Parents are questioning why their children spend hours staring at screens for “personalized learning.”
Teachers are quietly frustrated that intervention has become a dashboard.
Students are openly saying the programs feel repetitive, disconnected, and exhausting.

And one of the biggest names at the center of that conversation is Curriculum Associates’s i-Ready.

Recently, NBC News highlighted the experience of an eighth grader who described sitting through the same animated intro sequence “hundreds of times” before being allowed to answer math questions. His reaction was simple:

“All it does is waste more time.”

That quote hit a nerve because so many families and educators immediately recognized it.

Not necessarily because i-Ready itself is evil.
But because it represents something much bigger happening in American education.

For years, schools were told that adaptive technology would:

• personalize learning,

• close achievement gaps,

• support intervention,

• and help students catch up faster.

Instead, many schools ended up replacing direct instruction with screen time.

And those are not the same thing.

The Real Concern Isn’t Technology

The issue isn’t:
“computers are bad.”

The issue is whether students are receiving actual instruction.

Because struggling readers do not improve simply because a program adapts difficulty levels.

Reading intervention requires:

• explicit teaching,

• corrective feedback,

• cumulative review,

• oral language interaction,

• guided practice,

• and skilled humans who understand how reading develops.

A dashboard cannot replace that.

For students with dyslexia especially, this distinction matters enormously.

A child can spend:

• 45 minutes on a computer,

• complete lessons,

• earn points,

• pass activities,

• and still not receive therapeutic-level reading intervention.

That’s the disconnect families are starting to notice.

The Illusion of Progress

One reason programs like i-Ready became so dominant is because they produce data.

Schools can track:

• minutes completed,

• lesson pass rates,

• growth indicators,

• placement levels,

• intervention participation.

Administratively, that feels measurable.

But measurable is not always meaningful.

Sometimes a student looks “engaged” on paper while still struggling to:

• decode,

• spell,

• write sentences,

• or read fluently.

And many educators know this.

Quietly, there has been growing concern that schools started mistaking:

• software compliance
  for

• literacy instruction.

Why Families Are Getting Frustrated

Parents are increasingly noticing:

• excessive school screen time,

• reduced handwriting,

• fewer books coming home,

• less direct teaching,

• and children who hate reading even more after intervention blocks.

At the same time, schools are under enormous pressure:

• staffing shortages,

• intervention gaps,

• budget cuts,

• larger caseloads,

• and accountability demands.

Technology became the scalable solution.

But scalable does not always mean effective.

To Be Fair…

There is research showing adaptive platforms can support student growth when used appropriately as supplemental tools.

And many teachers use i-Ready thoughtfully:

• short targeted practice,

• diagnostics,

• small-group support,

• progress monitoring.

The problem is mission creep.

A support tool slowly became:

• the intervention,

• the curriculum,

• and sometimes the teacher.

That’s the real conversation happening right now.

The Bigger Shift Happening

Across the country, more educators are returning to:

• explicit instruction,

• phonics and structured literacy,

• paper-and-pencil work,

• discussion-based learning,

• read-alouds,

• manipulatives,

• and human-centered teaching.

Not because technology has no place.

But because children learn through relationships, interaction, and responsive instruction — not just algorithms.

The reading revolution was never supposed to be kids sitting silently on Chromebooks

It was supposed to be better teaching…

Welcome to Fall at the Dyslexia Center! We are SO excited to welcome our returning families back and introduce our newest families to the Willamette Valley Dyslexia Center community.

This fall feels especially exciting because we have a brand-new home!

📍 Our new location:
233 Madrona Ave S., Salem, OR

We are approximately 2.5 miles west of our previous location, and we cannot wait for you to see the new space. We designed this move around what we do best: creating a welcoming, focused environment where students can receive individualized instruction, build confidence, and make meaningful academic progress.

A Little About Us

WVDC is a boutique tutoring center specializing in structured, multisensory instruction. We are best known for our work in literacy and dyslexia intervention, but our tutors can also support students in writing, math, executive functioning, and study skills.

Our philosophy is simple: meet kids where they are, teach them explicitly and systematically, and use data to make sure instruction is working.

And the data is exciting!

Students who consistently attend 1:1 or small-group tutoring twice per week average approximately 1.5 years of academic growth over one school year.

That isn’t just making progress — that’s actively closing the gap.

We know that kind of growth doesn’t happen overnight. It comes from consistency, strong instruction, practice, and a partnership between students, families, and tutors. Thank you for trusting us to be part of your child’s team.

Please Welcome Ashley!

We are also thrilled to welcome Ashley, our new Student Success Coordinator!

This is a brand-new role at WVDC, and while some of the details are still being defined, the vision behind it is important: we want every family to experience consistent, helpful communication from their very first point of contact through their entire time at the Dyslexia Center.

Ashley will help us make that happen.

She will be supporting our students and families with scheduling needs, billing and policy questions, general center communication, and planning activities and special events throughout the year.

Most importantly, Ashley is here to help you navigate the center.

Don’t be shy about reaching out when you have a question! If Ashley doesn’t immediately have the answer, she’ll know how to get it or who on our team can best help you.

We are incredibly excited to have her in this role and to continue building systems that make the experience at WVDC as supportive for our families as it is for our students.

🍎 A Few Fall Must-Knows

1. Fall sessions begin September 14, 2026.

Your child’s regular tutoring schedule begins the week of September 14 unless you have received different arrangements directly from us.

2. WVDC uses flat-rate monthly tuition.

Tuition is annualized across our academic calendar rather than calculated according to the exact number of sessions occurring in each individual month. This allows families to have a consistent monthly tuition amount throughout the year.

The closures surrounding our move, as well as our regularly scheduled center closures and breaks, have already been accounted for in this year’s tuition schedule. You are not being charged separately for sessions during scheduled closures.

3. Tuition is due on the 1st of each month.

Monthly tuition is due by the 1st of the month. A $75 late fee will be added if payment has not been received by the 7th, unless you have contacted us in advance and made a payment arrangement.

We understand that life happens. If you anticipate a problem with a payment, please reach out! Communication ahead of time allows us to work with you.

Consistency Matters

The students who make the strongest gains are the students who are able to attend consistently. Your child’s tutoring time is reserved specifically for them, and our tutors prepare instruction based on their individual needs and progress.

Please remember our 24-hour cancellation policy when you need to miss a session. We will continue to offer make-up opportunities according to center policy when appropriate.

Most importantly, tutoring is a partnership. We want you to ask questions, celebrate progress with us, and let us know when something changes at school or at home that may affect your child’s learning.

Here We Go!

A new building.
A new school year.
New team members.
New goals.
And a whole lot of reading, writing, learning, and growing ahead of us.

Whether your child is just beginning their journey with WVDC or has been with us for years, we are incredibly grateful that you’ve chosen us to be part of their education.

Fall sessions begin September 14. We can’t wait to welcome you to 233 Madrona Ave S.!

Here’s to another year of meeting kids where they are — and helping them discover just how far they can go.

Warmly,

Lynn Brown, M.Ed.
Willamette Valley Dyslexia Center
Educator First. Always.

While your here visit the Literacy Underground… this is a place where I post print and go lessons, and an occasional PD… but that’s not the exciting part… the Literacy Underground is a grassroots movement that quietly funds student access to explicit literacy instruction. It’s where the real work happens.

The Science of Reading continues to give us powerful tools to understand how students learn to read. One of the most foundational models is called The Simple View of Reading—and while the name may suggest otherwise, its implications are anything but simple.

This model gives us a clear way to think about the two big cognitive processes involved in reading and reminds us of something we can easily forget: the goal of reading isn’t just saying words correctly—it’s understanding what we read.

What Is the Simple View of Reading?

The Simple View of Reading was first introduced by researchers Gough and Tunmer in 1986. It describes reading comprehension as the product of two critical components:

Reading Comprehension = Decoding × Language Comprehension

That multiplication sign is important. It doesn’t mean “add one to the other”—it means both parts must be strong for reading comprehension to occur. If either decoding or language comprehension is weak, the overall ability to understand what’s read is significantly affected.

Let’s break down the two parts:

Decoding

This refers to a reader’s ability to accurately and fluently read words. It includes phonemic awareness, phonics, and the ability to recognize words automatically. Without this foundation, readers can’t access the text itself—so no matter how well they understand spoken language, they’ll struggle to comprehend what’s on the page.

Language Comprehension

This is the ability to understand spoken language. It includes vocabulary, background knowledge, syntax, and reasoning. A student may be able to decode every word in a text, but if they don’t understand the meaning of the words or how they connect, comprehension won’t happen.

Different Paths, Same Destination

Think of reading as a journey toward comprehension—the ultimate goal. Each reader takes a different path on that journey, and brain science helps us understand why. Reading is not a natural process for the brain. It requires the coordination of multiple neural systems, primarily:

• The visual word form area (left occipitotemporal region) for recognizing written symbols;

• The phonological processor (left temporoparietal region) for mapping letters to sounds;

• And the language comprehension network (temporal and frontal lobes) for making meaning from words and sentences.

