By Valerie Chernek, Education Writer for Learning Ally
Northern California educators, parents and researchers will gather in Los Gatos at the Loma Brewing Company on Tuesday, April 24, 2018 to discuss an important education topic that effects more than 10 million students in the United States – how to help more children and teens with learning differences succeed.
An estimated 10 million students (1 in 5) have dyslexia, a language-based processing disorder that effects the ability to decode words in print. Often, these students are intellectually bright, but lack the necessary resources and support to keep academic pace. Learning disabilities slow down the brain’s ability to read fluently and disrupts comprehension of the “context” or meaning of information. Many students feel frustrated in the learning process. The good news is that there are researchers and organizations dedicated to transform the education landscape for these learners.
Dr. Maryanne Wolf, a research expert in the field of dyslexia for the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners and Social Justice at UCLA, Tufts University Center for Reading and Language Research and friend of UCSF Dyslexia Center, will lead this discussion to share groundbreaking research and strategies proven to help more struggling learners become high achievers.
This local event, proudly sponsored by Learning Ally, UCSF Dyslexia Center and LOMA Brewing Company, will take place on Tuesday, April 24 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at LOMA Brewing Company. Tickets are $20 per person and $5 for teachers. Light refreshments and beverages served.
The California Dyslexia Guidelines lists Learning Ally as a recommended reading accommodation in support of students with dyslexia. The statewide guidelines provide clear and useful direction for general and special education teachers and parents on the need for, and uses of, accessible educational materials to identify, assess, and support more students with the learning disability.
Please RSVP by April 12, 2018. Local media is encouraged to cover this critical issue.
About Learning Ally
Learning Ally is a leading nonprofit ed-tech organization delivering a comprehensive learning solution for struggling readers in elementary, middle and high schools. Our proven solution includes an extensive library of human-read audiobooks that students want and need to read at home and at school, along with a suite of teacher-focused resources that ensure student success. This reading experience helps accelerate learning, enables a new level of access to knowledge and powerfully increases student confidence and self-belief.
Learning Ally partners with 13,000 U.S. schools, districts and state education systems to empower over 300,000 students with improved comprehension, vocabulary, fluency and critical thinking skills. For 70 years, the organization has helped to transform the lives of struggling readers by bridging the gap between their reading capability and their academic potential to become confident, lifelong learners who thrive in school and beyond.
About UCSF Dyslexia Center
The mission of the UCSF Dyslexia Center is to address and remove the debilitating effects of dyslexia while preserving, and even enhancing, the strengths of each individual. We take a multidisciplinary approach based on latest scientific discoveries in neuroscience to characterize the strengths and weaknesses associated with dyslexia.