Category: Advocacy

CA NAACP Dyslexia Resolution

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DDCA wants to acknowledge the ongoing efforts of various California branches of NAACP in raising dyslexia awareness and improving literacy outcomes for all.  

NAACP has formally adopted a statewide dyslexia resolution in California.  DDCA commends NAACP in its ongoing efforts to advocate for the needs of our students with dyslexia. 

DDCA would like to especially applaud the work that Oakland NAACP is doing in the 
San Francisco Bay Area. Please listen to a recent podcast on KPOO.com with Kareem Weaver, NAACP Education Committee.  Don’t miss the free webinar entitled, “Casualties of War: Reading Science Denial and Racism’s Impact on African American Children” presented by Mr. Weaver on January 29, 2020 from 1pm – 2pm (PST). If you are unable to participate for the live version, you can register and receive an email with the recording. 

You Asked! – Question 27

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Is your school teaching phonics effectively? This month the International Literacy Association (ILA) issued a brief on “Meeting the Challenges of Early Literacy Phonics Instruction” stating the need for systematic and explicit instruction in phonics as one critical component in overall reading instruction. While all students benefit from systematic and explicit instruction in phonics, students with dyslexia likely won’t achieve literacy without it.

ILA is a large organization with over 300,000 members and its most recent position on the phonics debate most closely aligns with the CA Education Code, the CA Dyslexia Guidelines and the International Dyslexia Association’s definition of Structured Literacy (with respect to phonics instruction). As more and more organizations are in agreement on the most effective way to teach phonics, we must determine if our schools are adhering to these practices.  Sadly, many “balanced literacy” programs used in our California classrooms do not teach systematic and explicit phonics that will benefit all students, particularly our students with dyslexia.

To learn more, please read our latest “You Asked Q27”