Wicked Local
Editor's note: This is the first of a two-part series on dyslexia and how Winchester parents view the school district's handling of the issue.
Tom Gannon’s daughter, who was identified with dyslexia, receives reading intervention from the Winchester School District three times per week for 30 minutes. Gannon said it’s not enough.
“The programs they use are not aligned with the recommendations (of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education),” he said. “So they're not actually intervening or providing instruction according to the program requirements or with fidelity.”
To air their grievances toward the district, a group of Winchester parents -- which has been advocating for change to early literacy in Winchester Public Schools over the past few months -- created United for Literacy – Winchester. The group, which includes Gannon, has about 70 parents supporting their children who are struggling with dyslexia, a learning disorder involving difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words.