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WFAA: Scottish Rite’s Luke Waites Center Drives Dyslexia Research and Education

WFAA: Scottish Rite’s Luke Waites Center Drives Dyslexia Research and Education

by | Nov 3, 2025 | Dyslexia & Learning Disorders, Press Coverage

WFAA recently featured the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders at Scottish Rite for Children in honor of Dyslexia Awareness Month.

For more than 60 years, the Center has transformed the lives of children with dyslexia through innovative, research-based programs like the Dyslexia Laboratory School and the Take Flight curriculum.

Developed and piloted at Scottish Rite, these programs provide individualized instruction that builds reading skills, confidence, and independence. Now implemented in districts like Fort Worth ISD, their impact continues to grow.

Watch the full story on WFAA here.

Spectrum News 1: Fort Worth ISD approves launch of Bridges and Take Flight Programs

Spectrum News 1: Fort Worth ISD approves launch of Bridges and Take Flight Programs

by | Jun 30, 2025 | Dyslexia & Learning Disorders, Press Coverage

Fort Worth ISD is celebrating significant gains in 2025 STAAR test scores, with most grade levels and subjects showing improvement and several surpassing district targets.

At a recent board meeting, the district also approved the launch of two dyslexia intervention programs this fall, both developed by the expert team at the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders at Scottish Rite for Children.

“The curriculum, scope and sequence, and lessons of both programs are the same,” says Debra Buchanan, Ed.D., the Administrative Director of the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders. “Bridges uses the Take Flight curriculum, and so the difference is just the delivery. Bridges is assisted by the avatar, and they co-teach with the teacher who has the scripted lesson of Take Flight.”

Karen Avit, Director of Dyslexia Education, emphasizes that the purpose of these programs, much like other forms of therapy, is to prioritize and address the individual needs of each child. To ensure students receive specialized support, educators undergo additional intensive training beyond their standard credentials.

“The teacher is taught in a two-year program to become a therapist, past all their other schooling,” Karen says.

Both programs are set to begin in Fort Worth ISD this upcoming school year.

Watch the full report on Spectrum News 1.

DFWChild: Decoding Dyslexia and Depression

DFWChild: Decoding Dyslexia and Depression

by | May 9, 2025 | Dyslexia & Learning Disorders, Press Coverage

Scottish Rite for Children’s Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders was established to help identify and treat children with various learning disorders, such as dyslexia. Dyslexia is a learning difference which causes children to have difficulties with reading and spelling. In order to care for the whole child, it’s important to identify other factors, like depression, that may arise when receiving care for leanring differences. 

Read more in DFWChild. 

Scottish Rite for Children Creates Web-Based Dyslexia Program to Meet Growing Demand

Scottish Rite for Children Creates Web-Based Dyslexia Program to Meet Growing Demand

by | Apr 21, 2025 | Dyslexia & Learning Disorders, Press Coverage

Scottish Rite for Children has expanded its award-winning suite of dyslexia curricula with the launch of a web-based intervention that reduces teacher training time and cost while preserving high-quality, evidence-based instruction. The new curriculum cuts teacher training time from two years to 10 days by integrating a web-based virtual instructor who co-teaches each lesson. The research-tested curriculum accelerates student outcomes and gives school districts greater flexibility to meet the increasing demand for dyslexia intervention.

Bridges: A Dyslexia Intervention Connecting Teacher, Avatar and Student was written by the experts at Scottish Rite’s Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders. The curriculum is based on Scottish Rite’s Take Flight program, which is the national standard for dyslexia education for children 7 and up. While Take Flight requires an academic language therapist to teach the curriculum, Bridges provides classroom and special education teachers with scripted resources, interactive tools, and a virtual co-teacher, Ms. Hallie, who consistently delivers the new learning portions of each lesson via a large screen in the classroom.

“We developed our innovative Bridges curriculum to help school districts meet the growing demand for dyslexia intervention,” said Karen Avrit, M.Ed., CALT, QI, director of Dyslexia Education at Scottish Rite. “It’s designed to be more accessible while still offering a high-quality, research-tested program. We’re delighted to see the positive feedback from administrators and teachers alike, and the students love it because it’s fun and helps them succeed.”