These systems must work together—but they don’t all develop at the same pace in every child.

When Decoding is the Struggle

Some students have strong language comprehension skills. They can carry rich conversations, understand stories read aloud, and express ideas clearly. But decoding printed words is laborious or inaccurate.
This profile is often seen in students with dyslexia, whose brains have difficulty efficiently connecting sounds to symbols.

• These students benefit most from explicit, systematic phonics instruction, repetition, and structured practice to build automatic word recognition.

• Their comprehension systems are ready—but without access to the text, that strength stays locked behind decoding challenges.
  

When Comprehension is the Struggle

Other students learn to decode quickly. They may read fluently and with expression—but still struggle to explain what they’ve read. Their decoding systems are well developed, but their semantic and reasoning networks may be underdeveloped.
This may be due to limited vocabulary, background knowledge, or difficulty making inferences.

• These students need intentional support in oral language, concept development, and comprehension strategy instruction.

• Without meaningful content to attach words to, decoding becomes mechanical rather than meaningful.

When Both Are Challenging

Some students face difficulties in both areas. They may have trouble sounding out words and making sense of what they hear or read.
This profile is often seen in students with more global language delays or learning differences.

• These students need highly scaffolded instruction that targets both decoding and language comprehension over time.
  

The key takeaway? Reading comprehension is a whole-brain process.
Understanding where a student’s strengths and struggles lie helps us support the right pathways—so both decoding and language systems can work together efficiently.

Why This Model Matters

The Simple View also helps correct a common myth: fluent reading doesn’t always mean good comprehension.

A child might read fluently but not understand a thing they read. Another child might deeply understand language but be unable to access grade-level texts because decoding is so laborious. The Simple View helps us move beyond fluency scores and dig into what’s really going on.

And here’s what’s truly powerful: when both components are addressed together, reading comprehension can grow dramatically—even in students who have struggled for years.

💡 Educator Insight

The next time you assess or plan instruction, ask yourself:

• “Is this task targeting decoding, language comprehension, or both?”

• “Where does this student’s strength lie—and what’s their biggest barrier?”

Use the Simple View to map student profiles and drive intervention decisions. It can also be helpful when talking with families, explaining why a student might read fluently but still struggle on comprehension tests—or vice versa.

🧩 Parent Power Move

At home, try this: after reading a short passage or book with your child, ask one or two open-ended questions like:

• “What do you think this story is really about?”

• “Why did that character do that?”

• “Can you explain that part in your own words?”

These conversations build comprehension and give your child practice turning words into meaning—a skill that’s just as important as reading the words themselves.

All Roads Lead to Meaning

The Simple View of Reading gives us a straightforward equation. But it also offers something more: a map.

It shows us that reading isn’t just about mastering sounds or memorizing words. It’s about bringing together the ability to read and the ability to understand. These two paths—decoding and language—must come together to reach our destination: comprehension.

And that’s the heart of it all. We don’t teach reading just to hear fluent voices—we teach reading so students can think, connect, question, and grow. All roads lead to meaning. The better we understand how students get there, the better we can guide the way.

Want to go deeper? Join us on Thinkific for this summer’s Summer Literacy Pass where members get access to:

• Downloadable printables and planning tools

• A guided screening tool to help identify decoding vs. comprehension needs

• Weekly trainings, reflections, and ready-to-use resources

June 2025 Simple View Poster

102KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

June 2025 Simple View Poster 2

114KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

If you’ve asked your child’s school whether they can “test for dyslexia,” you may have received mixed answers.

Some schools say yes. Some say no. Some say they identify under “Specific Learning Disability.”

So what’s the truth in Oregon?

The answer requires clarity.

The Short Answer

Public schools in Oregon can identify students under federal special education categories — including Specific Learning Disability (SLD).

Dyslexia falls under the SLD category.

However, schools do not always provide a standalone medical-style “dyslexia diagnosis.”

That distinction matters.

How Schools Identify Reading Disabilities

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), schools determine whether a student qualifies for special education services.

Students with reading difficulties are typically evaluated for:

Specific Learning Disability (SLD) in Basic Reading Skills, Reading Fluency, or Written Expression

Oregon schools:

• Conduct universal reading screening (K–2)

• Provide intervention through MTSS systems

• Evaluate when concerns persist

• Determine whether eligibility criteria for SLD are met

If a student qualifies, they receive an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Why Schools May Not Use the Word “Dyslexia”

Some districts explicitly reference “dyslexia” in evaluation reports.

Others rely strictly on federal eligibility language and use the term SLD.

This is because:

• IDEA eligibility categories govern school identification

• Schools determine service eligibility, not medical diagnosis

• Terminology may vary by district policy

The absence of the word “dyslexia” does not necessarily mean a student does not have dyslexia.

It often reflects the framework schools must operate within.

Eligibility vs. Diagnosis: What’s the Difference?

This is where confusion often arises.

School Evaluation Focus:

• Does the student meet criteria for special education?

• Is there an educational impact?

• Is specially designed instruction required?

Independent Evaluation Focus:

• What cognitive and linguistic factors are contributing to reading difficulty?

• Does the profile align with dyslexia characteristics?

• What specific instructional approach is recommended?

A school evaluation determines access to services. An independent evaluation often provides deeper diagnostic clarity and instructional mapping.

Both can play important roles.

School-Based Identification vs. Clinical Diagnosis

Understanding the difference between school identification and clinical diagnosis can reduce confusion for families. — and this isn’t limited to Dyslexia… Many clinically diagnosed disabilities have a school level eligibility (educational impact & clinical criteria)

School-Based Identification

When a public school evaluates a student, the purpose is to determine:

• Whether the student qualifies for special education services

• Whether there is an educational impact

• Whether specially designed instruction is required

This process is governed by IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and focuses on educational eligibility categories, such as:

Specific Learning Disability (SLD)

School teams must follow federal and state eligibility criteria. Their determination is tied to service access within the public education system.

The primary question is:

Does this student qualify for special education under IDEA?

Clinical Diagnosis

A clinical diagnosis, by contrast, focuses on identifying a specific neurodevelopmental profile based on standardized diagnostic criteria and cognitive-linguistic assessment.

A clinical evaluation typically asks:

• Does the student’s learning profile align with characteristics of dyslexia?

• What underlying processing weaknesses are present?

• What specific instructional methods are recommended?

Clinical diagnosis may be conducted in medical, neuropsychological, or specialized academic settings.

The primary question is:

What is happening neurologically and instructionally — and how should we address it?

Why This Distinction Matters

A student may:

• Meet clinical criteria for dyslexia

• But not qualify for special education under SLD

Or:

• Qualify under SLD

• Without the term “dyslexia” being explicitly used

Both systems operate under different rules and serve different purposes.

School identification determines services within public education.Clinical diagnosis provides diagnostic clarity and instructional direction.

Understanding both frameworks allows families to navigate decisions calmly and strategically.

When Families Seek Independent Dyslexia Testing

Families in Oregon often pursue independent evaluation when:

• Eligibility was denied but reading struggles persist

• Intervention has not produced measurable growth

• They want detailed instructional recommendations

• They prefer evaluation by a dyslexia specialist

• They want clarity before an IEP meeting

Independent evaluation is not about opposing schools.

It is about ensuring instructional alignment.

Does Oregon Require Dyslexia Screening?

Oregon requires universal screening for reading risk factors.

Screening identifies students at risk.

It does not confirm a diagnosis.

If concerns remain after screening and intervention, families may:

• Request a comprehensive school evaluation

• Request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) if they disagree with school results

• Pursue private testing

Each pathway serves a different purpose.

What Should Parents Do If They Suspect Dyslexia?

If reading remains:

• Slow or effortful

• Highly inconsistent

• Dependent on guessing

• Significantly below grade expectations

It is reasonable to seek additional data.

Start by:

1. Reviewing screening and progress monitoring data

2. Asking how intervention is being delivered

3. Determining whether evaluation is appropriate

Clarity leads to targeted instruction.

Dyslexia Evaluation in Salem

Willamette Valley Dyslexia Center provides comprehensive academic evaluations aligned to:

• Science of Reading research

• IDA knowledge standards

• Structured literacy instructional practices

We serve families across:

• Salem, Oregon

• Eugene, Oregon

• Surrounding Willamette Valley communities

Our evaluations provide:

✔ Detailed written reports

✔ Clear explanation of findings

✔ Specific instructional recommendations

✔ Guidance for IEP discussions

Our goal is not conflict. It is clarity.

Final Thought

Schools determine eligibility under IDEA. Independent evaluations provide diagnostic depth.

Understanding the difference helps families make informed decisions.

If you are navigating reading concerns and want clear, research-aligned evaluation in Oregon, schedule a consultation to discuss next steps.

While your here visit the Literacy Underground… this is a place where I post print and go lessons, and an occasional PD… but that’s not the exciting part… the Literacy Underground is a grassroots movement that quietly funds student access to explicit literacy instruction. It’s where the real work happens.

