Three practical strategies can help parents become informed, confident advocates for their child’s literacy journey.
Every child deserves the opportunity to become a confident, capable reader. But for children with dyslexia, access to the right instruction, interventions, and accommodations can make all the difference.
Parent advocacy can help ensure children get the support they need to succeed.
As we recognize International Literacy Day, it’s an important time to consider that for students with dyslexia and other reading differences, literacy access means having the instruction, support, and accommodations they need to participate and succeed.
For parents and caregivers navigating unfamiliar school systems, understanding dyslexia, special education, intervention, accommodations, and their child’s educational rights can feel overwhelming. And when a child is struggling to read, families often need answers quickly. Informed advocacy can make a difference.
What Parents Need to Know About Dyslexia
Dyslexia affects 1 in 5 people and is a neurological condition related to processing language, not a vision challenge or an indicator of intelligence. With appropriate support, students with dyslexia can thrive academically and beyond the classroom.
Dyslexia is highly responsive to evidence-based, structured approaches to reading instruction.
That means the decisions schools make about literacy instruction can have a significant impact on students. Parents and caregivers are often unsure which questions to ask.
In her on-demand Advocacy 101 session for Learning Ally’s 2026 Spotlight on Dyslexia, thought leader Missy Purcell offers parents and caregivers a framework for navigating the educational system and advocating for meaningful change.
Her approach centers on three essential pillars.
1. Know the Landscape
Before parents can advocate effectively, they need to understand where decisions are being made to determine who has the authority to answer a question or make a change.
Purcell breaks the education system into three levels:
- State: Governors, state departments of education, and legislators establish laws, screening requirements, curriculum policies, and funding priorities.
- District: School boards, superintendents, and curriculum directors are key decision-makers when it comes to instructional materials, budgets, professional learning, and how state policies are interpreted and implemented.
- School and classroom: Principals, teachers, and specialists put those decisions into practice. They also implement students’ IEPs and 504 Plans and provide instruction and interventions.
2. Know Your Rights
Advocacy also means understanding the protections available to students.
Federal laws, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, provide important protections for eligible students with disabilities.
Under IDEA, eligible students are entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) through an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Section 504 provides protections against disability discrimination and can provide accommodations that ensure students have meaningful access to education.
For parents, understanding the difference between an IEP and a 504 Plan is particularly important. A 504 Plan provides accommodations for access, while an IEP can provide specialized instruction and related services for eligible students.
Knowing these distinctions can help families have more informed conversations with their child’s school team and recognize when they may need to request further evaluation or support.
3. Ask Better Questions
One of the relevant takeaways from Purcell’s Parent Advocacy session is the power of asking questions.
Advocacy doesn’t have to mean entering every conversation ready for a confrontation. Instead, thoughtful, specific questions can help parents understand what their child is receiving and how the school is measuring whether it’s working.
For example:
- What specific reading program is being used, and is it aligned with Structured Literacy?
- Can I see the scope and sequence, and where is my child within it?
- How many minutes per day and days per week is my child receiving intervention?
- What is the size of the intervention group, and are students grouped by similar skill levels?
- How and how often are you measuring my child’s progress?
These questions can move the conversation from general statements about a child’s reading ability to specific information about instruction, intervention, and progress.
Literacy Access Is a Shared Responsibility
Creating equitable access to literacy takes a community. Educators, school leaders, and families each play an important role in making sure students with dyslexia have the instruction, support, and accommodations they need to succeed.
For parents and caregivers, that role can begin with advocacy. By learning about dyslexia, understanding their child’s rights, identifying the people who make decisions at the state, district, and school levels, and asking informed questions about reading instruction and progress, parents can help ensure their children have access to the support they need.
Learning Ally’s annual Spotlight on Dyslexia brings together researchers, practitioners, educators, advocates, and families to share the most up-to-date information, research strategies, and resources.
Empowering families with knowledge and practical strategies is an important step toward making literacy accessible to every student.
Ready to Become a Stronger Advocate?
Missy Purcell’s Advocacy 101 session provides families with relevant strategies for understanding the educational landscape, knowing their rights, and asking questions that can lead to better conversations, and better support, for their children.
Watch the session on demand and take the next step in advocating for your child’s literacy journey. Participants will walk away with a clear advocacy framework, confidence to engage stakeholders, and tools to build coalitions that accelerate sustainable change for students with dyslexia.