Avrit is a leading expert in the field of dyslexia education, writing, editing, and teaching multiple dyslexia and reading comprehension curricula, including the widely used Take Flight: A Comprehensive Intervention for Students with Dyslexia. To create Bridges, Avrit worked with a team at The University of Texas Dallas to bring Ms. Hallie to life. Now, decades of dyslexia education expertise have been captured in a state-of-the-art virtual learning tool that will help children in classrooms around the country learn to read and comprehend.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the Bridges curriculum, dyslexia researchers compared literacy outcomes for students in the Bridges program to students receiving the already highly-validated Take Flight intervention. Researchers conducted the IRB-approved study (Institutional Review Board) in public school classrooms across several North Texas-area school districts, comparing the progress of 162 students during two academic years. Results indicated that the two groups demonstrated comparatively similar growth in oral and written language skills, suggesting that the tech-assisted Bridges program and the traditional Take Flight program are similarly effective in improving literacy outcomes for students with dyslexia.

The percentage of students diagnosed with dyslexia is growing. In Texas, it doubled from 3% in 2017 to 6% in 2023. School districts are under pressure to identify and provide help for students diagnosed with dyslexia. A new Texas law passed in 2023 has brought the issue to the forefront, reshaping dyslexia education and intervention in public schools. Dyslexia education now falls under special education.

“At Scottish Rite, we are focused on giving children back their childhood, and we are proud to partner with school districts to meet the mounting needs of students with dyslexia. Our goal is to offer greater access to an evidence-based, structured program that gives students confidence and skills to learn and reach their full potential,” Avrit said.

Bridges is a two-year program designed for children ages 7 and older. Students can participate in hour-long lessons four days a week or 45-minute lessons five days a week. The virtual instructor uses 15 to 20 minutes of each lesson to deliver the more complex aspects of the dyslexia intervention. This includes the proper mouth and facial movements associated with making the correct letter sounds. The certified teacher provides live instruction based on scripted materials and interacts with students to answer questions and control the rate of instruction. This combination of teacher and avatar ensures the student receives the most consistent, accurate instruction while progressing through the curriculum at a pace that works for them. The Texas Education Agency has included the Bridges curriculum on its list of approved dyslexia interventions.

Additional information about Bridges, including its newly lowered price for the 2025-2026 school year, can be found here.

Levi Soars To Success With Take Flight

Levi Soars To Success With Take Flight

by | Oct 4, 2024 | Dyslexia & Learning Disorders

“We thank God for connecting us with Scottish Rite,” says Levi’s dad, Josh. “Levi was unable to recognize his letters when we first arrived, and now he’s reading chapter books.”

Nine-year-old Levi, of Arlington, is a creative spirit with a passion for reading. Each book offers him a chance to immerse himself in new adventures. With support from his family and care team at Scottish Rite, Levi is confidently navigating life with dyslexia.

Levi is the second youngest out of eight children, all homeschooled by their mom, Kelly. When it was time for Levi to start kindergarten, Kelly recognized his struggle with reading from her past experiences.

“Our second oldest daughter, Grace, was in first grade when my wife noticed she was having difficulty reading,” Josh says. “We were still living in Austin at the time, and Grace was diagnosed with dyslexia. We worked closely with a local language therapist to provide Grace with the tools she needed. She just graduated college in 2023!”

At age 5, Levi was evaluated by experts at Scottish Rite for Children’s Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders. After his assessment, Levi was diagnosed with dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

“If parents suspect there might be an issue, we encourage getting your child evaluated as quickly as possible,” Josh says. “Once you know dyslexia is the diagnosis, don’t panic. There is nothing wrong with your child. Your child’s brain just processes things differently. In fact, Kelly and I view dyslexia as a gift.”

According to the American Psychiatric Association, 5 to 15% of children have a learning disability, and approximately 80% of all children diagnosed with a learning disorder have dyslexia. Dyslexia is a condition which causes difficulty with reading and spelling. This results in a child’s trouble to read aloud, express themselves and connect sounds to written words or letters. ADHD is characterized by an inability to focus on one task and excess movement during tasks. Programs, like Scottish Rite’s Take Flight: A Comprehensive Intervention for Students with Dyslexia , are designed as an early intervention to equip children with essential learning strategies and boost their overall school performance.