When it comes to helping students become skilled readers, few models are as enduring—or as powerful—as Scarborough’s Reading Rope. First introduced in the early 2000s, this model visually captures what research has shown for decades: reading isn’t a single skill, but a woven combination of many.

At its core, the rope helps us understand that reading comprehension is the result of two major skill sets coming together: language comprehension and word recognition. Each is made up of smaller, interdependent threads—and both are essential to fluent, meaningful reading.

Two Strands, One Goal

Scarborough’s Rope is made up of two tightly intertwined strands. Let’s take a closer look at what each one includes:

1. Language Comprehension

This strand represents the skills required to understand spoken and written language. Unlike decoding, these are mostly developed through indirect learning—via conversations, storytelling, read-alouds, and experiences. The components include:

• Background knowledge – What students already know about the world; helps them make sense of what they read.

• Vocabulary – The words students understand and use; strong vocabulary supports better comprehension.

• Language structures – Understanding how sentences are put together (grammar, syntax, sentence types).

• Verbal reasoning – The ability to infer, predict, compare, and reason with language.

• Literacy knowledge – Knowing how books and text work (e.g., directionality, genres, print concepts).

These skills grow over time and require purposeful exposure, especially for students who come to school with fewer language-rich experiences.

2. Word Recognition

This strand includes the skills that allow students to read printed words accurately and automatically. Unlike language comprehension, word recognition must be explicitly and systematically taught. The components are:

• Phonological awareness – Recognizing and working with sounds in spoken language (rhyming, syllables, blending sounds).

• Decoding – Matching letters to sounds and blending them to read unfamiliar words (also called sound-symbol correspondence).

• Sight word recognition – Instantly recognizing words that are familiar and frequently encountered, without needing to sound them out.

These foundational skills are especially important in the early grades and for any student who struggles with reading. Without them, fluency and comprehension break down.

How the Rope Develops Over Time

In the early stages of reading, children’s skills are like loose threads—developing independently and unevenly. A kindergartner may have strong oral language but limited phonemic awareness. Another child may decode words fluently but struggle to explain what they read. As instruction progresses and students grow, these strands begin to tighten and work together—that’s where the rope analogy shines.

Here’s how that progression often looks:

Pre-K to Kindergarten

• Learning that spoken words are made up of sounds (phonological awareness).

• Developing print awareness—knowing how to hold a book, recognize letters, and understand that print carries meaning.

• Gaining vocabulary and background knowledge through read-alouds and conversation.

• Beginning to match sounds to letters (phonics foundations).

1st Grade

• Actively blending sounds to decode words and building a bank of known words.

• Developing basic fluency—reading with some accuracy and expression.

• Practicing oral retelling and beginning to answer comprehension questions with support.

• Strengthening language structures through exposure to both narrative and informational texts.

2nd–3rd Grade

• Increased automaticity—many high-frequency words are recognized instantly.

• Fluency develops in both word reading and phrasing.

• Students start using background knowledge, vocabulary, and verbal reasoning to make inferences and synthesize ideas.

• The two strands of the rope—word recognition and language comprehension—are now more intertwined, working together to support deeper comprehension.

Beyond 3rd Grade

• The emphasis shifts from learning to read → reading to learn.

• Skilled readers efficiently pull from both strands simultaneously: decoding multisyllabic words, making sense of figurative language, navigating complex texts, and making connections across content areas.

• Deficits in either strand become more apparent—and more consequential—as texts become more demanding.

When both strands develop together, readers gain the efficiency, accuracy, and understanding they need to tackle any text. But if even one thread is weak—poor vocabulary, weak decoding, limited background knowledge—it affects the strength of the entire rope.

That's why intentional, balanced instruction is key. We don’t just teach phonics or vocabulary—we teach children to build a strong, flexible reading rope that supports them for life.

💡 Educator Insight

As you plan your week, try this:
Select one strand from each half of the rope—Word Recognition and Language Comprehension—and name exactly how you're addressing it. This might sound like:

• Word Recognition: “My small group will work on blending with short vowels during phonics.”

• Language Comprehension: “We’ll build background knowledge by exploring informational texts on animal habitats.”

By naming and claiming each strand, you'll naturally begin to balance instruction and identify where students need the most support. Over time, this kind of intentional planning becomes second nature—and your rope gets stronger.

🧩 Parent Power Move

The next time you're reading with your child, pause to explore new words or ideas together. You might say, “Have you ever seen a canyon before?” or “Let’s look at this word—can you guess what it means by the picture?”

This isn’t limited to reading time. You can use brief, everyday moments to build the comprehension side of your child’s reading rope. No worksheets required—just talk, curiosity, and connection.

Keep Learning

Want visuals, a short explainer video, and downloadable tools to explore the rope in more depth? Check out our Thinkific Summer Literacy Pass.

https://thedyslexiacenter.thinkific.com/

We know you are chomping at the bit to get your fall schedules confirmed! We want you to know that we are actively wrapping up the final pieces this week and hope to have final schedule confirmations out to you within the next few days.

Thank you for your patience while we juggle schedules, tutors, students—and, of course, a whole building move!

Here are a few important dates to have on your radar:

August 27 — Last Day of Summer Sessions
We’ll officially wrap up our summer tutoring schedule.

August 28 — MOVING DAY! 📦
The boxes are packed, and WVDC is headed to our new home!

Week of August 31 — CLOSED
There will be no tutoring sessions this week while we unpack, organize, and prepare our new office at:

233 Madrona Ave. SE
Salem, OR

Week of September 7 — Open House Week! 🎉
Keep an eye on your inbox! We’ll be sending invitations and details for an open house so you can visit, meet the team, and explore our new space. We are SO excited for you to see it!

Week of September 14 — Fall Sessions Begin! 🍂

One More Important Reminder

All students—returning and new—need to complete the 2026–27 registration forms before beginning fall sessions. If you haven’t completed yours yet, please make sure that is on your to-do list as we finalize schedules. (https://www.cognitoforms.com/WillametteValleyDyslexiaCenter/_20262027TutoringRegistrationPoliciesAgreementsProgramSelection)

Most of all, thank you.

We are incredibly grateful that you trust us with your child’s literacy education. Moving our entire center while wrapping up summer programming and preparing for a new school year is a HUGE transition, and you have been incredibly gracious and patient with us throughout it.

We can’t wait to welcome you into our new home and begin another year of learning, growth, and celebrating our amazing readers.

Fall is almost here—we’ll see you in Sessions!

Warmly,
Lynn & the WVDC Team

They are the students who:

• Ask deep, complex questions

• Notice patterns others miss

• Think creatively and solve problems in unexpected ways

And at the same time…

• Struggle to read fluently

• Avoid writing

• Fall behind in basic skill areas

These are twice-exceptional learners, often called 2e: Students who are both gifted and have a learning difference like dyslexia.

When Strengths and Struggles Collide

Twice-exceptional students live in a constant tension.

Their strengths can:

• Mask their challenges

• Help them compensate

• Allow them to “get by” for a while

And their challenges can:

• Hide their true ability

• Lower expectations placed on them

• Lead to missed identification entirely

So what happens? They often fall through the cracks.

The Masking Effect

A student with strong verbal skills and reasoning can often:

• Guess unknown words using context

• Memorize high-frequency words

• Participate in discussions at a high level

From the outside, it can look like they’re doing fine. But underneath, decoding is not automatic. Reading is slow. Spelling is inconsistent. Writing feels overwhelming. Because they are capable, the assumption becomes: “They’ll figure it out.”

But without explicit instruction, they won’t.

The Flip Side: When the Struggle Hides the Strength

For some 2e students, the opposite happens.

Their reading difficulty is so visible that it overshadows everything else.

They may be:

• Placed in lower-level groups

• Given simplified material

• Seen primarily through a deficit lens

And their strengths? Missed entirely.

This is where we hear:

• “They’re not working at grade level”

• “They need to focus on the basics first”

All while a highly capable thinker is sitting right there. “Bright but Not Performing”

This is one of the most common—and most misleading—descriptions.

“They’re so smart, but their work doesn’t show it.”

For twice-exceptional students, this gap between ability and output can be wide.

Because reading and writing are the gatekeepers of most academic tasks.

If those skills are hard:

• Knowledge doesn’t show up on paper

• Thinking isn’t reflected in assignments

• Potential gets underestimated

Not because it isn’t there, but because it’s not accessible through traditional pathways.

The Emotional Impact

Twice-exceptional students often feel this mismatch deeply. They know they’re capable.They can feel it. But they also experience repeated struggle.

This can lead to:

• Frustration (“Why is this so easy for everyone else?”)

• Self-doubt (“Maybe I’m not as smart as I thought”)

• Perfectionism (needing work to match internal standards)

• Avoidance (if I don’t try, I don’t fail)

They are navigating two realities at once:

• High potential

• Real difficulty

Without support, that’s exhausting.

Why Identification Matters

Twice-exceptionality requires us to hold both truths at the same time:

This student is:

• Highly capable

  and

• In need of targeted reading intervention

If we only see one side, we miss the whole child.

