In this episode Licensed Dyslexia Therapist Jamie Kenny and I dig into what to look for and how to support dyslexic students in a balanced literacy classroom. From the beginning of her career in education, Jamie's passion was around differentiating for students and working with them 1:1. As she journeyed to her current position, the trainings and certifications acquired enabled her to equip, empower, and encourage her students to be successful and confident in a general education classroom. With 1 in 5 students having some type of dyslexic tendencies it's important and necessary to incorporate explicit and systematic phonics instruction, but it is just as important to create a complete classroom where we balance phonics with reading and writing instruction. Action items: identify red flags early (she shared them!), create small group time, space, and routines so we can prescribe skills like a doctor prescribes medicine; specific to what each student needs, when they need it.

Resources mentioned:

Read Naturally

University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI)