dyslexia

Gov. Evers signed a bipartisan bill that makes changes to reading instruction in schools. It’s something parents of children with dyslexia have been asking for.

A bill that advocates say will help struggling readers was passed on the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly floor this week.

In early February, Gov. Tony Evers signed Wisconsin’s first dyslexia law. It requires the Department of Public Instruction to create a guidebook about the…

Wisconsin now has its first dyslexia-specific law on the books — giving hope to advocates who’ve been fighting for greater recognition of the common learning disability. Act 86 calls for the creation of a dyslexia guidebook for school districts. Gov. Tony Evers signed the bill into law Wednesday morning, tying it to Wisconsin’s push to improve students’ reading abilities.

Legislation aimed at helping dyslexic students in Wisconsin cleared a major hurdle last month when it was approved by the State Assembly. The bill is now in the Senate’s hands. From there, it would go to Gov. Tony Evers, and potentially become Wisconsin’s first dyslexia-specific law.

In Wisconsin, all eyes have been on the state budget and the question of what Gov. Tony Evers will do with Republicans’ version of the two-year spending plan. But that’s not the only work happening in the Capitol. Last week, the Assembly advanced a handful of bills that would impact schools and teachers.

Families of children with dyslexia want Wisconsin lawmakers to do more to help struggling readers.

Dyslexia is a common learning disorder that inhibits a person’s ability to connect written text to spoken language. It’s likely one major reason why 65 percent of Wisconsin fourth graders don’t meet proficiency standards on national reading assessments.