Identification helps us:

• Understand the reading profile (phonological awareness, decoding, fluency)

• Recognize and nurture strengths

• Build an instructional plan that addresses both

What These Students Actually Need

2e students don’t need less challenge. They need the right kind of support.

1. Explicit Reading Instruction

Even highly gifted students with dyslexia need structured literacy.

They need:

• Systematic phonics

• Clear decoding strategies

• Repetition and practice to build automaticity

Giftedness does not replace instruction.

2. Opportunities for Advanced Thinking

At the same time, they need space to:

• Engage in complex ideas

• Problem-solve

• Create

• Think critically

This might look like:

• Oral responses instead of written

• Project-based learning

• Discussion-based assessment

We support the skill gap without lowering the cognitive bar.

3. Flexible Output Options

If writing is the barrier, we adjust how they show what they know.

Options might include:

• Verbal explanations

• Audio recordings

• Visual projects

• Guided writing with support

Because the goal is to access their thinking—not block it.

4. Strength-Based Identity

These students need to know:

“You are not confusing. You are complex.”

Help them see:

• Where they excel

• How their brain works

• That both can exist together

This builds resilience.

5. Coordinated Support

Twice-exceptional students often need a team approach:

• Classroom teacher

• Reading specialist or tutor

• Parents

• (Sometimes) evaluation team

Alignment matters. When everyone understands the profile, support becomes more effective.

Educator Insight

Twice-exceptional students are often under-identified because traditional systems look for either:

• High achievement

  or

• Significant deficit

But 2e students may sit in the middle:

• Average test scores

• Inconsistent performance

• Strong verbal ability with weak written output

This makes targeted screening and careful observation critical.

Look for discrepancies:

• Listening comprehension vs. reading ability

• Verbal expression vs. written expression

• Reasoning vs. basic skill fluency

These gaps tell a story.

Parent Power Move

If your child seems:

• Exceptionally bright

• Deeply curious

• Capable in conversation …but struggles with:

• Reading

• Spelling

• Writing

Trust that disconnect.

Ask for:

• A reading-specific screening

• Insight into decoding and phonological skills

• Options for both support and enrichment

Because your child doesn’t need to be placed in one box. They need to be understood in full.

Final Thought

Twice-exceptional students challenge our systems.

They don’t fit neatly into categories.They don’t follow predictable paths.

But when we get it right—when we support both their strengths and their needs—

These students don’t just catch up. They thrive in ways that are innovative, insightful, and deeply impactful. The goal isn’t to simplify them. It’s to meet them where they are—

brilliant and struggling, all at once.

While your here visit the Literacy Underground… this is a place where I post print and go lessons, and an occasional PD… but that’s not the exciting part… the Literacy Underground is a grassroots movement that quietly funds student access to explicit literacy instruction. It’s where the real work happens.

This June, we’re kicking off the the Literacy Underground year of learning with a foundational theme: How skilled reading actually develops. If you’ve ever sat in a meeting and wondered how to explain the gap between decoding and comprehension—or how to align your instruction with the research—you’re not alone. This month’s bite-sized learning series is built to equip you with clarity, confidence, and classroom-ready tools.

Let’s break down each week’s focus:

Week 1: The Reading Rope – An Overview

If there’s one image that captures the Science of Reading, it’s Scarborough’s Reading Rope. But beyond the colorful strands, what does it really tell us?

The Reading Rope illustrates how word recognition and language comprehension develop side-by-side—and how they eventually weave together to form fluent, skilled reading.

• On one side, students build automatic word reading through phonological awareness, decoding, and sight recognition.

• On the other, they build understanding through background knowledge, vocabulary, language structures, and reasoning.

Early readers often rely heavily on the word recognition strand. As fluency grows, comprehension takes center stage. But both strands must be intentionally taught and supported over time.

Key takeaway: We don’t teach “reading” as one skill—we build it strand by strand.

Week 2: The Simple View of Reading

The Simple View of Reading (Gough & Tunmer, 1986) gives us a clear formula:
Decoding × Language Comprehension = Reading Comprehension

This model helps us identify where breakdowns occur.

• If a student can decode but struggles to understand, the issue lies in language comprehension.

• If a student understands language well but can’t read the words, the issue is decoding.

• If both are weak, intervention must target both strands.

This week’s focus is about moving beyond guessing or vague instruction. When we understand what’s not working, we can deliver the right type of support—not just more of the same.

Key takeaway: Every RTI or IEP conversation should start with this question—Where is the breakdown: decoding, comprehension, or both?

Week 3: What Is Decoding, Really?

Decoding is often misunderstood. It's not guessing, memorizing, or jumping to conclusions based on context clues. At its core, decoding is the process of matching graphemes (letters) to phonemes (sounds)—and blending those sounds into words.

Strong decoders:

• Have solid phoneme awareness

• Know sound-symbol relationships

• Can apply that knowledge flexibly to decode unfamiliar words

This week, we unpack how decoding develops, how to spot it in student work, and why it’s not optional—even in the upper grades. We also clarify the role of orthographic mapping and how repeated exposure helps words move into long-term memory.

Key takeaway: Decoding is a teachable skill that lays the groundwork for fluency and comprehension—it’s never just about “sounding it out.”

Week 4: Comprehension Is the Goal

Too often, comprehension is treated like a “test” instead of a skill set. But true comprehension is active, layered, and developmental. It involves:

• Connecting new ideas to background knowledge

• Understanding sentence and text structure

• Making inferences

• Holding and organizing information across paragraphs or chapters

This week, we look at how to support comprehension beyond just asking questions at the end of a story. We explore knowledge-building, text structures, and language routines that help students make meaning—not just decode words.

Key takeaway: Fluency frees up cognitive space, but comprehension is the reason we read. Let’s teach it like we mean it.

Wrapping Up: What Comes Next?

This month’s content lays the groundwork for everything that follows in your structured literacy journey. Whether you're new to the Science of Reading or refining your craft, June’s tools and training are designed to give you the why behind the what—and practical ways to apply it right away.

July will take us deeper into phonological awareness—with screeners, routines, and demos you can use in any grade.

💡 Join us on Thinkific for access to all video tutorials, printables, and community learning as we decode structured literacy—together.

👉 thedyslexiacenter.thinkific.com/courses/take/summer-literacy-pass-2025

#ScienceOfReading #ReadingRope #StructuredLiteracy #Decoding #Comprehension #TeacherPD

Structured Literacy Training, Hands-On learning along side experience Dyslexia Interventionists, curriculum provided. This is an amazing work study opportunity for aspiring teachers, veteran educators, and para-professionals looking for growing their practice and tools box.

email resumes to wvdcenter@gmail.com

Rolling Interviews are happening now…

• “We’re monitoring progress”

• “We’ll review the data”

• “Let’s see how they respond”

But most families are left wondering:

“What does that actually mean—and is it working?”

Progress monitoring should not feel vague.

It should give you clear, frequent, skill-based insight into whether your child is learning to read.

What Is Progress Monitoring?

Progress monitoring is the process of regularly measuring a specific skill over time to determine:

• Is your child improving?

• Is the instruction working?

• Do we need to adjust the plan?

This is not a once-a-year test. It is ongoing, frequent data collection tied directly to the skill being taught.

What Progress Monitoring Is (and Is Not)

It is:

• Frequent (weekly or biweekly)

• Focused on a specific skill

• Used to guide instruction

It is not:

• A report card

• A general reading level

• A once-per-trimester assessment

If you only see progress updates a few times a year, that is not true progress monitoring.

What Skills Should Be Monitored in Reading

For students with reading difficulties, especially those with characteristics of SLD or dyslexia, progress monitoring should focus on:

Decoding (Word Reading)

• Can your child accurately read unfamiliar words?

• Are they improving with specific patterns (CVC, blends, vowel teams)?

Encoding (Spelling)

• Can your child apply patterns when writing words?

Fluency (After Accuracy Improves)

• Is reading becoming more automatic?

If the only data being tracked is:

• Reading level

• Comprehension scores

…it may not reflect the actual skill your child needs to build.

Common Tools You Might See

Schools often use tools like:

• DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills)

• Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF)

• Oral Reading Fluency (ORF)

These can be helpful—but only if they are:

• Used consistently

• Tied to instruction

• Interpreted correctly

A single score does not tell the full story.

What Good Progress Monitoring Looks Like

Strong progress monitoring includes:

1. A Clear Starting Point

You should know:

• What skill is being measured

• Where your child started

2. A Defined Goal

Example:

“Student will decode closed-syllable words with 90% accuracy across three consecutive sessions.”

3. Frequent Data Points

• Weekly or biweekly checks

• Consistent measurement method

4. A Visible Trend

You should be able to see:

• Is the line going up?

• Is progress steady, slow, or flat?

This is often shown in a simple graph.

5. Instructional Decisions Based on Data

The most important piece:

If progress is not happening, the instruction should change.

Not later. Not next semester. Now.

What to Watch For as a Parent

Ask yourself:

• Do I know what skill is being tracked?

• How often is data collected?

