We are THRILLED to announce our summer book study of The Reading Comprehension Blueprint, in partnership with The Reading League NC! Nancy Hennessy will be joining us for our kickoff session and help us close out the book study in September. This summer, let’s take a deep dive into comprehension instruction together! Take advantage of our discount code RBCNC24 for 10% off through Brookes Publishing. Register now to save your seat for what will be fantastic learning as we come together to deepen our thinking of this complex work. Register here: https://bit.ly/RCBsummer2024

On Feb 12th, IDA NC members and fellow educators gathered to learn from Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan, at the 2024 Day of Dyslexia, A Structured Literacy Symposium. During the event, IDA NC awarded Lynne Loeser the June Lyday Orton award. Thank you to the Hill Center and The Fletcher School for hosting us and The Reading League NC for supporting our event.

Hill Learning Center presents A Framework for Structured Literacy Instruction Online Course

Developed in collaboration with former IDA president Nancy Hennessy, this 10-hour asynchronous course goes deep into the principles and content of structured literacy instruction for all students. Over six modules, the course defines each principle and content area, offering insights into the research base and some instructional examples for each tier of instruction.  Learn More

Dyslexia Resources

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Exceptional Children Division has published a Dyslexia Topic Brief to provide parents, caregivers, educators and other stakeholders accurate information regarding the evaluation, identification and education of students with dyslexia within North Carolina public schools.

Please click here to view Video Library created by our Board members and guest hosts.

Take a few minutes, have a cup of coffee or tea, and nourish your brain. Each chat will surface answers to critical questions about topics such as skilled reading and dyslexia and provide resources for further learning. 

The North Carolina Branch of the IDA is inviting you to learn about the mission of the International Dyslexia Association, dip into the history, dig into the definition of dyslexia and consider the characteristics of effective instruction. We’ve designed this workshop for those interested in an introduction to dyslexia and are providing a guide to support your participation.  Both the guide and recorded workshop can be accessed anytime below.

Dyslexia Primer Recorded Workshop

Dyslexia Primer Participant Guide 

What is Structured Literacy?  

Congratulations to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI) Exceptional Division, which has received accreditation from the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) for their Reading Research to Classroom Practice 40-hour course on the Science of Reading (SoR). This course is delivered by approximately 300 certified instructors across the state. The IDA noted, “Your course(s) serves as a role model for other states’ Department of Education offices to follow in order to provide educators throughout the United States the knowledge and practice standards required for expert literacy instruction.”

As part of the requirements, the ECD Program Improvement and Professional Development (PIPD) regional Literacy Consultants have all passed the Knowledge and Practice Exam for Effective Reading Instruction (KPEERI) required by IDA which measures an educator’s knowledge of the principles and practices of Structured Literacy™.

Membership in the IDA

Having a child diagnosed with dyslexia can be a traumatic experience. While dyslexia can make reading more difficult, with the right instruction, almost all individuals with dyslexia can learn to read. Many people with dyslexia have gone on to accomplish great things.

Among the many dyslexia success stories are Thomas Edison, Stephen Spielberg, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Charles Schwab. Dyslexia is a neurological condition caused by a different wiring of the brain. There is no cure for dyslexia and individuals with this condition must learn coping strategies. Research indicates that dyslexia has no relationship to intelligence. Individuals with dyslexia are neither more nor less intelligent than the general population. But some say the way individuals with dyslexia think can actually be an asset in achieving success.

If you are a person with dyslexia, a parent of a child with dyslexia, a teacher or other professional interested in working to make the lives of people with dyslexia richer and more productive, please consider joining our national organization.  In doing so you will automatically become a member of the North Carolina Branch.

We encourage you to join us in our mission. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions.

Nancy Coffman
President
International Dyslexia Association
North Carolina