Evidence-based Instruction

Mission statement

We believe our students embrace their abilities to overcome challenges, empower growth, and forge strengths. SBISD Dyslexia. Empowering growth. Forging strengths.

We believe every child is unique and deserves to learn fundamental literacy skills in the best way they learn. Therefore, we provide a multisensory approach to teaching and learning. Our team is dedicated to serving students and teachers in a way that positively affects their lives.

Program purposes & goals

SBISD strives to ensure that students with dyslexia and dysgraphia receive an intensive, structured, explicit, yet targeted program that meets their specific needs. Strategies and accommodations are taught to improve student literacy skills, provide appropriate scaffolding supports, and promote independence and self-advocacy in the academic setting.

Evidence-based dyslexia instruction

TEA Dyslexia Handbook 2024 Update:  Critical, Evidenced Based Components Chapter 4

SBISD uses IMSE’s Orton Gillingham methodology, Esperanza, and Rewards to meet the criteria for evidence-based instruction for students with dyslexia and dysgraphia. All specialists are required to be trained in these methodologies before working with students.

IMSE Orton Gillingham Methodology

Institute for Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE)

  • SBISD’s evidence-based dyslexia program is founded on the research and instructional approaches of Orton-Gillingham. The program focuses on a multi-sensory, structured language approach utilizing methodologies and instructional strategies from The Institute for Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE).
  • IMSE’s evidence-based methodologies include the critical, evidence- based components of phonemic awareness, graphophonemic knowledge, language structure, linguistic patterns, and strategy-oriented instruction in decoding, encoding, word recognition, fluency, and comprehension (19 TAC §74.28).
  • IMSE’s Orton-Gillingham approach includes research based delivery of instruction by combining multi-sensory techniques (auditory, kinesthetic, visual) along with:
    • Systematic and cumulative
    • Explicit instruction
    • Diagnostic teaching to automaticity
    • Synthetic and analytic instruction
  • Instructional considerations for English Learners (ELs) with dyslexia may include building on a student’s native language knowledge and helping to transfer that knowledge to a second language.
  • IMSE is accredited by the International Dyslexia Association.

Esperanza Methodology

Valley Speech

The Esperanza program is a Spanish multisensory structured language approach for reading, writing, and spelling. The Esperanza program aims to provide a multisensory, sequential, systematic approach to achieving Spanish literacy. (Video of Dr. Cardenas)

History of the Program
The Esperanza program was first developed in 1996 to provide a systematic, sequential, and explicit approach to teaching Spanish literacy.  It is the only Spanish Orton-Gillingham program in the world. The program is evidence-based as it has been used in three national studies.  Dr. Kim Lindsay and Dr. Frank Manis from the University of Southern California describe some of the work. You can also read about the success of Perspectives, published by the International Dyslexia Association.

  • SBISD district guidelines state that Spanish-speaking students should receive instruction in L1 through the first semester of 2nd grade. This would apply to intervention as well.
  • For students beyond 2nd grade who are just entering dyslexia intervention, LPAC, language dominance data, informal sound assessments, and all other relevant data should be used to determine the language of intervention for bilingual students.

Rewards

Voyager Sopris Learning

The REWARDS program is offered at both the Intermediate and Secondary levels. The focus of both is decoding multisyllabic words, identifying and understanding prefixes and suffixes, increasing word and passage reading fluency, building academic vocabulary, deepening comprehension, and building confidence.

The essence of REWARDS is its rapid-paced, engaging, explicit instruction the teacher delivers. Quality, systematic instruction equals success: The program is designed for constant, consistent exchanges between teacher and student, which, research shows, is a winning combination.

More detailed information found in our SBISD Dyslexia Parent Handbook.