In its second year, T.K. Martin Center’s IGNITE Dyslexia Program continues to offer services to students across the state

Contact: Camille Carskadon

STARKVILLE, Miss.— After a successful first year, Mississippi State University’s IGNITE Dyslexia Program, housed in the College of Education’s T.K. Martin Center, continues to offer support to students throughout the state.

“In our first year, we’ve done amazing things with this program. We started with a grant from Families First for Mississippi. The first grant was for the summer reading program, and it was such a success that we were able to get a grant for the school year,” said Kathy Prater reading specialist and dyslexia interventionist for the program.

Thanks to the Families First grant, Prater and her staff who serve as reading coaches can serve 45 students each week and have recently extended hours to accommodate more students.

“The IGNITE Dyslexia Clinic is designed to identify students with reading difficulties and assist these individuals in developing a love of learning through reading and writing. The need for this service is great as 1 in 5 individuals have dyslexia or other reading difficulties,” said Janie Cirlot-New, Director of the T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability.

Throughout the school year, IGNITE interventionists supplement learning during the school day, or after school as needed through the Barton Reading and Spelling System a reading therapy program based on the Orton-Gillingham Approach, a multi-sensory program that combines visual, auditory and tactile/kinesthetic learning. By the time a student finishes the program, they are reading on an adult level and can read anything that’s put in front of them. Once a student completes all 10 levels, they graduate from the program.

In addition to  the reading therapy program the clinic offers a summer reading camp that starts in June and runs for eight weeks. During that time campers hear from different departments on campus which has included landscape architecture, entomology and art.

“We use what they are interested in to help them learn. Doing things in ways they connect to is important because the more exposure and repetition they get the easier it is for their brains to grab onto that information. When you allow them to think and learn the way they do best they shine,” said Prater.

Established in 1903, MSU’s College of Education is now home to six academic departments, one research unit and numerous service units. For more about the college, visit//www.educ.msstate.edu/.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.