State Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth) sits as chair of the House Education Committee on April 11, 2024, in Sterling Heights.
LANSING, Mich., Sept. 25, 2024 — The Michigan House of Representatives passed a package of legislation aimed to support student literacy today. The package includes Senate Bill 567, which will mandate Michigan schools to pre-screen students for characteristics of dyslexia and phonics-based reading, and SB 568, which will require the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) to approve teaching programs only if they include instructional materials for students with dyslexia. The package will also order MDE to research and provide evidence-based reading curricula shown to improve literacy to help schools build course materials for literacy-challenged students.
State Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth), chair of the House Education Committee, expressed his support for the package as a needed resource for all students struggling with reading.
“Reading is essential to kids’ success in all subjects, so it is important to catch signs of dyslexia and the need for phonics-based reading early on to ensure every child has an equitable pathway to literacy,” Koleszar said. “Every child learns differently, and early readers of all ages deserve to access an education that matches their learning needs. These bills will not only ensure every child’s literacy goals are prioritized, but adequately support teachers by providing evidence-based decoding and word-recognition materials for our educators to use.”
The legislation will enforce dyslexia screening three times a year between kindergarten and third grade, as well as for older students who demonstrate behaviors associated with dyslexia.
“The time is now to tackle gaps in literacy, and that starts with understanding how we can adequately accommodate learning differences,” state Rep. Carol Glanville (D-Walker) said. “Our teachers and students deserve expert advice, support and readily available materials to ensure every student can achieve literacy. My colleagues and I are taking action to improve this state’s reading scores, setting our kids on a path to lifetime success.”
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