Early Literacy Screener

Highline will screen students in kindergarten through 2nd grade for early identification of learning difficulties associated with Dyslexia.

What is Dyslexia?

As defined by the state, “Dyslexia is a specific learning disorder that is neurological in origin and that is characterized by unexpected difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities that are not consistent with the person's intelligence, motivation, and sensory capabilities. 

These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological components of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge ”

Early Literacy Screening

If your child has an issue with fluency and word recognition, they may display characteristics of dyslexia or may not have had adequate opportunity to learn word-recognition skills. 

Screening will help school staff quickly identify students who may have significant difficulties in reading and writing. 

We will use the following tools to screen students. Tools will vary depending on state requirements and grade levels. The timeline of requirements by grade levels can be found in the OSPI Timeline by grade level K, 1, 2. 

• WA Kids: phonological awareness, letter-sound 
• i-Ready: phonological awareness, phonics and comprehension
• RAN: Rapid Automatized Naming (K-1)
  • Grades K–2 Offline Screening Tasks: Following a research-based sequence, focus skills and tasks may vary by grade and time of year: 
  • Grade K: RAN
  • Grade 1: Letter Naming Fluency or Oral Reading Fluency focusing on Word Reading Fluency
  • Grade 2: Oral Reading Fluency covering Word Reading Fluency or Passage Reading Fluency
  • Grade 3: Oral Reading Fluency of Passages and Spelling/Encoding for select students
• IRLA/ENIL: Independent reading level assessment 
• PAST: Phonemic awareness screening test

What does screening mean for our multilingual learners?

• Children who are learning English are just as likely to have dyslexia as their native-English-speaking counterparts. Methods of identifying dyslexia in these students may be different and rely on examining their abilities in their home language. See Dyslexia Screening with Multilingual Learners for more information. 
• English dyslexia screening takes place when K-2 students meet specific levels of English proficiency as measured by WIDA (Minimum Level of English Proficiency on a WIDA) or at the end of 2nd grade.
• Multilingual learners at all levels of English proficiency should receive core instruction and assessment in the foundational skills of reading. 
• Students in dual language programs will receive foundational skills instruction in both program languages.

Talking about Early Literacy Difficulties and Dyslexia

When students have early literacy challenges, it is important to talk about these challenges and work with school staff on how to best support development of literacy skills with early interventions. Family guidance from OSPI for families and teachers are available in the following resource: 

The Family and Caregiver Discussion Guide

Family and Caregiver Discussion Guide in Multiple Languages

Background - Why are we focusing on  Dyslexia? 

Washington passed a law in 2018 that requires schools to screen children in kindergarten through second grade for characteristics of dyslexia in their early literacy skills and to provide reading support for those who need it. The law takes effect in the 2021-22 school year. 

Schools are developing screening processes to monitor student progress and respond to students’ areas of need providing strong Multi-tiered systems of support.

Learn More-About Dyslexia and dyslexia screening on the OPSI Website