The Lexington School Offers Free Early Reading Screenings

The Learning Center at The Lexington School has announced a community-wide free Early Reading Screening Program to help children in kindergarten through third grade who may have language-based learning differences such as dyslexia.

Open to the public, the free screenings are offered every Wednesday, 1-5 p.m. at The Lexington School at 1050 Lane Allen Road.

The screenings take approximately 45-60 minutes. Although they do not provide a specific diagnosis, the assessments are conducted by a trained expert in the field of language-based learning differences.

The screenings provide efficient testing of early literacy skills and offer immediate feedback followed by a written report.

Recommendations for work in the classroom and at home are also offered.

Recent studies indicate that up to 10% of American school children have some type of learning difficulty.

Most often, the learning differences are language-based, making it difficult for students to read, write and spell.

Nearly four out of every five children with a learning difference find reading to be challenging.

The latest research shows that early intervention in the primary grades can prevent reading problems for most children and significantly reduce the number of students diagnosed with language-based learning differences.

Studies conducted by Dr. Nadine Gaab from Boston’s Children’s Hospital show the brain to have the greatest “plasticity” when children are in kindergarten and first grade.

This is the most opportune and effective time for reading intervention.

“Since the inception of The Learning Center, very few students in first and second grade come to us from outside The Lexington School,” said Jane Childers, Director of the Early Reading Screenings Program.

“Those who come in third or fourth grade have experienced failure to a degree that makes remediation much more difficult.

“Often, schools wait until a student is significantly below grade level before administering any screening or intervention.

“This ‘wait to fail’ approach is hard on kids and is what has driven me to make these screenings available.”

Early intervention allows students to get help before reading problems become embedded and complicated by self-awareness issues.

It can impact how children think, learn and who they are as they grow older.

“The earlier the better, regardless of whether or not students are at The Learning Center,” Childers said.

“This program is designed to reach our community more broadly and to help children and families before things get really difficult.”

Info: Contact Jane Childers at (859) 278-0501, ext. 1101 or register at this link lexingtonschool.formstack.com/forms/early_reading_screening.