Bills that would screen Michigan elementary school students for signs of dyslexia are on their way to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s desk.
The Michigan House and Senate approved the legislation this week that signals the start of a major shift in how the state’s public schools approach reading instruction. It would build the foundation of an approach that emphasizes what’s now called the “science of reading”—a catch-all term that essentially boils down to phonics, and the decoding skills that a growing body of brain research suggests are the key to basic literacy skills.
People with dyslexia struggle with decoding, but while an estimated 1 in 5 children have characteristics of the reading disorder, many are never screened or diagnosed. And in Michigan, few educators have been trained to spot early warning signs.
This legislation seeks to correct that by providing instruction to new and existing teachers. It would also align the benchmark assessments that elementary students already take three times a year with science of reading-based test content, and ensure that children who show signs of the dyslexia are provided with the proper support. Their belief is that children with dyslexia who receive early intervention and systematic, phonics-based reading instruction can go on to become capable readers.
State Senator Dayna Polehanki, a Democrat and sponsor of one of the bills in the two-bill package, is a former high school teacher. She said that during her time as an educator, “I wasn't trained in dyslexia, and it was rarely mentioned. But I do know that there were a lot of kids that I had who struggled to read.
“And what I now know is those kids who--I could see it on their faces--they just thought they were dumb,” Polehanki continued. “I wonder how many kids of mine--and I can see them each year, in my mind's eye, struggling to read--actually had dyslexia and we didn't catch it.”
The bills passed overwhelmingly in a rare show of bipartisan consensus in both the House and Senate. Both were championed by the Michigan Department of Education and state Board of Education, who see this as a pathway to boost Michigan’s flagging reading test scores.
“Kids won today,” State Superintendent Michael Rice said in a statement. “This legislation will help educators substantially improve reading for children in the state. Literacy is the foundation of learning. Improving it will help children in school and throughout their adult lives.”
For others, the issue was more personal. Before the Senate voted on the bills Thursday, State Senator Jim Runsted, a Republican, revealed that he has dyslexia. He recalled struggling to read until he received phonics-based instruction.
“When you have dyslexia, a lot of the stuff doesn’t make sense,” Runsted said. “But when you start learning phonetics and phonics and they're walking you through it, you start decoding. And it broke free for me.”
Despite the overwhelming support the legislation ultimately received, the push to make serious statewide changes to early reading instruction has taken years to come to fruition. While the idea was supported by a number of experts and individual educators, it was opposed by many Intermediate School Districts and groups representing school administrators. They argued it would put additional burdens and new, more restrictive demands on teachers and school districts.
They also questioned whether there are enough support staff, like literacy coaches, to comply with the law’s requirements. Lawmakers, conceding that the legislation does require some sweeping changes, delayed implementation until the start of the 2027-2028 school year.
The bills now await Governor Whitmer’s signature. She issued a supportive statement on Thursday.
“Today’s commonsense, bipartisan package will allow teachers and tutors to use proven science of reading strategies to improve literacy,” Whitmer said. “It will also strengthen professional development for our educators and more support and screening for dyslexia and other learning challenges.
“I am grateful to Senator Jeff Irwin, Senator Dayna Polehanki, all my partners in the Michigan Legislature on both sides of the aisle, and so many stakeholders who prioritized this issue. Together, we will help even more students read at higher levels and move our state forward.”
