Michigan Moves to Pass Dyslexia Bills: A Leap Forward in Literacy Instruction

Michigan is on the brink of a significant breakthrough in literacy education, thanks to the relentless efforts of “science of reading” advocates who have propelled dyslexia bills further than ever before. These transformative bills, now in the House Education Committee after a successful Senate vote, could soon become law, marking a pivotal shift in how Michigan approaches reading education for students with dyslexia. The crux of the proposed legislation lies in mandating Michigan’s K-12 public schools and teacher preparation programs to adopt the principles of the science of reading. This comprehensive body of knowledge emphasizes phonics as a foundational component of reading instruction, coupled with building vocabulary and background knowledge. Senator Jeff Irwin, a Democrat from Ann Arbor and a long-time champion of this cause, passionately articulated the necessity of phonics during his testimony. “I’m not here to argue that phonics is the only fundamental skill,” he stated. “And I’m not here to argue that it’s the only thing that we need to be teaching kids. I’m here to argue that it is a fundamental skill, and it is a thing that we must be attending to, and that by failing to attend to it, we miss a lot.” The...