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Across nearly every state, new is reshaping the way schools approach reading instruction, aiming to improve outcomes for all students, including those with dyslexia, by requiring evidence-based teaching practices. It鈥檚 an exciting moment, and policymakers taking action to support stronger reading skills is something to celebrate.

But here鈥檚 the truth: Policies don鈥檛 teach kids, teachers do. For these new laws to make a real difference, schools have to pair them with the right tools. That means making sure teachers have the training, curriculum and ongoing support they need to turn policy into progress and to help every child become a confident reader.

Like , my son has dyslexia. That means I know firsthand how frustrating it can be for kids when they don’t have the tools needed to succeed.

As early as preschool, I could see my son was challenged in a way other children weren鈥檛. Although he was bright, curious, and articulate, he couldn鈥檛 connect letters and sounds. At first, I was told that this was normal for boys his age. 鈥淲ait and see,鈥� his school said. When I insisted something was wrong, he was placed in a 12-week remedial reading program, but the instruction he received emphasized guessing words from context instead of decoding them. I remember sitting in on one session and seeing the interventionist praise him for reading 鈥渂辞补迟鈥� from context clues instead of the word on the page, canoe.

In the end, my son was diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgraphia and ADHD; but crucial time had been lost, and a new struggle to find suitable support for him began. Sadly, my story is not unique. It is the story of countless children across our nation, and the impact on children’s life trajectories can be extreme: of learners with dyslexia don鈥檛 even graduate high school.

The nation鈥檚 new literacy laws recognize what parents and advocates have known for years: Too many children are struggling to read, not because they can鈥檛, but because their teachers never had the right frameworks to teach them effectively.

With that in mind, here are five evidence-based strategies district and school leaders can use to ensure that the promise of new dyslexia laws translates into real-world benefits for students.

1. Screen Early and Universally

Early identification saves years of frustration. Also, students at risk for reading difficulties when they receive intervention early, compared to students who have to wait. Districts should implement universal K-2 literacy screening to flag reading risk factors before gaps widen. These screenings don鈥檛 diagnose dyslexia, but they help educators intervene before the problem becomes entrenched and the child is years behind grade-level reading. The goal is simple: no more 鈥渨ait and see.鈥�

2. Train Every Teacher in Structured Literacy

Teachers need to understand both the how and the why behind effective reading instruction. Training in Structured Literacy, grounded in the science of reading, gives educators the knowledge and confidence to teach decoding explicitly and systematically. If schools can give every K-2 teacher this foundation, fewer students will slip through the cracks, whether they have dyslexia or not.

3. Align Instruction Across All Tiers

Reading intervention shouldn鈥檛 depend on luck or location. Districts must create tiered instructional systems that use consistent, evidence-based methods whether students are in a general classroom, a pull-out intervention or a special education setting. A student shouldn鈥檛 encounter three different reading approaches in one day. Consistency and repetition across all tiers of instruction are what help struggling readers make lasting progress.

4. Build Accountability for Implementation and Impact

Legislation has impact only when it鈥檚 paired with leadership and accountability. Districts need tools to measure both implementation fidelity and student growth over time. This means tracking whether teachers are applying what they鈥檝e learned and whether students鈥� reading skills are improving as a result. To the extent possible, data should support decision-making. And as new systems and practices are rolled out, it鈥檚 equally important to identify and stop using those that aren鈥檛 working. Letting go of ineffective programs or outdated methods creates space, financially and mentally, for what truly moves the needle on student learning.

5. Collaborate Across Roles and Keep Parents at the Table

Real, lasting change doesn鈥檛 happen in silos, it happens when we come together. District leaders, teachers and parents each play a vital role in shaping how children learn to read. Parents are often the first to recognize when a child is struggling, and their insight is invaluable. When schools and families work side by side, grounded in trust and open communication, they create the momentum that sustains progress. It鈥檚 this shared commitment, rooted in collaboration and care, that will carry us toward lasting, nationwide literacy success.

Schools have reached a pivotal moment in the movement to transform literacy instruction. Across the country, evidence-based strategies and resources are finding their way into classrooms, giving more students the opportunity to become confident, capable readers. But now, the real work begins.

I hope education leaders will look beyond policy victories to the classrooms where those laws take shape. The legislation that has passed represents a powerful promise to our students, but a promise only matters if it鈥檚 fulfilled. It鈥檚 time to turn legislative intent into lasting, measurable progress in literacy for every child.

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