Springfield Public Schools is committed to identifying, intervening, and accommodating students who show risk for dyslexia.

With this commitment the district understands the following:

• Not all students who have dyslexia or show risk for dyslexia have the same needs.
• Dyslexia services must be built along a continuum of support to meet the diverse needs of our students who struggle with reading (ex. small group instruction, Extended Learning Programs, accommodations, etc.)
• Classroom instruction (Tier 1) that includes explicit phonics instruction is important to support students in reading.

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to their cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

-International Dyslexia Association