Dyslexia is one of the most common language based learning disabilities. It’s described when a student, or any person, has difficulty learning words, letters, numbers or even simple language.

Due to this, the (state) legislators passed a mandate for all Rockwood teachers and administrators to undergo dyslexia training to better understand and help students with this condition. Training occurred for all Rockwood School District (RSD)  administrators July 20 at Lafayette, and for all other RSD teachers, training occurre

d August 9 at Lafayette and August 10 at Eureka. Around 1600 teachers and administrators, combined, had participated.

According to the mandate, dyslexia is “a disorder that is neurological inorigin, characterized by difficulties with accurate and fluent word re cognition and poor spelling and decoding abilities that typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language,” (Section A, chapter 167, 167.950).

Dawnette Wiskur, Coordinator of Professional Learning for the Rockwood School District, was one of the organizers for this training.

“This particular training was a simulation meant to help teachers gain empathy and understanding for students who may have the symptoms of dyslexia or other learning challenges,” Wiskur said.

The training consisted of participants moving through six stations, each about 10-12 minutes in length. They simulated struggles with reading, writing and listening.

“The training and debrief were two hours in length,” Wiskur said. “In addition, teachers heard from Dr. Knost about the importance of supporting every child in our schools. Many of the participants found the training to be physically and mentally challenging.”

Wiskur also believes students will be more understood and have extra help in general as a result of the training.

“Many teachers said that they felt a great degree of empathy for their students and will look at ways to make class more accessible to students,” she said.

All students in grades K-3 will be screened for forms of dyslexia. Upper grades will be screened as necessary.

Dr. Stefanie Steffan, Coordinator of Elementary Literacy and Title Programs, was one of the main organizers for the dyslexia training. Steffan oversees all elementary literacy curriculum as well as the reading intervention program and she provides all teachers with the materials they need to teach. In addition, Steffan coordinates the professional development needed to learn new teaching strategies.

“Hopefully all teachers will have a deeper understanding of dyslexia and will be able to empathize with their students,” Steffan said.

Steffan has gotten positive feedback from the training from the RSD staff.

“Teachers appreciated the training and many have told me how they plan to change their instruction to meet the needs of their struggling learners,” she said.

Steffan is also helping direct the screening for dyslexia.

“Teams of reading specialists will be going to our elementary schools to screen all 1st through 3rd graders this week,” she said. “Kindergartners will be screened in December.”

Principal Karen Calcaterra participated in this training.

“The training really helped me understand the behavior of students,” Calcaterra said. “It was hard to go table to table, rotating around, to do all the activities.”

The training wasn’t easy for anyone.

“It was frustrating. I found that a lot of people would rather joke around to avoid doing the work, which also helped me understand how a lot of students feel. I wondered, what was the reason for this?” Calcaterra said.

Through her experience with working with students, Calcaterra has found her personal answer to this question.

“It really helped me understand the struggles that students face and why they act the way they do,” she said.

Senior Jonathan Ebenezer was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was a child living in India.

“My parents knew from the time I was a child [I had dyslexia], because I would always complain about the letters moving. I also have never been able to spell anything right up until now. I wasn’t diagnosed in the US and it isn’t on my school record because they didn’t want it to affect my academics,” Ebenezer said. “I really only knew in 6th grade, up until then, it was just something I had and not something I acknowledged.”

The training that took place over the summer doesn’t have a complete effect on Ebenezer himself, but he believes it will help other students struggling.

“I think the training is a really good idea. I know there are a lot of dyslexic kids in Rockwood, and being able to understand them better and understand how to teach them better is only for everyone’s benefit,” he said. “I really hope that this training will help other students be accommodated to and succeed without feeling that there is something wrong with them. I personally don’t feel as though my teachers were able to handle it really well in elementary school, but as I got older, I learned to take care of myself and not let dyslexia stop me for going where I want to go in life.”

Even through living with dyslexia since he was a child, Ebenezer doesn’t let it bother him.

“It was just something that I have and have to live with. I try not to let it define me as much as I decide to define it. When I found out, I think the biggest change was understanding that it was my fault that I was unable to spell the simplest of words, that honestly was a big relief, because I thought I was missing something so small that kept me from understanding the difference between Which and Wicth, I actually spelled which like wicth until high school,” Ebenezer said.

Ebenezer is also apart of the Speech and Debate team at Lafayette, as well as being a Model UN and apart of Project Interface.