Welcome

The International Dyslexia Association Georgia Branch is here to serve the needs of families, educators, and professionals concerned with struggling readers. IDA Georgia is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals living with dyslexia, a learning difference affecting up to 20% of the U.S. population and their families and the communities that support them. Our goal is to provide essential research-based information about assessment, diagnosis, resources, and appropriate educational intervention. To increase public awareness and remediation of dyslexia, we offer an information and referral hotline, a branch website, monthly e-news updates, free community outreach events, the Dyslexia Dash 5K, professional education conferences and webinars, and information about teacher training workshops and courses.

Whether you are an individual with dyslexia, a parent, a professional, or someone who is interested in learning more and being a part of the growing demand for change, we hope you will find inspiration and guidance here. We welcome you to contact us for additional information – until everyone can read!

Stacey Levy
President
International Dyslexia Association Georgia

The Dyslexia Dash is Coming! In-person on October 22 (or Virtual from Oct 2-22)

The Georgia Branch is inviting the other IDA Branches to participate in the 2022 Dyslexia Dash. Each participating IDA Branch will be raising funds for Branch initiatives. The Georgia Branch will continue to use the funds raised from the Dyslexia Dash to provide scholarships and grants for teacher training and outreach initiatives. Thank you for your participation as a runner/walker, sponsor, fundraiser, donor, or volunteer. For more information, visit GA.dyslexiaida.org/2022-dyslexia-dash/ or Runsignup.com/Race/GA/Atlanta/DyslexiaDash

*$100 donation = name on t-shirt! All fundraisers who raise $100 or more also will receive a spot on the 2022 t-shirt.

“…even the most competent teacher cannot be successful in teaching reading, especially to children who are at risk or struggling with literacy, if provided with inadequate instructional contexts or inappropriate instructional materials and approaches…”

CLICK HERE to read IDA’s 2019 Educator Training Initiative Brief Structured Literacy: An Introductory Guide.

Remembering Clay White

Our community’s beloved Clay White passed away unexpectedly on June 13, 2022. Clay was a tremendous resource to our community, and he helped countless children through his many years serving children and adolescents in the Atlanta area. Clay was a true supporter of IDA-GA, and he will be missed by so many. May his memory be a blessing.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Friday, June 24 at 3:00 p.m. at North Springs United Methodist Church in Sandy Springs, GA. Kids and alumni of all ages from all of Clay White’s programs are invited to attend a special celebration at the Schenck School, 282 Mount Paran Road, NW, Atlanta, GA 30327 on Sunday, June 26, from 4:00-7:00 p.m.

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/lilburn-ga/john-white-10795344

https://www.ajc.com/news/obituaries/clay-white-helped-a-generation-of-atlanta-children-dies-at-68/YUWQVQUUMZDMLPCYWZI3BRZLIA/

What is a Phoneme?

IDA has a new Fact Sheet published Summer 2022. Read “Building Phoneme Awareness: Know What Matters” here.

What does it mean when we say, “Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in the spoken word”?

To grasp this idea, try this game: https://youtu.be/RoC5xn1QyXM

Let’s think about the word dad. Dad has 3 sounds. Say the word slowly, stretching out the word.

Here are the sounds: /d/ /a/ /d/.

Those individual sounds are phonemes. Try this challenge: Can you change the word /dad/ to /luv/ by manipulating only one phoneme at a time?

There are MANY paths from /dad/ to /luv/. Try it!

Remember you are manipulating one SOUND at a time.

Let us know what you come up with! Email us your path.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This game challenge is intended to clarify for teachers and parents, “What is a phoneme?” When working with beginning and struggling readers, pairing phoneme manipulation tasks with letters or letter combinations (graphemes) will reduce the demands on working memory, enhance the awareness of phonemes in spoken words, and support memory of letter-sound correspondences.

Watch the recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfgicnqv6N0

From PaTTAN: Do the best you can until you know better. When you know better, do better. Maya Angelou This quote reflects why we attend the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance (PATTAN) Conference; to gather information on high-leverage practices drawn from the Science of Reading and the Science of Instruction, so that we can implement those practices to improve the learning and lives of the children we serve. In this end-note, Dr. Archer will focus on these highly effective practices, some are old (Gold) and some are new (Silver), but none of them should be forgotten. This Endnote is designed to summarize and wrap up our great conference.

Summer is HERE! Submit your artwork!

The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) highlights the artistic talents of students with dyslexia and other related learning disabilities throughout the year at IDA’s home office and in various IDA publications. Summer is here, and many of our young artists will have more time to devote to their next creation. IDA would love to see the artistic talents of students with dyslexia. Encourage the artist you know to submit their artwork to IDA to be considered for the cover of IDA’s Perspectives magazine or other IDA publications.

Simply fill out this short contact form, sign the waiver, and attach it and a clear photo of the artwork to an email sent to Denise Douce at ddouce@dyslexiaida.org.

If you are a resident of Georgia, please also send your artwork to info@idaga.org. The artwork featured on the 2019 Summer issue of Perspectives was submitted by Riley Schutt of Milton, GA.

To view her artwork as well as other artwork published on the cover of previous issues of Perspectives, click HERE.

IDA-GA/TRL-GA Spotlight on Structured Literacy Webinar Series

January 19 – Recording Now Available

February 9 – Recording and Slides Now Available

March 2 – Recording and Slides Now Available

April 27 – Recording and Slides Now Available

Thank you to our 2022 Spotlight on Structured Literacy Sponsors!

