by Genevieve Thomas

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month, and as advocates for Montana students with diverse learning needs, School Services of Montana would like to share some of our favorite go-to resources for educators and families supporting students with dyslexia. 

Are you interested in customized in-person or virtual training on supporting students with Dyslexia for your school or district? Contact Genevieve Thomas, Director of Professional Learning, to learn more! 

International Dyslexia Association: The IDA is a nonprofit organization with a mission to create a future for all individuals with dyslexia so they may have richer, more robust lives. Their website has many research-based resources, and we love their “Fact Sheets” for easy-to-read summaries of research on various dyslexia-related topics. 

Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia: This center, based at Middle Tenessee University and directed by dyslexia researcher and expert Tim Odegard, has excellent resources for families and educators. See their website's “Instructional Materials” section for examples of teacher-friendly, research-based lesson plans aligned with a structured literacy approach. 

OPI Teacher Hub: Dyslexia Series: Speaking of the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia, OPI now has a “Dyslexia Series” developed by the organization. The self-paced course consists of four individual sessions, and professional development hours are provided upon completion. 

Science of Reading: The Podcast by Amplify: Like many of you, we spend a lot of time in our cars driving to schools across Montana, and we’re big fans of Amplify’s Science of Reading: The Podcast. They have produced a few episodes on Dyslexia, and we recommend “Dyslexia and developmental trajectories with Dr. Nadine Gaab” and “The facts and myths of dyslexia with Emily Lutrick.” 

Dyslexia in the schools: Assessment and Identification (J. Lindstrom; Reading Rockets): Following the 2019 passage of the Montana Dyslexia Screening and Intervention Act, many Montana schools are learning more about school-based evaluations for dyslexia. This article, originally published in Teaching Exceptional Children is a practitioner-friendly framework for addressing dyslexia in school-based special education evaluations. 

Have you used any of these resources? Let us know what you think in the comments below!