Scientists have also discarded another old stereotype, that almost all dyslexics are boys. At the same time, educational researchers have come up with innovative teaching strategies for kids who are having trouble learning to read. New screening tests are pinpointing children at risk before they get discouraged by years of frustration and failure. And educators are trying to get the message to parents that they should be on the alert for the first signs of potential problems. It's an urgent mission.
Mass literacy is a relatively new social goal.
A hundred years ago people didn't need to be good readers in order to earn a living. But in the Information Age, no one can get by without knowing how to read well and understand increasingly complex material. These skills don't come easily to about 20 percent of kids. Not all of these youngsters are dyslexic. Researchers now think that dyslexia represents the low end of a continuum of reading ability.