DORA Dyslexia Screener

“Universal screening and diagnostic assessment data must inform student strengths and needs that then become the focus of instruction and intervention” (Science of Reading, Defining Guide, 2021).

Dyslexia is a reading disability that makes it difficult for students to master foundations skills related to reading. That’s why LGL developed DORA DS, an online diagnostic assessment that quickly identifies students in grade level K-3 who show risk factors for dyslexia.

The screener identifies K-3 students with difficulties identifying letters of the alphabet. For example, during the screening process, a student hears,“Click on the uppercase letter E.” Students then select a letter from the choices.

Our screening tool analyzes phonemic awareness skills important in the development of foundational reading skills. For example, the student hears, “Combine the sounds /d/ /o/ /g/. What word do you hear?” The faces on screen wiggle and the student clicks each one to listen to a different word. The student then clicks the face that has the audio that blends the phonemes correctly.

As part of our assessment process, DORA DS provides a short bubble-popping test. This allows us to identify false low scores for students who may not be developmentally ready to follow online instructions.

Dyslexia is a neurobiological learning disorder that impacts reading proficiency but has no connection to overall intelligence. Not only does it impact about 20% of the U.S. student population, it is the most common learning disability, affecting 80-90 % of all those with a learning disorder. Moreover, of the student population with IEPs, 68% have dyslexia.

Because dyslexia is so common and can have such a serious impact on academic performance, it’s critical that teachers and parents have a good understanding of the signs of dyslexia. Early identification means early intervention.

Symptoms that may indicate dyslexia present in many different ways. In preschool, children may have difficulty learning the alphabet or of finding or making rhymes. As they enter kindergarten and first grade, they may struggle to relate letters to sounds or sounds to words.

At the same time, student may have a great oral vocabulary and listening comprehension. Students with dyslexia may have strengths related to math and display originality, creativity, oral language skills, and problem solving. If dyslexia is left untended, student strengths may go unnoticed with serious academic and personal outcomes.

To ensure the academic success of all students, dyslexia screening measures should include all K-3 students. According to Education Week, 41 states now have legislation mandating dyslexia screening. Districts in these states must now offer quick assessments of the following skills: phonemic and phonological awareness, sound symbol recognition, alphabet knowledge, decoding and encoding skills, and rapid naming skills.

—For more on dyslexia, go to The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity.

A diagnosis of dyslexia can have far-reaching personal and socio-economic consequences. It increases the likelihood of “low self-esteem, behavior problems, anxiety, aggression, and withdrawal from friends, parents, and teachers” (Mayo Clinic). A 2020 study of the impact of children with dyslexia found “The life quality of children with learning disabilities is worse than that of typical development children, and the severity of learning disabilities is positively correlated with a poor quality of life” (Huang et al., 2020).

The economic impact of dyslexia also may have a serious economic consequence. The Boston Consulting Group found that in 2020 alone, dyslexia and its consequences cost California an estimated 12 billion. Early screening and teacher training “would provide an astonishing 800% to 2000% return.”

Most dyslexia screeners are available only in print. Those that have partial digital implementations such as Shaywitz Dyslexia Screener present administration challenges or interpretation of special scoring options.

• Print screeners may take 3-4 hours to administer
• Most require teacher training or a professional administrator
• Reporting by ed tech company may take weeks to reach the district