Friends Academy is offering free literacy screenings to families with children in Kindergarten through sixth grade to measure their child’s development of literacy skills, including reading, spelling, and written expression. The literacy screenings will kick off in October, which is Dyslexia Awareness Month.

“We are offering these screenings to the community because we know the need exists to identify younger children who are at risk for difficulty in learning to read,” said Kendal Martes, director of outreach at Friends Academy and a certified speech-language pathologist. “We hope to bring awareness of how common dyslexia and related learning differences are, and to empower caregivers and educators to support these learners.”

Dyslexia affects an estimated 5-17% of children in the general population. It is typically diagnosed after a child has struggled to learn how to read – even though dyslexic students usually show signs of difficulty well before then. Literacy screenings can help identify reading challenges as early as Kindergarten, when research shows intervention is most effective. 

Although the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requires literacy screenings for all public school students in grades K-3, implementation varies widely from district to district, and screenings may not capture the needs of students who have already passed the recommended age.

The literacy screenings are available to students who are not enrolled at Friends Academy. During the 45-minute screenings, children will be administered various assessments that will be tailored to their current developmental and/or grade level. Screenings will take place one Saturday per month at Friends Academy, located at 1088 Tucker Rd. in North Dartmouth. 

Screenings are performed by faculty from the Sally Borden Program, an integrated program at Friends Academy for students with language-based learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia. Friends also runs Sally Borden Connect, which offers support services such as tutoring, assessments, and summer programs for children with language-based learning differences.

These screenings will provide families with a snapshot of their child’s literacy skills and are intended to determine the risk of dyslexia. Given the results, families can then plan the next steps, such as requesting a meeting with their child’s school, further evaluation, or tutoring. Friends Academy may also provide recommendations for evaluators and educational advocates so families can make decisions about appropriate education choices for their child.

“Our end goal is to provide the families with information that will help them better understand their child and get them what they need to be successful,” Ms. Martes said.

Families who are interested should complete this literacy screening form. They will be asked to describe their child’s situation and list any evaluations or services their child has received. Friends Academy staff will review the information to determine if a literacy screening is appropriate; if so, an evaluator will contact families to sign up for a date and time.