As plans for returning to school in the fall take shape the Willamette Valley Dyslexia Center is adapting their strategies to help students adjust to the distance learning model.
“We specialize in dyslexia, but we can support any struggling reader,” said Lynn Brown, director of operations for the dyslexia center.
Prior to the pandemic the center was offering a book club once a week that aimed to move kids out of graphic novels and into chapter books. They use a Orton-Gillingham approach which uses the connections between sounds and letters to take a multi-sensory approach to teaching reading.
Going into the 2020-2021 school year they are looking at expanding their tutoring to include breakout sessions.
“We’re looking at a more comprehensive program and it doesn’t have to be for any of our current students, this would be for any parent who, with distance learning, are looking for support or enrichment,” Brown said.
Brown said the center had been looking into expanding their services and this seemed like the right time with the Comprehensive Distance Learning (CDL) model coming in the fall.
“I feel like we’ve been asked a lot more about what we’re going to provide in the fall outside of our traditional tutoring model,” Brown said.
The center currently tutors about 40 students but they are quickly growing. They do not have a maximum capacity of students they can serve – Brown said she’d like to see twice as many students in the fall.
For families interesting in getting help for a student who struggles with reading or dyslexia, the most up-to-date information can be found on Facebook at Willamette Valley Dyslexia Center or the center’s website, www.wvdyslexiacenter.com/.
“I’m just really excited for the opportunity to serve our community and build literacy,” Brown said.