Dyslexia Instructional Programs
ESC-20 provides support for many dyslexia instructional programs, several of which are listed below, and provides training in Reading by Design and Take Flight.
Dyslexia Therapist Training
Take Flight: A Comprehensive Intervention for Students with Dyslexia
ESC-20 Dyslexia Therapist Training Program
The Education Service Center Region 20 Dyslexia Therapist Training Program is open to individuals with a college degree who are committed to pursuing training to become a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT). Applicants who are accepted into this rigorous training program and successfully meet all requirements to graduate may be eligible to sit for The Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA) Competency Exam for Multisensory Structured Language Education at the therapy level.
Candidates must complete a comprehensive therapy level training in a Multisensory Structured Language Education (MSLE) program that must include:
- Minimum of 200 instruction hours,
- Minimum of 700 clinical/teaching hours,
- Minimum of 10 demonstrations, and
- Completed under the supervision of a Qualified Instructor of Certified Academic Language Therapists and Practitioners (QI).
After May 1, 2023, a master's degree will be required before CALT certification is completed.
Training Requirements
Take Flight training requires a two-year commitment by participants who are accepted to the therapist training program, along with their campus and district leadership.
- The first year of training consists of three weeks of up-front training with four follow-up dates throughout the next school year.
- The second year of training consists of one week of up-front training with four follow-up dates throughout the next school year.
IMPORTANT!
- Participants must have a minimum of 3 student groups daily with whom the program is implemented with fidelity. (See "How is Take Flight Implemented?" section below for more details.)
- At least one student group must reach lesson 65 in order for the trainee to continue the second year of therapist training.
Additional training requirements include outside assignments such as book reports, attendance at an approved professional conference each year, and demonstration of mastery through a variety of methods, including 10 demo lessons submitted over the course of two years which must meet passing standards set forth by the program.
Take Flight: A Comprehensive Intervention for Students with Dyslexia
Take Flight: A Comprehensive Intervention for Students with Dyslexia is a two-year curriculum written by the staff of the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders at Scottish Rite for Children. Take Flight builds on the success of the three previous dyslexia intervention programs developed by the staff at Scottish Rite: Alphabetic Phonics, the Dyslexia Training Program, and TSRH Literacy Program.
Does Take Flight align to the Dyslexia Handbook, 2021 Update?
Take Flight includes 132 new learning days and 98 application days for a total of 230 days of direct instruction. It contains the five components of effective reading instruction supported by the National Reading Panel research meta-analysis: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.
With Take Flight, students will learn all 44 sounds of the English language, 96 letter-sound correspondence rules, and 87 affixes. The student will learn spelling rules for base words and derivatives, and practice opportunities are provided to improve oral reading fluency. In addition to introducing comprehension and vocabulary strategies, Take Flight also provides explicit instruction in syntax.
Research Findings and Additional Information
Below are the Research Summary for Take Flight and two additional white paper reports.
- Take Flight Research Summary
- Technical Report on Treatment Efficacy
- Take Flight: Growth in Student Literacy Skills When Implemented in Routine Practice
Click this link for additional information about Take Flight.
How is Take Flight Implemented?
Take Flight is designed for small group instruction (two to six students) for a minimum of 45 minutes per day, five days each week. Alternatively, the lessons can be taught for 60 minutes each day for four days a week.
Reading by Design
Training Requirements
- The intended audience includes individuals who will be providing dyslexia intervention in a school setting. (This curriculum is designed to be implemented in small groups 45 minutes daily, 5 times a week.)
- Participants must be available for all eight days of training.
- Training requirements include outside homework assignments and demonstrated mastery of content.
- Registration cost covers 5 days of training.
- Only those teachers who attend all 5 days of training and who successfully meet all training requirements will receive program materials necessary to implement the program with 1 small group of students.
Reading by Design
Reading by Design is a systematic, multisensory approach aligned with research-based practices for developing literacy. This program was developed by ESC Region 4 and replaces the Dyslexia Intervention Program (DIP).
Program Overview
Click this link to view the program overview brochure.
Does Reading by Design align with the Dyslexia Handbook, 2021 Update?
This document (click here) explains each of the components of instruction and methods of delivery outlined the Dyslexia Handbook, 2021 Update. It details each part of the Reading by Design daily lesson cycle which align with this criteria.
Fidelity Statement
Implementation of any dyslexia curriculum with fidelity is critical to student success and is required by the Dyslexia Handbook, 2021 Update.
The Reading by Design Fidelity Statement (click here) provides information about the program design and how it is to be implemented. These requirements are based on research which is also provided in the document.