• Am I seeing actual numbers or just general comments?

• Is progress happening over time?

If you hear:

• “They’re making some progress”

• “We’re continuing to monitor”

…without data to back it up, ask for specifics.

Progress Monitoring and Legal Requirements

For students with an IEP, progress monitoring is required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

This includes:

• Measurable goals

• Regular progress updates

• Data tied to those goals

If the data does not align with the goal, the plan is not being implemented effectively.

The Most Important Question

Progress monitoring is not about collecting data.

It is about answering one question:

Is this instruction helping my child learn to read?

If the answer is no—or unclear—something needs to change.

When Progress Monitoring Isn’t Enough

Sometimes the data shows:

• Little to no growth

• Inconsistent progress

• Skills not transferring

This does not mean your child cannot learn.

It means:

• The instruction may not be the right fit

• The intensity may not be high enough

• The approach may not be explicit or systematic

Parent Power Move

You can ask:

• “Can I see the actual data being collected?”

• “What trend are you seeing over time?”

• “What will you change if progress doesn’t improve?”

• “Is this measuring decoding, or just overall reading?”

These questions shift the conversation from general updates to meaningful action.

Progress monitoring should give you clarity—not confusion.

You should be able to see:

• What your child is learning

• Whether it is working

• What happens next

If you cannot see that clearly, you are missing a critical piece of the puzzle.

Need Help Interpreting Your Child’s Data?

If you’ve been given scores, graphs, or reports that don’t feel clear:

• We can walk through the data with you

• Translate what it actually means

• And help you decide next steps

Because data should empower you—not leave you guessing.

Welcome to our Summer Throwback series… Every Thursday June - August, we will revisit some of the articles that launched our platform…

While your here visit the Literacy Underground… this is a place where I post print and go lessons, and an occasional PD… but that’s not the exciting part… the Literacy Underground is a grassroots movement that quietly funds student access to explicit literacy instruction. It’s where the real work happens.

Week 3 – Summer Literacy Pass
Focus: Moving beyond phonics—orthographic mapping and automaticity

When we hear the word decoding, most of us picture early readers sounding out words slowly and carefully:

“Cuh… aaa… tuh… cat.”

That’s phonics in action—and it’s an essential starting point. But decoding is more than just phonics practice. To truly build skilled readers, we need to understand what decoding really is, how it develops in the brain, and how it leads to automatic word recognition over time.

Let’s go deeper.

Decoding Defined

Decoding is the process of translating written letters into spoken sounds and blending those sounds into words. It’s what allows readers to lift the words off the page.

To decode, students must:

• Recognize letter-sound correspondences (graphemes and phonemes)

• Blend sounds fluently

• Apply their knowledge to both familiar and unfamiliar words
  

This is a skill that must be taught directly and practiced often—especially for students with reading difficulties.

Decoding Isn’t Guessing or Memorizing

Before we go further, let’s clear something up: decoding is not:

• Looking at the first letter and guessing based on pictures

• Memorizing whole words without understanding the sounds

• Reading words accurately but without meaning

Those are compensatory strategies, not decoding. True decoding is anchored in the sound-symbol system of English and grows into automaticity through something called orthographic mapping.

From Effortful to Automatic: Orthographic Mapping

Once students have mastered phonics patterns, they begin to orthographically map words to memory.

Orthographic mapping is the brain’s process of:

• Connecting the sounds in a spoken word

• To the letters in the written word

• And anchoring the meaning behind it
  

This process happens in the left hemisphere, primarily in the visual word form area (VWFA)—the part of the brain that becomes increasingly efficient as readers move from “sounding it out” to simply seeing a word and recognizing it instantly.

This is how high-frequency words and complex vocabulary become sight words—not memorized, but mapped.

Example: A child sees the word “elephant.”
At first, they sound it out.
After a few successful exposures, their brain maps it—next time, they read it in milliseconds.

That’s automaticity.

Why Orthographic Mapping Matters

Once students become proficient at phonics, they begin to move toward a stage where many words are recognized instantly. This process is not just memorization—it’s something far more powerful and efficient. It’s called orthographic mapping.

What is Orthographic Mapping?

Orthographic mapping is the brain’s method of anchoring a word in long-term memory by linking:

1. The sequence of sounds in the spoken word (phonemes)

2. The sequence of letters in the written word (graphemes)

3. The meaning of the word in context

It’s how we go from sounding out d-o-g slowly... to instantly reading “dog” without effort.

Here’s the key: orthographic mapping requires decoding.
Students can’t map a word they can’t sound out. And they can’t map a word they don’t understand.

So unlike rote memorization, which often relies on visual shape (how a word looks), orthographic mapping relies on sound-based connections between phonemes and graphemes—plus meaning.

What It Looks Like in the Brain

Neuroscience shows that fluent readers activate the left hemisphere’s visual word form area (VWFA) when reading. This region acts like a “letterbox” in the brain—efficiently storing and retrieving mapped words.

When a word is orthographically mapped:

• The brain no longer has to “decode” it step by step.

• Recognition happens in milliseconds.

• This frees up attention for comprehension, fluency, and enjoyment.

But when a student simply memorizes a word's shape (a “whole word” method), they’re relying on inefficient visual memory instead of language-processing regions.

That’s why many students can memorize dozens—or even hundreds—of words, but still can't decode new ones. They've memorized labels, not built the mental map.

Orthographic Mapping vs. Sight Word Memorization

Orthographic Mapping

Sight Word Memorization

Sound-based

Visual-based

Requires phonemic awareness

Often skips phonics entirely

Anchors letter-sound connections

Focuses on word shape

Supports decoding of new words

Doesn’t transfer to unfamiliar words

Leads to automaticity

Often fragile and inconsistent

Orthographic mapping is how real sight words are learned—not as random visuals, but as stored words built through decoding and reinforced through meaning.

Example in Practice

Let’s take the word “jump.”

A child first sounds it out:
/j/ /ŭ/ /m/ /p/

They blend and say it: “jump.”

They hear it in context:
“The frog can jump.” → They connect it to meaning.

The next time they see jump, the brain recalls both the sounds and the meaning, forming a complete memory.

Over a few exposures, the word becomes automatic. That’s orthographic mapping in action.

💡 Educator Insight

Think of decoding instruction in three phases:

1. Phonics: Teach the patterns (e.g., CVC, digraphs, blends)

2. Practice: Use decodable texts to apply them

3. Mapping: Support repeated, successful exposure until recognition is instant

When students struggle to retain words, it’s often a mapping breakdown. Go back to the sounds. Build the bridge from sound to print to meaning—and the word will stick.

🧩 Parent Power Move

When your child reads a tricky word, resist the urge to just tell them.
Instead, try:

“Let’s look at the sounds—what does each part say?”

Then, once they’ve figured it out, use it in conversation:

“Remember ‘shriek’? That’s what you do when something’s really scary!”

The more times they decode it + say it + understand it, the more likely it is to stick in memory for good.

In Summary

Decoding is more than just sounding out—it’s the foundation of orthographic mapping, the brain’s method for storing words efficiently. And once decoding becomes automatic, students are free to focus on what really matters: reading to learn, think, and understand.

It’s not just about reading faster—it’s about reading better.

April 2025 Decoding Mini Sort Real Vs

202KB ∙ PDF file

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Download

Do you want to take a deeper dive? Check out our Thinkific for a Micro training: “3 things decoding isn’t” and other printables for your use.

https://thedyslexiacenter.thinkific.com/

They are closely related, but they are not the same thing.

Understanding the difference helps parents and educators support how children actually learn to read.

What Is Phonemic Awareness?

Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.

It is an auditory skill, meaning it happens entirely in the mind and does not involve printed letters.

For example, a child demonstrating phonemic awareness can:

• identify the first sound in cat (/k/)

• break the word ship into sounds (/sh/ /i/ /p/)

• blend sounds together to form a word (/m/ /a/ /p/ → map)

• change sounds to make new words (sat → change /s/ to /m/ → mat)

These activities help children recognize that words are made of smaller sound units, an important step toward learning to read.

Why Phonemic Awareness Predicts Reading Success

One of the most consistent findings in reading research is that phonemic awareness strongly predicts later reading achievement.

Children who can easily identify, blend, and manipulate speech sounds tend to learn decoding more quickly once formal reading instruction begins.

This is because written English represents spoken language. To connect letters to sounds, students must first be able to hear those sounds clearly in words.

Researchers have found that early phonemic awareness skills in kindergarten and first grade are strong indicators of later reading outcomes (Adams, 1990; National Reading Panel, 2000).

This makes phonemic awareness an important tool for early detection.

When children struggle to hear and manipulate sounds, educators can identify risk for reading difficulties earlier and provide targeted support before reading gaps widen.

Early screening and instruction can change the trajectory of reading development.

What Is Phonics?

Phonics builds on phonemic awareness by connecting sounds to written letters and spelling patterns.

Phonics instruction teaches students how to use the alphabetic system to read and spell words.

