Fortune Academy recently celebrated Dyslexia Awareness Month. Statistics for the United States show that Dyslexia is the most common learning difference in students, noting that 1 in 5 students experience Dyslexia in some form. According to the Dyslexia Resource, Dyslexia affects the organization in the brain that controls the ability to process the way language is heard, spoken, read, or spelled. Dyslexia can also manifest in difficulties with working memory, attention, and organization. So, a dyslexic brain functions differently. Dyslexia is not tied to intellectual ability or IQ. Dyslexic actor Henry Winkler, aka “the Fonz from the beloved show Happy Days, once said in an interview, “ How you learn has nothing to do with how brilliant you are!” Many dyslexics are very bright and creative and go on to accomplish great things as adults.
For these 1 in 5 students, the type of reading instruction they receive in the classroom makes all the difference. Using a multisensory, structured, systematic approach like Orton Gillingham gives students the support they need to succeed. At Fortune Academy, we are committed to providing the necessary intervention for these 1 in 5 students. Students are immersed in academic intervention throughout their entire school day under the instruction of our highly trained staff. We also know that Dyslexia is a lifelong learning difference that doesn’t go away once a student learns to read. Our teachers continue to use the Orton Gillingham instructional approach to hone further those skills students need to be competent and confident lifelong learners.
Will you join us in celebrating our amazing students and their ability to persevere, practice, and overcome their learning differences to pursue their dreams? Will you share the difference that Fortune Academy makes for the 1 in 5 students affected by Dyslexia? Will you support our efforts by making it possible for students to afford this life-changing education? May our awareness of the impact of Dyslexia call us to action to make a difference.
To find out more about Fortune Academy academic intervention programs and how you can support our efforts, please visit our website www.thefortuneacademy.org
