Let the Journey Begin!
To meet the dyslexia law and under the instruction of Nancy Coffman-Trainer (Director of Shelton Academic Reading Approach), the Marion School District has sent seven interventionist to become Certified Academic Language Therapists. The type of therapy the MSD interventionist will provide is therapeutic for students with dyslexia. AR Code § 6-41-602 (2014) requires districts to provide training for interventionists.
The Shelton Academic Reading Approach (SARA) an IMSLEC and IDA accredited course utilizing structured, multi-sensory language instruction based on the Alphabetic Phonics approach for teaching reading, handwriting, spelling, comprehension and written expression for students with specific language disabilities, such as dyslexia and related disorders. SARA also introduces participants to concepts related to the identification of a student with specific language disabilities. SARA utilizes the Take Flight: A Comprehensive Intervention for Students with dyslexia program developed at Texas Sottish Rite Hospital.
MSD certified interventionists will complete a 200 hour course over the next two years. Upon completion of the two-year course and the practicum, seven certified interventionists will be eligible to sit for the Alliance National Registration Exam and gain national certification throughout the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA) and refer to themselves as Certified Academic Language Therapists (CALT).
Pictured L to R:
Elizabeth Creel, Amber Jones, Sheree Love, Emily Stewart, Nancy Coffman-Trainer - MS, CALT, QI(Director of Shelton Academic Reading Approach), Mallory Cupples, Patricia Wilson-School Improvement Specialist, and Sheri Tacker.