It is with the continued support of our sponsors that we are able to offer not only scholarship and grant opportunities but also events like this that are free and open to all those interested in learning more about dyslexia and effective interventions.

Updates and Next Steps – GaDOE State Dyslexia Committee Meeting

On Thursday, November 18, the GaDOE Dyslexia Team provided updates and next steps surrounding the Committee’s work. More information, including the link to the recording, can be found here.

Spread the Words, Spread the Love

What facts or words of encouragement can you provide to promote dyslexia awareness? Post YOUR thoughts on your social media page and use #wordsfordyslexia. Let’s see how many positive thoughts we can capture with #wordsfordyslexia to raise some spirits as we raise awareness throughout the year.

Also, check out how Lekkco is helping raise awareness and dollars for IDA and the IDA Branches. Each purchase of Lekkco’s delicious, healthy Belgium dark chocolate spread means a donation to IDA! For more information, go to www.lekkco4charity.com/IDA

Use code READ-GA when you check out. Thank you!

#WordsforDyslexia #UntilEveryoneCanRead #IDAChocolate4Charity #dyslexia #Spreadthelove #spreadthewords #Lekkco #dyslexiaawareness

The Dyslexia Dash raises funds for IDA-GA Grants and Scholarships

CLICK HERE to read IDA’s 2019 Educator Training Initiative Brief Structured Literacy: An Introductory Guide.

The goal of the IDA-GA Scholarship Program is to offer scholarships for individuals taking courses in structured literacy professional education methodologies that provide an understanding of evidence-based best practices for educating students with dyslexia.

We at IDA-GA appreciate the commitment to learning about the science of reading and how to implement the components of Structured Literacy in the classroom.

2022 Outreach

IDA-GA will not be hosting in-person outreach meetings over the next few months. However, we are working on other free outreach initiatives. Please click on the events listed on our calendar for more information. We hope to keep you informed of the many resources available from IDA and other trusted sources. IDA has compiled the Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities Resource Guide For Families and Teachers Affected by COVID-19. Learn more and download the guide for FREE at bit.ly/IDAGuide

Georgia State University – Investigating How the Brain Works When We Read

GSU Seeking Volunteers for Reading Research

Dyslexia Dash 2021 – October 16, 2021 – A Big Success

The 2021 Dyslexia Dash is in the books.

This was the first time the Dyslexia Dash was both an in-person run and a virtual race.

We had a record number of participants at 2,409.

1,718 in-person runners signed up to run at the Perimeter Mall in Atlanta.

691 runners ran virtually in 27 States.

We had a record number of sponsors this year at 37 – Thank You!!

We had a record number of donations at $20,700 with donations coming from all over the USA and Canada.

Thank you to all the participants, donors, sponsors, and volunteers who made the 2021 Dyslexia Dash a success. We look forward to seeing you in October 2022.

Assistance for Georgia Families and Schools 2020-2021

As a part of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief funding allocated to Georgia through the CARES Act and in response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, the GA SOLVE Program was established. The purpose of SOLVE is to provide scholarships for families with students enrolled in a Georgia public school, state charter commission school, or locally approved charter school that offers primarily virtual learning.

GA SOLVE offers scholarships to support working families with children and young adults ages 5-12 (kindergarten through grade 7), or up to age 22 for students with qualifying disabilities, by paying for care, supervision, and support during the school day while students are engaged in virtual learning.

Find out more: https://www.decal.ga.gov/CAPS/Solve.aspx

The video recordings for the 2021 IDA-GA Dyslexia Knowledge Series are now available! Click HERE.

February 23 was Dyslexia Day 2021

Visit the Decoding Dyslexia GA Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/decodingdyslexiaga/ to learn about the day’s events.

Check out these videos created for Dyslexia Day 2021:

Dyslexia Is My Superpower, a poem written for Dyslexia Day 2021, is performed by students from across the state of Georgia: https://fb.watch/3QYPQZUqLH/

In the short video below, students and teachers from the Howard School answer the question, “Why is Early Identification and Intervention critical for Dyslexic students?”

GA DOE’s Dyslexia Informational Handbook

Gov. Kemp Signed Dyslexia Bill SB48 into Law on May 2, 2019. Watch this historic moment. CLICK HERE for more information. The Georgia Department of Education released the Dyslexia Informational Handbook: Guidance for Local School Systems on November 22, 2019.

How IDA-GA Invests Your Membership and Donation Dollars

The following are ways that IDA-GA invests back into the community membership fees, donations, and funds raised via events such as Dyslexia Dash:

Provide free Educational Outreach Meetings for both teachers and parents
Provide Scholarships and Grants to expand capabilities for structured literacy training
Provide Resources, Information, and Support to parents and teachers

New 2022 Baseball Hats for Sale! Until Everyone Can Read!

Wear your support! “Until Everyone Can Read” on front of cap, IDA logo on left side. $24.95 including shipping.

To order, CLICK HERE.

Raising Awareness of Dyslexia

IDA-GA joined forces with Atlanta Parents magazine to raise awareness about Dyslexia. The Article gives information to parents to help detect Dyslexia in their child and steps to be taken to become a successful advocate for your Dyslexic child.

Read the full article that appeared in the October issue of Atlanta Parents magazine by clicking here.