Dyslexia Training for TCS Teachers

The three elementary schools in TCS were chosen to participate in a state sponsored pilot program to train teachers to use specific materials for supporting struggling readers.  Master teacher Arlene Sonday created the Sonday System Reading Program based upon Orton-Gillingham methodology to teach reading from beginning letter and sound recognition through most phonograms. Selected teachers in grades K-6 will use the Sonday System for Tier II and Tier III intervention during the 19-20 school year.

The first day of training was facilitated by reading coaches Jenni Peters, Edra Perry, and Kelly McGough, and reading specialist Fran Box on June 11.  The day-long experience introduced teachers to the Sonday System program and materials, as well as an overview of dyslexia and Alabama law related to dyslexia.  Feedback from the teachers was exceptionally positive. 

Comments from teachers' feedback:

• Great job!  All presenters did an excellent job of teaching us!
• Today I learned that dyslexia is a challenge, not a disability.  It's an interference.
• I love having everything in one box that I can use to help students become better readers.
• Today I learned a great new program that is easy to follow, great to help Tier II intervention, and a very good resource to incorporate a multisensory approach to teaching phonics, fluency, comprehension, and spelling.  
• Today I learned so much about procedures and expectations to enhance the multisensory learning of all my students really, but especially the strugglers.  
• I feel like I have a better grasp on the program and am excited about seeing the results it will bring to our babies that need it.  
• I learned that 1 in every 5 students has dyslexia.  You need to repeat things 3 times for them to be in long term memory.  
• As a classroom teacher I am a dyslexia interventionist.