Summer 2009
Scholarships for MSLE Teacher Training

Are you thinking about adding multisensory structured language education (MSLE) to your teacher "tool kit?" For many years, NCBIDA has supported teachers who want to learn MSLE by offering partial scholarships to help offset the considerable costs of these training programs. MSLE is a systematic approach to teaching reading, writing, and spelling that benefits all students. It has been shown to be the most effective way to teach children with dyslexia, a language-based learning disability that affects up to 20 percent of the U.S. population.

In Summer 2009 we will once again offer scholarships to teachers who enroll in programs that meet our training criteria. Check our website for details on scheduled programs; we will post the information as it becomes available, along with information on how to apply for a scholarship.

In the meantime, here is a sampling of what the seven local teachers who received scholarships in Summer 2008 had to say about their Slingerland MSLE training:

"The proof is always how my students respond. The light bulbs are starting to go on. For the first time I had three students who didn't seem excited about reading group say, "Oh, I get it!" These kids all have reading fluency about half of what it should be but had never experienced someone breaking it down for them into easier chunks of learning."

"(The training) provided a chance to get a firm grounding in a reading methodology that is both comprehensive and adaptable. Simple techniques I learned in the course—such as having my student use the side of her hand to keep her place—keep her from pointing to one word at a time and help her learn to read in phrases."

"The Slingerland training I received this past summer was invaluable... I have been able to use each component of this multisensory sequential instruction and have witnessed this approach allow students to make significant progress in reading, writing, and spelling. The best part is seeing a student that had given up, or just guessed at words when reading, now become excited because he has learned strategies that allow him to succeed."

NCBIDA welcomes tax-deductible donations to our teacher training scholarship fund. Donations can be made online (please check off the box indicating the donation is for the scholarship fund). You may also mail a check payable to NCBIDA with "Scholarship Fund" written on the memo line to NCBIDA, PO Box 5010, San Mateo, CA 94402-0010. The NCBIDA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its Federal ID number is 94-2384215.