“We were looking into finding private language therapy for Levi, just like we had done for our daughter,” Josh says. “It turned out there was an opening for Levi to enroll in the Take Flight program at Scottish Rite. We jumped at this chance.”

With help from his instructors and language therapists, Levi discovered what learning looked like for him. His writing, reading and math skills improved over the 2-year curriculum, and he began taking medication for his ADHD to help him focus on different assignments. Now, he has discovered a new passion for learning!

“We have seen a great progress since Levi started this program,” Josh says. “Levi’s language therapists helped him in ways we could only dream of. His confidence has grown exponentially as a result.”

Now in second grade, Levi has officially graduated from Take Flight’s program. His motivation to learn and passion for reading has only grown since then, and it is a gift to us to continue to watch him flourish!

 “At times, it brings tears to our eyes to hear Levi read,” Josh says. “He has come so far in such a short amount of time. We are incredibly thankful for the impact Scottish Rite made in Levi’s life.”

Recognizing Early Signs of Dyslexia in Preschoolers

Recognizing Early Signs of Dyslexia in Preschoolers

by | Jan 11, 2024 | Dyslexia & Learning Disorders

Dyslexia is the most common learning disorder in the United States, making up approximately 80% of all diagnosed learning disorders, according to the American Psychiatric Association. When not addressed, dyslexia can lead from simple issues in reading, writing and spelling to behavioral problems and anxiety. Knowing the early signs of dyslexia allows you to look for potential difficulties as early as preschool and find treatments that will help your child succeed.

Hallmarks of dyslexia include:

·       Difficulty identifying speech sounds 

·       Difficulty reading aloud

·       Problems with expressing oneself clearly or comprehending what others are saying

·       Trouble connecting sounds to written letters and words 

A family history of trouble learning to read, including dyslexia, can be an indicator of dyslexia, as well.

Spotting Early Signs of Dyslexia

There are many recognizable signs in young children that they may be at risk for a reading disorder. Noticing these signs during preschool or even earlier allows you to work with a specialist and develop a plan that sets your child up for success when he or she starts kindergarten or elementary school.

Signs of dyslexia in preschoolers can include:

·       Being a late talker 

·       Calling things by an incorrect name

·       Difficulty recognizing letters in their name or other familiar words

·       Difficulty remembering instructions with multiple steps

·       Having the vocabulary or speech patterns of a younger child, for example, mispronouncing words, knowing fewer words than developmentally appropriate or continuing to speak in baby talk

·       Inability to recognize rhyming patterns in words or trouble making up new rhymes on their own

·       Trouble learning or difficulty remembering the letters in the alphabet, days of the week or nursery rhymes

School-age children with dyslexia will experience trouble writing and spelling. They may also have difficulty learning to read. Blending sounds in words and sounding out new words may be hard for them. 

If someone identifies early signs of dyslexia in your child, find a specialist who can screen for the condition before kindergarten. These screenings generally take a few hours and involve a review of your child’s family history and factors including vocabulary, listening comprehension and ability to recognize letters. 

Early Interventions for Dyslexia

Preschoolers who receive early interventions for dyslexia often have better success when learning to read. These support services can include therapy services and special educational tools designed to help your child overcome dyslexia. Early intervention can lead to higher self-esteem and confidence and better performance in school overall. 

Some early interventions may include:

·       Blending sounds in words

·       Learning strategies that use sight, sound and touch 

·       Making the connection between words

·       One-on-one tutoring outside of school

·       Work focused on vocabulary, expressing oneself and comprehension

An education specialist can help you decide which interventions that will most help your child. Just like treating an illness or injury, results are better when specialists tailor them to a child’s individual needs.

When children receive these interventions, they often do so in a sequential manner, starting with basic concepts and working their way up to more complex ones. This level of one-on-one attention also lets specialists use all a child’s senses. Children with dyslexia often see the most success when learning strategies incorporate multiple senses, allowing them to become fully engaged with their work.

If you have concerns about your child’s difficulty learning, speaking with your pediatrician is a great place to start. He or she can guide you through the screening process and point you to the best interventions available to help foster your child’s abilities, 

Request an evaluation for your child at Scottish Rite for Children’s Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders.