Ava Elementary Schools Screen Students for Dyslexia

Starting with the 2018-19 school year, public schools in Missouri were required to screen all Kindergarten through 3rd students for possible signs of dyslexia. 

The Ava Elementary has had a focused reading intervention program in place for a number of years, with Mrs. Carrie Stewart serving as a reading specialist for students in grades K-2. 

With the knowledge of the state mandate that was going to be implemented in the 2018-19 school year, a committee of parents, teachers, administrators, and board members was formed in the spring of 2018 to review current practices, and outline a plan for what was needed to do to best meet the needs of students. 

After reviewing the practices already in place, the Ava Elementary decided to screen all students in grades K-4, and added a reading specialist, Mrs. Ginger Gastineau, for grades 3-4. 

The Barton Reading & Spelling System was selected to be used with students identified as exhibiting possible signs of dyslexia. 

The results for the 2018-19 school year were encouraging. By reading Lexile score, one group of students who were not reading at grade level increased their reading level at a rate nearly double that of a comparable group from the preceding year.  

In addition to the programs and interventions being used in the classroom, the committee created parent handbooks containing language and literacy strategies that parents can use at home. Those handbooks are available on the school website at avabears.net. Paper copies are also available upon request. 

Following the fall screening, the parents of students who have qualified for services will receive a letter that details the intervention process for their students. 

Parents are encouraged to contact the school office with any questions that they have.