Several years ago, Bro. Lee R. Vent, 32°, K.C.C.H. (photo below left), Valley of West Memphis, Arkansas, became the Superintendent of a school district on the verge of being placed on the state's academic "Watch List"—the product of falling test scores and other indicators. As he worked to guide the district in being removed from the list, he also looked for the long-term reasons for falling test scores. He found the prevalence of low reading levels could be attributed in many cases to dyslexia.

"Needless to say," Bro. Vent said, "I was concerned when I found that almost half the students in the Forrest City schools have difficulty reading at all grade levels, yet reading is the key to developing higher level thinking skills and is paramount to the child's success in school."

After a year of researching solutions to the problem, he formed an alliance among the school district, the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas (TSRHC), Eastern Arkansas Scottish Rite, Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, and the Forrest City Education Foundation. A year-and-a-half after his efforts began, the resulting reading program is mushrooming and has the potential to spread throughout a state that has not yet officially recognized dyslexia as a learning disorder.

In Arkansas, 300,000 students are reading below grade level. The Reading Diagnostic Clinic at Harding, under the direction of Dr. Jeanine Peck, was already working on the problem. Through a special arrangement with Harding University, Dr. Peck was named as instructor for a program in Forrest City that would provide graduate-level instruction to teachers to help diagnose reading problems and work with students who have problems.

While the Forrest City Education Foundation agreed to devote $13,000 toward paying tuition for the teachers, Harding University agreed to reduce by half its tuition to Forrest City teachers. When they found out about the program, other schools districts in the region wanted some of their teachers included. In the first class for the program, 26 teachers enrolled and completed the course.

In addition to the students in the class, a number of other teachers and administrators participated in a two-day program conducted by Elizabeth Cantrill, a representative of TSRHC, who gave extensive guidance in identifying children with dyslexia and working with them. She also offered assistance in the use of the videotapes, provided by the hospital, which identify all the various forms of dyslexia and how to deal with them.

Through Dr. Peck's class, a major thrust of the program was the method developed through the Reading Diagnostic Clinic. Called "Teaching Ready the RIGHT (Reading Individuals Gain Higher-level Thinking) Way," this method views the teacher as the key motivation for success of the student. The Forrest City School District has become the first to incorporate the principles of the program into its reading curriculum.

The goal of the efforts of all involved in this new course is to focus on corrective procedures in the early grades in order to provide the means for success in the learning process as students enter middle school. The course will be offered again during the spring semester, with 25 new teachers presently committed to enroll in the course. Also, the 26 teachers who took the course in the fall will enroll in a follow-up practicum course designed to help teachers implement and continue increasing specific techniques in order to support teachers who are committed to meet the needs of children with reading disabilities. For the next semester, about 75 teachers have committed to being involved in the continuation of the program, indicating that long-term results will be seen in the children served by the teachers.

Illustrious Dwane F. Treat, 33°, S.G.I.G. in the Orient of Arkansas, said "I want to congratulate the Forrest City School District, Harding University, TSRHC, all the teachers involved in this fine program and, in particular, Brother Vent, who is also the Wise Master of the Valley of Eastern Arkansas, for their outstanding leadership in developing and coordinating this unique teacher training program. There is no doubt that many children who are handicapped with dyslexia will receive great benefits from your efforts." 

Steve Murray  has taught journalism at Forrest City High School for three years, and he writes for The Memphis Commercial Appeal and The Forrest City Times–Herald. Previously, he served in administration with East Arkansas Community College. The first phase of the program described in the article above has been recorded in a two-hour videotape. Copies are available for $15.00 each. Please write to the address at the head of this article.