By the time they leave kindergarten, kids are supposed to have learned the building blocks of literacy.
They should be able to connect letters to sounds and spell simple words like "cat" and "book."
But for an estimated one in five children with dyslexia, those basic skills aren't so easy to master.
Without extra help, dyslexic children can face a lifetime of learning difficulties.
And many parents and advocates say that Michigan schools aren't equipped to provide the kind of extra help dyslexic students need.
Caroline Kaganov? is one of those parents. Her son Evan just finished first grade at Bach Elementary School in Ann Arbor and was diagnosed with severe dyslexia.
Kaganov and speech pathologist Dr. Joanne Pierson joined us today to talk about what dyslexic students need to succeed and whether Michigan schools are meeting those needs.
GUESTS Caroline Kaganov is the mother of a dyslexic child. Dr. Joanne Pierson is a speech pathologist and founding partner of the Literacy, Language, and Learning Institute based in Ann Arbor. She's also the project manager for the University of Michigan's DyslexiaHelp project.
Support for State of Opportunity comes from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, a partner with communities where children come first.
