Reading support close to home
Reading and comprehension are critical skills that we use in our everyday lives. For some, reading comes easily, and for others, it can be a challange.
In some cases, dyslexia might be the cause of that struggle. We are working to change their experiences for the better. Thanks to a donor, we are have partnered with Aspire Academy Northeast, which to trains local residents to be dyslexia tutors and provide services locally.
Why It Matters
We are looking to make a positive impact on the needs of community members who have dyslexia.
Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability impacting 15 to 20% of the population and accounting for 85% of all learning disabilities, according to Yale University.
However, the Dubuque region has historically lacked in resources for those in the community with this learning disability. The closest dyslexia tutoring centers are 90 minutes away, and are located in places like Madison, Wisconsin; Urbandale, Iowa; and Minnesota. Tutoring is typically required twice a week, making these resources inaccessable for most families in the Dubuque region due to the time commitment for travel.
Furthermore, some of the centers have waitlists of up to two years, meaning children who need services now will be at further risk of learning loss as they await availability.
People with learning disabilities like dyslexia not only struggle academically, but they are also at a 46% higher risk of suicide ideation.
Our Unique Role
Based on the Yale data, we estimate that about 5,600 children and 14,000 adults in Dubuque County alone have some level of dyslexia. In the city of Dubuque, about 11,700 adults and children are affected.
We are proud to partner with Aspire Academy Northeast to bring tutoring and screening services for children in kindergarten through high school to our community. Tutors are trained in the Wilson Reading System, an Orton-Gillingham method, and work one-on-one in person with students.
61 students screened to date
44 students receiving twice-weekly tutoring
Students receiving tutoring see significant progress in the areas of word recognition, spelling, and phonemic awareness, goinng from the bottom of their class to confidently tackling grade-level material—the difference between barely reading and thriving academically
Partner organizations provide on-site tutoring: Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dubuque, Dubuque Community Schools, Dubuque-area libraries, Northeast Iowa Community College, Dubuque Dream Academy
Tutoring extended to Allamakee and Jones counties