Read to Learn

Screening program helps students with dyslexia bring confidence to their 'inner voice'

From the spring 2026 issue of Sacred Heart University Magazine

Key Highlights

• Sacred Heart University and The Southport School have partnered to provide early dyslexia and reading screenings for young children while giving SHU education students valuable clinical experience
• Early identification of dyslexia is critical, as timely intervention can prevent long-term reading difficulties and improve children's academic success, confidence, and emotional well-being
• The program screens children from pre-K through third grade, helping families identify reading challenges before students fall significantly behind in literacy development

For children with undiagnosed dyslexia, school may feel like a Sisyphean task. By the third grade, they may be left behind—and they notice it. Trying hard every day and still feeling like they are falling short can take a toll on their sense of self-worth. Under the quiet weight of frustration and shame, they may even start to throw toddler-like tantrums, ask frequently to go to the nurse, or try to avoid school altogether.

“It can be a devastating time for both children and their families,” says Professor Katie Cunningham of Sacred Heart’s Farrington College of Education & Human Development.

Early dyslexia detection, coupled with well-designed, high-quality teaching, can catch readers before they fall and reduce children’s risk of reading comprehension difficulties as they get older. But detection isn’t always easy. A short-staffed school, overwhelmed professionals, or a student compensating in areas of strength can all mask reading difficulties associated with dyslexia, which can be experienced by up to two in 10 people.

The Southport School (TSS)—an independent day school dedicated to educating students with learning differences—is working to identify students with reading difficulties early. For the last four years, Sacred Heart University has partnered with TSS to offer early reading screenings to local children. At the same time, TSS is partnering with SHU’s teacher education program to help prepare exceptional classroom teachers able to identify warning signs associated with reading difficulty and provide systematic early literacy instruction for all children.

^{Early Signals: Teaching professionals identify reading challenges through literacy screening and intervention programs at The Southport School}

The Case for Early Screening

Cunningham’s understanding of the struggles children and families face when seeking a dyslexia diagnosis comes from firsthand knowledge; her son has dyslexia and attended TSS. She knows how fortunate she was to get him early intervention and the support he needed.

Teachers at TSS meet the needs of students with dyslexia by using methods grounded in the science of reading, including Orton-Gillingham, an instructional approach to reading, and specialized programs that build literacy, language, and executive function skills.

“The challenge we are meeting really focuses on immersing our children in a program that utilizes research-based approaches that help them learn best,” says Jeff Ruggiero, executive director of academic programs and research at TSS. “We build skills, help them understand how they learn and help them become independent thinkers, learners, and problem-solvers.”

Through The Southport CoLAB, the research arm of the school, teachers access cutting-edge learning science and ongoing professional development, empowering them to continuously integrate the latest strategies into daily instruction.

“My son’s experience at TSS was nothing short of life-changing,” says Cunningham. Her son attended the school from fourth to sixth grade. “Once his academic skills were properly supported, his confidence grew, his inner voice changed, and his entire outlook on life changed with it.”

A Partnership Takes Shape

In 2023, TSS was looking for a way to expand its early reading screening program so more children from pre-K to third grade could get tested and start receiving intervention. The program is advertised through TSS’s website, its social media channels, and community event calendars. Cunningham knew she could help and recruited her education students who were seeking clinical hours to see if they would participate.

Two students signed up at TSS: Cassidy MacNamara and Cassidy Lombardo. Known affectionately as “The Cassidys,” they observed screenings, received training, and administered the tests to students at Adam J. Lewis Academy and Catholic Academy in Bridgeport. The screening assessment is conducted on an iPad and is set up like a video game. Each question is posted as a challenge where the student’s avatar receives a prize. The avatar, known as Pip, collects prizes on the way to a pond so he can sail his boat. It’s through this game that children are tested on phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Over the next few years, more SHU students volunteered to administer the screenings. Some earned clinical hours in TSS classrooms and saw how teachers worked with students with dyslexia and ADHD.

“They deserve to see instruction in action and learn how to meet the needs of diverse learners,” Ruggiero says. “We are strengthening their teacher preparation.”

Ruggiero has worked at the school for 35 years. Training SHU students in TSS’s approaches gives them a stronger understanding of how young brains develop and how to support students with reading challenges. “They will become better teachers,” he says.

After the screenings, Ruggiero follows up with children’s parents to discuss the results, what they mean, and the next steps for support. He says the screeners can reassure parents that their child’s reading skills are developing appropriately. They can also identify some reading vulnerabilities and specific reading skills that may need more attention.

“They are giving families the data they need to better advocate for their kids,” Cunningham says. “The TSS screenings are a tremendous service to families to get information on how their children process spoken and written language.”

Ruggiero says the 30-minute reviews with parents provide context to their child’s reading development.

“The more students we can train, the more impact we can have on this field,” Ruggiero adds. “Without SHU, we wouldn’t be able to screen as many children.”

Learning by Doing

When she signed up to administer reading screenings at TSS, Lombardo never thought it would be so consequential. After Lombardo graduated with her master’s degree in elementary education and special education, Cunningham let her know about an associate teacher position open at TSS. Lombardo said she couldn’t believe it. She applied and got the job. For nearly a year, she trained, worked as a substitute teacher, observed other classrooms, and saw TSS in motion. She later took over for a teacher who went on maternity leave, and then recently was hired as a full-time sixth-grade teacher teaching literacy and language, writing, and math.

“I love the environment of the school,” says Lombardo. “The small classrooms—you really get to know the students and see how they progress.”

Chelsy Jovel, a junior studying elementary education, recently began administering the screenings with the TSS staff and feels she’s made an impact on the children of the community in a short time.

“It has been incredibly rewarding to be part of this program,” Jovel says. “Experiences like this remind me why I chose this path.”