For example, students learn that:

• the letter m represents the sound /m/

• the letters sh represent the sound /sh/

• the pattern igh represents the long /ī/ sound

With phonics knowledge, students can look at a printed word and decode it by applying sound–symbol relationships.

Phonics is where spoken language connects to written language.

How the Two Skills Work Together

Phonemic awareness and phonics are best understood as two connected parts of learning the reading code.

Phonemic awareness helps students hear the sounds in words.

Phonics teaches how those sounds are represented in print.

For example, to read the word map, a student must:

1. recognize the three sounds /m/ /a/ /p/

2. connect those sounds to the letters m, a, and p

Together, these skills allow the brain to map sounds to print and store words for automatic recognition.

Why the Distinction Matters

When these terms are confused, instruction can become incomplete.

Teaching phonemic awareness alone does not teach students how to read words.

Teaching phonics without strong awareness of speech sounds can also make learning more difficult.

Research consistently shows that the strongest reading instruction pairs phonemic awareness with explicit phonics instruction so students can connect speech sounds to written language.

Phonemic awareness and phonics are not competing ideas.

They are complementary skills that work together to support reading development.

Phonemic awareness helps students hear the sounds in words.

Phonics shows them how those sounds appear in print.

When these skills are connected through explicit instruction, students gain the foundation they need to become confident readers.

References

Adams, M. J. (1990). Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning About Print. MIT Press.

Castles, A., Rastle, K., & Nation, K. (2018). Ending the reading wars: Reading acquisition from novice to expert. Psychological Science in the Public Interest.

National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction.

Snow, C. E., Burns, M. S., & Griffin, P. (1998). Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children. National Academy Press.

It’s hard to believe August is already here! Our center has been buzzing with incredible learning, growing confidence, and so many moments where students are discovering they can do hard things. Thank you for trusting us to be part of your child’s educational journey.

Need to Schedule a Make-Up Session?

If your family has missed any sessions this summer, now is a great time to get those make-ups on the calendar before our summer term concludes.

Please reach out to your tutor or email us so we can help find a time that works for your family.

Fall Registration is Filling Quickly!

Our Fall schedule is coming together, and many of our preferred tutoring times are nearly full.

If you haven’t already registered, please complete your Fall Registration as soon as possible so we can reserve your student’s place.

Register Here:
https://www.cognitoforms.com/WillametteValleyDyslexiaCenter/_20262027TutoringRegistrationPoliciesAgreementsProgramSelection

Even if your schedule hasn’t been finalized yet, registering lets us know you’re planning to continue services and allows us to work with you on scheduling.

Annual Forms Reminder

As we prepare for a new school year, all families will need to complete updated registration and policy forms.

Keeping records current helps us provide the best possible support for your student throughout the year.

Academic Evaluations & Testing & IEP Support

Did you know we now offer comprehensive academic evaluations?

Whether you’re looking to better understand your child’s learning profile, gather information to support school conversations, or pursue a clinical evaluation, we’re here to help. Our evaluation team provides comprehensive assessments with individualized recommendations to help families make informed educational decisions.

If you’ve been considering testing, we encourage you to reserve your spot early, as appointments are filling quickly this fall.

Summer Session Ends August 28

Our final day of Summer Tutoring will be Thursday, August 27.

We are incredibly proud of the progress our students have made this summer and can’t wait to build on that momentum throughout the school year.

We’re Moving!

We are excited to welcome families to our new home this fall!

Willamette Valley Dyslexia Center
233 Madrona Ave. SE
Salem, OR

We look forward to welcoming students into our new space when Fall sessions begin on 9/14. We can’t wait for you to see it!

We’re Hiring!

As our center continues to grow, we’re looking for passionate educators to join the Willamette Valley Dyslexia Center team!

If you know a teacher, education student, retired educator, or someone who is passionate about helping struggling readers become confident learners, we’d love to connect with them.

We provide comprehensive training in Structured Literacy and the Orton-Gillingham approach, along with ongoing coaching and support. Whether someone is looking for part-time after-school hours or is interested in growing with our mission, we’d love to hear from them.

Know someone who would be a great fit? Please encourage them to visit our website or contact us to learn more. Some of our very best team members have come through referrals from families like yours!

Thank you for helping us grow our team and expand access to high-quality literacy intervention for more students in our community.

Coming This Fall...

We’re working behind the scenes on some exciting additions to support our families and our community.

Stay tuned for:

• Educational workshops and our Featured Speaker Series

• New community partnerships and collaborations

• Expanded services and learning opportunities

• More ways to support students both at home and at school

We have some wonderful announcements coming soon!

Thank You

Every child who walks through our doors represents a family that has placed their trust in us. That is something we never take for granted.

Thank you for choosing us to walk alongside your family in your child’s educational journey. Your commitment, encouragement, and partnership inspire us every day and remind us why we love this work.

If you’ve had a positive experience with our center, we’d be honored if you shared our newsletter—or simply told another family about the work we’re doing. Personal recommendations from families like yours are the greatest compliment we can receive and help us reach more students who deserve the chance to become confident readers.

Thank you for being part of our community. We can’t wait to see what this new school year brings!

Share Decoded

See you in Sessions!

While your here visit the Literacy Underground… this is a place where I post print and go lessons, and an occasional PD… but that’s not the exciting part… the Literacy Underground is a grassroots movement that quietly funds student access to explicit literacy instruction. It’s where the real work happens.

(Plus: A Free Sneak Peek Inside the Literacy Underground)

When we talk about the reading crisis in schools, we often jump straight to curriculum, test scores, or intervention programs.

But here’s the truth:
The most powerful change doesn’t come from new products—it comes from better understanding.

That’s why I created the Litercacy Underground —a monthly membership where I take the science of reading and turn it into tools that actually make sense for real people doing real teaching.

Whether you're a parent helping your child blend sounds, a tutor supporting decoding gaps, or a literacy leader guiding Tier 3 teams—you deserve resources that are grounded in research and ready to use.

Why Phoneme Awareness Still Matters

Phoneme awareness—the ability to hear, segment, blend, and manipulate individual sounds in words—is one of the most predictive skills for reading success.

And yet, it's still misunderstood or skipped entirely in many programs.

We assume older struggling readers “should already have it,” but they often don’t.

• Without phoneme awareness, phonics won’t stick.

• Without solid sound work, decoding falls apart.

• And without the right tools, we can’t teach these skills effectively.

A Sneak Peek Inside the Literacy Underground – A Freebie

To show you exactly what’s inside, I’m sharing one of this month’s Pro Tier resources with you for free:

Phonological Awareness Routine Cards

301KB ∙ PDF file

Download

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This oral-only, low-prep resource gives you:

• Build daily routines for explicit oral sound work and track students ’ growth in key phonemic awareness skills: Isolate, Blend, Segment, Manipulate Routine Cards (Use Daily – 5–7 minutes)

Want the full lesson packs, monthly trainings, and coaching tools? Checkout our full suite of professional learning and print-and-go lessons:

https://thedyslexiacenter.thinkific.com/

Ready to See What Structured Literacy Looks Like in Practice?

If you’re craving clarity, community, and content that actually works—you’re invited.

Check out our Summer Literacy Bundle: thedyslexiacenter.thinkific.com/courses/take/summer-literacy-pass-2025

Structured Literacy Toolkit

491KB ∙ PDF file

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Download

Let’s make the Science of Reading doable. Together.

With gratitude,
Lynn

One of the most common questions parents ask is:

“Is my child too young to test for dyslexia?”

The short answer:

Dyslexia risk can be identified early. Formal diagnosis depends on development and data.

The right timing depends on what skills are — or are not — developing.

Dyslexia Does Not Suddenly Appear in Third Grade

Dyslexia is neurobiological.

It does not begin when a child starts failing spelling tests.

Early indicators often appear in preschool and kindergarten — long before grades reflect a problem.

The key is understanding what is developmentally expected at each stage.

Preschool & Pre-K (Ages 3–4)

At this age, we are looking for risk indicators, not formal diagnosis.

Possible early signs include:

• Difficulty learning nursery rhymes

• Trouble identifying beginning sounds

• Speech articulation challenges

• Delayed phonological awareness

• Family history of dyslexia

At this stage, screening — not full evaluation — is usually appropriate.

The goal is early support, not labeling.

Kindergarten & First Grade (Ages 5–6)

This is a critical developmental window.

Students should be:

• Learning letter-sound correspondences

• Blending simple CVC words

• Segmenting sounds for spelling

• Developing automaticity with early decoding

If a child:

• Cannot retain letter sounds

• Struggles to blend consistently

• Has persistent phonemic awareness weaknesses

• Shows minimal response to explicit instruction

It may be appropriate to consider comprehensive evaluation.

Early identification leads to earlier intervention — and better long-term outcomes.

Second Grade & Beyond

By second grade, reading should be becoming more automatic.

Red flags include:

• Slow, effortful decoding

• Guessing at unfamiliar words

• Avoidance of reading

• Persistent spelling struggles

• Strong verbal skills but weak reading

At this stage, waiting rarely improves outcomes.

Comprehensive dyslexia testing is often appropriate when concerns persist.

