Once again the reading wars have reared their ugly head. It’s this constant barrage of back and forth. In my state of Wisconsin, it has become extremely politically charged. A grassroots parent organization successfully engineered a study committee on dyslexia, which is not bad in and of itself. There certainly are students with dyslexia that are not being serviced effectively in our public schools. What was unfortunate though, was the fact that the committee was stacked with those representing only one side of the issue. Instead of approaching it as an equity issue, the drive is to create legislation that will, a. Create a position at DPI for a person to be a liaison for schools who holds credentials through the International Dyslexia Association, and b. Create a guidebook focused on dyslexia and related conditions. Again, heightened awareness about dyslexia and related reading conditions isn’t necessarily a bad idea. What IS a bad idea, in my humble opinion, is promoting legislation that creates a mindset that there is a one size fits all program (aka Orton Gillingham) that will be the panacea for all reading disorders/complications. Make no mistake, those supporting this legislation are also promoting their product. If there were a reading program that undeniably met the needs of every child learning to read, believe me, educators would be all over it. Everyone wants children to learn to read successfully, but learning to read is complex, and must be addressed as such. What educators do NOT need, is yet another program being shoved down their throats. What educators do NEED is professional development in pedagogy about reading and writing. It is high time the reading wars look for peace. Yes, learn the history of the reading wars and education in general. Yes, learn varying viewpoints and be open to understanding that each may have the potential to positively impact some students in some ways. Yes, advocate for equity in education, equity for all. That is something we should all be able to agree upon. Find peace in the knowledge and understanding that what every child learning to read needs is a teacher who is well versed in the pedagogy surrounding reading and writing. It should not matter the district, school, the classroom, the neighborhood, the diversity…educators should be receiving an equitable education themselves so that when they are immersed in the work of teaching our children, they are prepared to meed the varied needs and abilities in front of them. We know without a doubt, that the education our teachers receive is not equitable. Instead of having this pendulum swinging “Reading wars” fight, lets make a collaborative effort to address the inequities occurring all over our nation in regards to teacher education. If we did that, undoubtedly, ALL students would benefit.
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