Never once demonstrating the ability to tie shoes.  That has to stop- if nothing other than for this reason.  To discern early on if the child is dyslexic.

The next big thing is when a child fails to speak well into their second year of life.   But, I know enough exceptions.  My brother didn’t utter a word until he was 22 months old.  And, then, he never shut up.

But, I vote that parents pay attention to those first two indicators.  And, be ready to help their kids overcome any dyslexia.,

 

 

 

 

 

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