A Tumwater School District (TSD) assessment found an estimated five to eight, or 9%, of its elementary pupils show significant reading difficulty, a risk for the learning disorder dyslexia.
Children with dyslexia often have difficulty connecting sounds with letters and recognizing words quickly, but this does not relate to intelligence or effort, according to the Tumwater School District dyslexia screening report.
Angie Gourley, an Assessment Teacher on special assignment, briefed the TSD Board of Directors on the report at a meeting on April 24, 2025.
“Dyslexia typically affects 20% of students. When I look at our data, it shows the importance of early intervention. We are closely monitoring 27% of our students, but only 9 (%) are showing significant challenges when it comes to learning how to read,” said Gourley at the meeting.
The percentage of pupils identified from the district’s dyslexia risk analysis is a combination of the 18% who are exhibiting mixed progress and the 9% who are without much progress.
More specifically, 18% of the pupils in the district are classified as “watching,” as they exhibit both strengths and weaknesses in foundational skills and are responding to interventions. The remaining 9% are “at risk,” who show minimal progress to interventions.
The greater 73% of pupils are “not at risk,” meaning these students are not currently showing any signs of weaknesses in foundational skills.
The assessment report stated dyslexia screening is a critical tool in identifying pupils who may be at risk of reading difficulties.
“While screening does not provide a formal dyslexia diagnosis, it can serve as an early indicator, allowing educators to implement research-based interventions that help pupils build essential literacy skills,” stated Gourley in the report.
The strategies used in the district are evidence-based practices, mainly addressing basic literacy skills, including phonemic awareness, decoding and reading fluency.
“By utilizing these interventions, we empower students to strengthen their reading abilities and build confidence in their academic journey,” the report stated.
State law RCW 28A.320.260 requires dyslexia screening in public schools for pupils in kindergarten to second grade who show signs of dyslexia or related reading difficulties.
The law ensures sutdents receive timely and effective multitiered systems of support to provide interventions supporting student literacy development.
“Early intervention can make a profound difference in a child’s academic experience, ensuring they receive the support they need to thrive in school and beyond,” the report stated.
All pupils from kindergarten to second grade are formally screened during the winter testing window.
New second grade students are screened within their first four weeks if they arrive after the winter testing window.
New students from kindergarten to fifth grade are screened as soon as they start school in the district, and receive intervention or enrichment based on their needs.
Any student in grades three through five, who a teacher or parent is concerned about, can also be screened.
The district has a District Assessment Protocol, which teachers use to identify the standard or skill to assess, identify the intervention materials to be used, the start and end of a cycle, goals, strategies, results, reflection and next steps.
Gourley said the district is responding to the pupils’ issues in many ways, including the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE) Training.
“Over the last two summers, we have used carryover funds to provide IMSE training to our teachers and paras in grades K-3. This training is described as transformative by the participants,” Gourley said.
The training, Gourley described, is an intensive 30 hours for teachers and 18 hours for paraeducators.
IMSE training teaches participants how students learn to read, and provides multi-sensory strategies beneficial to all students, but are designed to be extremely effective with the most at-risk students.
“Teachers provide daily intervention outside of core instruction. Some students receive a double-dip intervention that is intensive and focuses on one area of weakness. Students are progress-monitored through formative and summative assessments, exit tickets, and short-cycle goals,” Gourley added.
Gourley also emphasized the district needs to train kindergarten to second grade teachers who have not been trained in IMSE, then begin to train third to fifth grade teachers in IMSE Morphology.
“We need to adopt reading materials that closely align with the science of reading. Our tier two and tier three interventions need to be realigned. And we need to think creatively about how we support teachers and understanding the data, and using it to complete short-cycle goals,” Gourley said.
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Yeti1981
This headline and the language used in the article make it sound like Dyslexia is something you can catch.
Thursday, May 1 Report this