Is There Ever “Too Early”?

It depends on the purpose.

There are three pathways families may consider:

1. Screening

2. Comprehensive academic evaluation

3. Clinical diagnosis

Each serves a different role.

When Screening May Be the Right First Step

Screening is appropriate when:

• A child is very young

• Parents see early risk signs

• There are mild but persistent concerns

• The family wants more data before pursuing full evaluation

• A recent clinical evaluation did not sufficiently assess reading

Screening can include targeted measures of:

• Phonological processing

• Phonemic awareness

• Letter-sound knowledge

• Early decoding

• Rapid naming

Screening answers:

Is there meaningful risk that warrants intervention or full evaluation?

It is a low-pressure, lower-cost way to gather focused information.

When a Full Clinical Evaluation Was Performed — But Reading Wasn’t Thoroughly Assessed

Sometimes a child receives a psychological or neuropsychological evaluation that:

• Focuses heavily on cognitive testing

• Emphasizes attention, anxiety, or executive functioning

• Does not deeply assess phonological processing or decoding

In these cases, a targeted reading-focused screening or academic evaluation may still be appropriate.

A general cognitive evaluation does not automatically rule out dyslexia.

Reading requires specific assessment of sound-symbol processing.

When a Child Is Too Young for Formal Clinical Criteria

Some diagnostic frameworks rely on:

• Demonstrated academic discrepancy

• Measurable educational impact

• Sustained performance patterns

Very young children may not yet meet formal clinical thresholds.

However, they can absolutely show risk indicators.

In these situations:

Early screening and structured literacy intervention may be the most developmentally appropriate approach.

We do not need to wait for failure to begin support.

When Parents Aren’t Sure They’re Ready for a Full Evaluation

Many families say:

“I’m worried, but I don’t know if it’s serious enough.”

That’s normal.

A consultation and screening pathway can help determine:

• Whether concerns are developmentally typical

• Whether structured literacy support should begin

• Whether full evaluation is warranted

Evaluation is a tool — not a commitment to a label.

The goal is instructional clarity.

Screening vs. Comprehensive Evaluation: How to Decide

Consider screening if:

✔ The child is under age 6

✔ Concerns are emerging but not severe

✔ A prior evaluation did not deeply assess reading

✔ You want initial risk data

Consider full evaluation if:

✔ Reading is significantly below grade level

✔ Intervention has not produced measurable gains

✔ There is strong family history

✔ You need documentation for school support

Both options are proactive.

Waiting indefinitely rarely improves clarity.

Dyslexia Screening & Evaluation in Salem, Oregon, and the PNW

Willamette Valley Dyslexia Center provides:

• Targeted reading risk screening• Comprehensive dyslexia evaluations• Structured literacy consultation

We serve families across:

• Salem, Oregon

• Eugene, Oregon

• Surrounding Willamette Valley communities

Our goal is to match the level of assessment to the level of concern — thoughtfully and developmentally.

Final Thought

The best age to test is not defined by grade level alone.

It is defined by:

• Developmental expectations

• Response to instruction

• Persistence of difficulty

• Family concern

Early clarity supports early instruction.

If you are unsure whether your child is ready for screening or full evaluation, schedule a consultation to discuss next steps.

Clarity prevents years of guessing.

We are also introducing a NEW position - Student Experience Coordinator! This person will work alongside admin, tutors, and families to ensure ALL students have an excellent experience with us, from onboarding to events to graduation, and every milestone in between... 20 hours per week to start, as we navigate roles, and responsibilities. Flexibe schedule, with preferenace to 2:00 - 7:00 pm.

email resumes to wvdcenter@gmail.com

Interviews will be scheduled week of July 27th

Here’s what’s now covered:

K–12 Education (starting in 2026)

The annual federal tax-free withdrawal limit increased from $10,000 to $20,000 per student. In addition to tuition, qualified expenses now include:

• Private, public, or religious school tuition

• Tutoring (if provided by a qualified, unrelated tutor)

• Curriculum and instructional materials

• Textbooks

• Online educational materials

• SAT, ACT, AP, and other standardized test fees

• Dual-enrollment college courses taken during high school

• Educational therapies for students with disabilities, including:

  • Occupational therapy (OT)

  • Speech-language therapy

  • Physical therapy

  • Behavioral therapy

Postsecondary Education

529 funds can now be used for much more than traditional college. Qualified expenses include:

• Community college

• Trade schools

• Apprenticeships

• Certificate programs

• Professional licensing and certification programs

• Exam fees (such as CPA, bar exam, and many industry certifications)

• Required books, equipment, and supplies

Disability Planning

The law permanently allows tax-free rollovers from a 529 plan to an ABLE account for an eligible beneficiary, subject to annual contribution limits. This is especially helpful for individuals with disabilities who may not use all of their education savings.

Roth IRA Rollovers

• Up to $35,000 can be rolled from a 529 plan into the beneficiary’s Roth IRA.

• The 529 account must have been open for at least 15 years.

• Recent contributions (within the last five years) are not eligible.

• Annual Roth contribution limits still apply.

What This Means for You…

Given your work with students with dyslexia, the expanded rules are especially meaningful. In many cases, families may now be able to use 529 funds to help pay for:

• Qualified dyslexia tutoring (if it meets the law’s requirements)

• Speech-language therapy

• Occupational therapy

• Standardized testing fees

• Curriculum and instructional materials

• Educational evaluations or therapies for students with disabilities, where they qualify under the new rules.

NOTE: Federal law has expanded these uses, but individual states don’t always conform to the federal rules. Some states may still treat certain withdrawals as non-qualified for state tax purposes. It’s worth checking your state’s 529 rules or consulting a tax professional before making withdrawals.

The expanded 529 provisions are found in Sections 70413 and 70414 of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which broaden the definition of qualified education expenses for 529 plans. Families should also verify whether their state's 529 plan conforms to the new federal rules before making withdrawals, as state tax treatment may differ.

While your here visit the Literacy Underground… this is a place where I post print and go lessons, and an occasional PD… but that’s not the exciting part… the Literacy Underground is a grassroots movement that quietly funds student access to explicit literacy instruction. It’s where the real work happens.

The Full Recorded Presentation can be attended at Learning Ally’s 10th Spotlight on Dyslexia Conference, June 4, 2025. You can register now: https://bit.ly/SPOD25Speaker #dyslexia #SPOD25 After June 15th, this will be available on our professional development site https://decoded2.teachable.com

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As educators, we all want our students to become confident, fluent readers. Yet, only about one-third of fourth graders in the U.S. currently read at or above a proficient level. The good news? Research shows that with the right instruction, 95% of children can learn to read. The key lies in aligning our lesson planning with what we know works—what’s often referred to as the Science of Reading.

In this article, we’ll explore how to design lessons grounded in research-based practices, focusing on foundational reading skills, language comprehension, vocabulary, and flexible lesson structures. Whether you’re teaching kindergarteners or supporting struggling readers in upper elementary, this guide offers tools to make every reading lesson more effective.

Scarborough’s Reading Rope: Understanding the Strands of Skilled Reading

Dr. Hollis Scarborough’s Reading Rope is a powerful framework that shows us what skilled reading actually involves. It’s made up of two intertwined strands:

• Word Recognition: phonological awareness, decoding, and sight recognition

• Language Comprehension: vocabulary, background knowledge, sentence structure, reasoning, and literacy knowledge

The rope reminds us that all of these strands must be developed over time. If even one is weak—such as decoding or vocabulary—the entire rope can fray, limiting a student’s reading success.

Key takeaway for lesson planning:

Every effective reading lesson should include both decoding and comprehension components. Teaching one without the other leaves gaps that can hinder growth.

What Is Structured Literacy?

Structured Literacy is an instructional approach endorsed by the International Dyslexia Association. It is:

• Explicit: Teachers clearly model and explain each skill.

• Systematic and Cumulative: Skills are taught in a logical order, building on prior knowledge.

• Diagnostic: Instruction is responsive to student progress and needs.

• Multisensory: Lessons engage visual, auditory, and kinesthetic pathways.

These principles ensure that no student is left guessing. Structured Literacy helps all students—and is critical for those with dyslexia or other reading challenges.

Components of a Science of Reading (SOR) Lesson

A strong SOR-aligned lesson often includes these daily components:

1. Phonological Awareness (5–7 mins)

   • Sound play without letters (e.g., blending, segmenting, manipulating sounds).

2. Alphabetic Principle Drills (3–5 mins)

   • Quick letter-sound routines to reinforce sound-symbol connections.

3. Phonics Instruction (10–15 mins)

   • Explicit teaching of a spelling pattern or phonics skill, with guided practice.

4. Dictation (5–7 mins)

   • Students write sounds, words, and sentences to apply what they’ve learned.

5. Decodable Text (10–15 mins)

   • Students read aligned texts to practice new skills in context.

This structure is systematic and efficient—each part supports mastery and builds toward fluency and comprehension.

Morphology: Deepening Vocabulary and Word Understanding

Teaching morphology—prefixes, suffixes, and root words—helps students not only read big words but also understand them.

