A new law focused on addressing dyslexia, literacy, and reading intervention and testing efforts is being implemented in schools across Michigan.
Senator Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) sponsored bipartisan legislation that became the basis for the state’s K-12 literacy and dyslexia law.
“The new law weaves the science of reading into early elementary literacy education,” Irwin said. The science of reading is a research-based approach that argues phonics and decoding skills are the key to unlocking kids’ reading ability.
Irwin said phonics emphasis in the early grades is going to help all kids, especially those 1 in 5 who aren’t dramatically affected, but who still have characteristics of dyslexia that influence their learning.
He said the law includes early literacy educator training so teachers are equipped with techniques that emphasize phonics and when students are having trouble decoding words. It also allocates time and money for assessments of kids’ decoding skills.
Heather Weisenburger is a reading interventionist at Central Elementary, part of Grandville Public Schools. She said her job is focused on providing support for students who are struggling with reading.
Weisenburger said she’s already doing a lot of the things the law requires, including universal testing. “Coding instruction, rotary reading, phonics for reading … we're trained in all that stuff.”
Weisenburger said their work helps detect kids who are struggling early. “We don't want to wait until third grade to find out they can't read. We want to know from the get go.”
“Kids can't just get an intervention and be fixed. They also need additional support in other areas in order for them to make gains,” Weisenburger said.
“There’s always room for improvement and growth,” she continued. “I feel like we need to make sure that teachers understand the characteristics of dyslexia. A lot of my job at Central is helping not only students be placed and have interventions, but helping teachers to get stronger in how they're able to teach to help those kids.”
Roger Bearup, the Superintendent for Grandville Public Schools, said the law is meant to provide a consistent baseline for schools across the state. He said Grandville has intervention and screening systems in place, but it’s inconsistent across districts and classrooms. He said some districts are worried that the law will create an expectation for improvement without funding.
According to a press release from the Michigan Department of Education, in the 2027-28 school year public schools will be required to:
- Screen students in kindergarten through third grade for characteristics of dyslexia three times per school year
- Ensure that reading intervention is provided to all K-12 students who demonstrate characteristics of dyslexia from screening assessments
- Use a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework to organize classroom and intervention instruction
- Provide literacy consultants, teachers, and other instructional staff with professional learning on characteristics of dyslexia
“We've got a lot of kids who are falling through the cracks right now because they're not getting their decoding skills early enough to help them in their reading journey,” Irwin said. “And if we can identify more of those kids, we can give them the help they need when it's most effective.”
Irwin said the law will go into effect over the next three years. “We knew that changing a significant portion of the approach around early literacy education would take some time. We also knew that it takes time to educate teachers and to pick new qualifying assessments.”
Weisenburger said she wished all schools could get reading interventionists, because it’s hard for teachers to do on their own. “I do worry sometimes about schools that haven't gotten started on some of these things,” she said. “I think it's going to be tough for them, and we’ve got to give them some growth and guidance to help them put these things in place.”
Irwin said that the Michigan Department of Education is in the process of reviewing and approving the assessments that are to be included as part of the new law.
“I think we need to recognize how reading challenges can affect kids' discipline, attentiveness, and their ability to be successful in school,” Irwin said. “With reading, but with every other subject and with their interactions with their peers and their school.”
“Reading is fundamental. If we're going to have a free quality public education for every child in Michigan, it has to deliver on literacy.”
