PC READS event offers parents, teachers a chance to experience dyslexia firsthand

Blair Education Center at Intermountain Health Park City. Photo: Intermountain Health Park City

A free workshop coming to Park City next month will give parents and educators a rare opportunity to understand what it feels like to have dyslexia, and walk away with practical tools to help the children in their lives.

PC READS will host “Dyslexia for a Day” on Saturday, May 9, at the Blair Education Center. The event runs from 8:30 to 11 a.m. and features nationally recognized dyslexia expert Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley. Registration is required due to limited seating and can be completed at pcreads.org. Registered attendees will receive breakfast and a complimentary book by Sandman-Hurley. Educators who attend will earn two USBE continuing education credits.

Sandman-Hurley is the founder of the Dyslexia Training Institute and the author of three books, including “Dyslexia Advocate! How to Advocate for a Child with Dyslexia within the Public Education System.” She has trained educators and worked with families across the country.

For parents, the workshop is designed to build a concrete understanding of what their child experiences each day and to provide tools for supporting them both at home and within the school system. For teachers, the session focuses on evidence-based classroom strategies grounded in the science of reading.

Dyslexia affects an estimated one in five children and is the most common learning difference. Despite its prevalence, many children go unidentified for years, often leaving school believing they are not capable readers. PC READS, which connects dyslexic children in the Park City area with evidence-based reading support, said events like this one are central to its mission of building a community that can better identify and support kids with dyslexia.

Attendees will also be invited to a “Drinks with Dyslexics” gathering the evening before, on May 8.

The event is free. Registration is available at pcreads.org.