Why it works:

• Builds vocabulary through word analysis

• Reinforces decoding and spelling

• Gives students strategies for attacking unfamiliar words

In K–2, start with simple inflections (e.g., jump → jumped, play → playful). In grades 3–6, introduce Greek and Latin roots like bio (life), tele (far), struct (build). Connect new vocabulary to content area words to boost comprehension and cross-curricular success.

Developmentally Appropriate Instruction for Grades K–3

The early years are a critical window for building foundational skills. Lesson planning in these grades should include:

• Explicit phonics instruction

• Daily fluency practice using decodable text

• Oral language development through read-alouds and discussion

• Play-based, multisensory activities to keep students engaged

Even as we emphasize decoding, we must also build comprehension and language skills—because both are essential strands in the reading rope.

Supporting Struggling Readers in Grades 4–6

Older students who still struggle often need foundational skills alongside grade-level support. Strategies include:

• Diagnostic assessment to pinpoint decoding gaps

• Explicit instruction in multisyllabic word reading

• Fluency practice (e.g., repeated reading, reader’s theater)

• Comprehension strategies taught step-by-step

• "Stretch texts" with support to build background knowledge and vocabulary

Importantly, keep materials age-appropriate and relevant. Use high-interest, low-readability texts and celebrate small gains to build confidence.

3 Flexible Lesson Models for Implementation

You can adapt effective reading instruction to many schedules and settings using these three models:

1. Whole-Class Explicit Instruction (I Do – We Do – You Do)

Use this model to introduce new skills and ensure every student receives strong initial instruction.

2. Small-Group Rotations

Meet students at their instructional level through teacher-led groups and independent literacy stations. Perfect for differentiation.

3. Content-Integrated Mini-Lessons

Use quick literacy lessons embedded in science, social studies, or morning meeting to reinforce skills across the day.

Each of these models can uphold Structured Literacy principles—you can mix and match them to meet your needs.

Final Thoughts: Bringing It All Together

Effective reading instruction is not one-size-fits-all, but it does follow proven patterns. When we design our lessons to explicitly teach decoding, language, and vocabulary—and use flexible structures to meet the needs of our students—we give every learner the tools to succeed.

"Teaching reading is rocket science." – Dr. Louisa Moats
It’s complex, but the science is clear—and with thoughtful planning, we can make

success a reality for all.

Looking for more Learning like this, check out our 2025 Summer Literacy Bundle: thedyslexiacenter.thinkific.com/courses/take/summer-literacy-pass-2025

Beginning Monday, 8/3, we’ll start placing students from our waitlist into available tutoring spots. The good news? You don’t need to choose your schedule yet—we just need to know that your family plans to return this fall so we can save your place.

I’m also including our Diagnostic Evaluation Registration form. These appointments are filling faster than ever this year, so if you’ve been considering a comprehensive evaluation, I encourage you to reserve your spot soon.

We’re looking forward to another incredible year of helping students grow, and we can’t wait to see your family this fall!

Tutoring Registration Here:

https://www.cognitoforms.com/WillametteValleyDyslexiaCenter/_20262027TutoringRegistrationPoliciesAgreementsProgramSelection

Screening: schedule by emailing wvdcenter@gmail.com

Testing Registration Here: https://www.cognitoforms.com/WillametteValleyDyslexiaCenter/_2026AcademicEvaluationIntakeForm

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We’re also excited to share something new for this fall! We are launching our WVDC Featured Speaker Series—a collection of presentations designed to educate, empower, and connect our community. Planned topics include:

● Understanding dyslexia

● A dyslexia simulation experience

● Occupational therapy supports

● Clinical evaluations

● Special education law and advocacy with an attorney

This series will be free for all current WVDC families. We also plan to open these events to the community, with a small suggested donation that will go directly toward supporting tutoring scholarships for local students.

We have some exciting things planned this year, and we can’t wait to partner with your family again. Thank you for being part of the WVDC community!

It doesn’t show up on a report card. It doesn’t get flagged in a data meeting. And it rarely gets talked about directly.

It’s the moment a child starts to believe:

“Something is wrong with me.”

Not because they were told that. But because, day after day, learning feels harder than it should—and no one has explained why.

When Struggle Doesn’t Have a Name

Dyslexia is not rare. It’s not subtle. And it’s not new.

But when it goes unidentified, the impact shifts from academic… to deeply emotional.

A child who cannot efficiently decode words is not just “behind in reading.”They are navigating a school day that asks them to do something their brain has not yet been taught how to do.

So they adapt.

They:

• Memorize instead of read

• Guess using pictures or context

• Avoid reading out loud

• Become the “helper,” the “class clown,” or the “quiet one”

• Say they’re “bad at school” before anyone else can say it first

From the outside, this can look like behavior, disengagement, or lack of effort.

But underneath it is something else entirely:

Confusion. Fatigue. And a growing sense of failure.

The Hidden Cost of “Coping”

Many students with undiagnosed dyslexia are incredibly bright.

They build workarounds. They compensate. They survive the system.

Until they can’t.

Because compensation has a ceiling.

As reading demands increase (around 3rd–4th grade and beyond), these students hit a wall:

• Text gets longer

• Vocabulary becomes more complex

• Reading is expected for learning, not just practice

And suddenly, the strategies that once worked… don’t.

This is where we often see:

• Anxiety around school or reading tasks

• School refusal or frequent “stomach aches”

• Perfectionism or emotional shutdown

• Frustration that turns into defiance

• A sharp drop in confidence

Not because the child changed.

Because the demands finally exposed the gap.

“They’re So Smart… But…”

If you’ve ever heard—or said—this phrase, pause here:

“They’re so smart, but they just won’t try.”

That sentence has done more damage to struggling readers than we often realize.

Because effort is not the issue.

A child with dyslexia is often working harder than anyone else in the room—for a fraction of the outcome.

Over time, this disconnect creates a painful internal narrative:

• “If I’m trying this hard and still failing… I must not be smart.”

• “If reading is this hard for me, I’ll never catch up.”

• “I’d rather not try than prove I can’t do it.”

This is how academic struggle becomes identity.

The Emotional Patterns We See Every Day

In our work with students, the emotional impact of undiagnosed dyslexia is often more urgent than the academic gap.

We see:

The AvoiderAvoids reading, homework, or anything that might expose difficulty

The PerfectionistMelts down over small mistakes, erases constantly, fears being wrong

The MaskerUses humor, distraction, or helpfulness to redirect attention away from reading

The Shut Down StudentAppears disengaged, quiet, or “checked out”

The ExploderFrustration builds until it comes out as anger or defiance

These are not personality types.

They are protective responses to a learning experience that hasn’t made sense.

Why Early Identification Changes Everything

Here’s what we know from both research and real students:

When a child understands why reading is hard… everything shifts.

Not overnight.But meaningfully.

Because the narrative changes from:

“I’m the problem.”

to:

“My brain learns differently—and I can be taught in a way that works.”

That shift alone can:

• Reduce anxiety

• Increase willingness to try

• Rebuild trust in learning

• Open the door for real progress

And when identification is paired with explicit, structured literacy instruction?

That’s when we see transformation.

The Role of Screening vs. Evaluation

Many families wait for a formal diagnosis before taking action.

But here’s the truth:

You don’t need to wait to understand what your child needs.

A high-quality dyslexia screening can:

• Identify specific skill gaps (phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency)

• Determine an instructional starting point

• Provide immediate direction for intervention

A formal evaluation can:

• Diagnose a Specific Learning Disability in reading

• Support access to school-based services and accommodations

• Provide a comprehensive cognitive and academic profile

Both have value.

But neither should be a barrier to getting started.

What Real Growth Looks Like

When students receive the right instruction, we don’t just see reading scores improve.

We see:

• A student raise their hand for the first time

• A child read a sentence out loud without panic

• Homework that no longer ends in tears

• Confidence returning in small, steady ways

And often, we hear something like:

“Oh… I get it now.”

That moment matters more than any score.

Educator Insight

Undiagnosed dyslexia often presents as a mismatch between verbal ability and reading performance.

These students can:

• Participate in discussions

• Demonstrate strong reasoning

• Understand complex ideas when presented orally

But struggle significantly with:

• Decoding

• Spelling

• Reading fluency

Without targeted screening, they are often misidentified as:

• Unmotivated

• Below average

• Behavior concerns

When in reality, they need explicit, systematic instruction in how the code works.

Parent Power Move

If your child:

• Avoids reading

• Gets unusually frustrated with homework

• Seems bright but struggles with basic reading tasks

• Or says things like “I hate reading” or “I’m bad at school”

Don’t wait.

Start with a screening.

Not because you need a label.But because your child deserves clarity.

Final Thought

The most painful part of undiagnosed dyslexia isn’t the reading difficulty itself.

It’s the story a child builds around it.

And the longer that story goes unchallenged, the harder it is to rewrite.

But it can be rewritten.

With the right support.With the right instruction.And with adults who understand what they’re really looking at.