Assembly Resolution No. 484

BY: M. of A. Simon

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
May 17, 2023, as Dyslexia Awareness Day in the State
of New York

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that the State of
New York is committed to equal educational opportunities by identifying
obstacles to educational advancement and helping to remove those
obstacles; and

WHEREAS, Dyslexia, which often runs in families, is a language-based
learning disability that is neurobiological in origin and interferes
with language processing, accurate and/or fluent word recognition,
spelling and decoding abilities and reading comprehension despite
average or above average intelligence; and

WHEREAS, Dyslexia varies in severity ranging from mild to profound
and is characterized by a combination of difficulties with phonological
and orthographic processing leading to difficulties in reading, writing,
spelling, handwriting and/or math which can create a wide gap between an
individual's intellectual ability and their academic and/or personal
achievement; and

WHEREAS, Dyslexia is identifiable as early as 4-6 years of age and
early intervention is beneficial as the negative consequences are highly
preventable through effective, direct instruction in the five pillars of
reading identified in 2000 by the National Reading Panel of the National
Academy of Sciences, namely phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency,
vocabulary and comprehension; and

WHEREAS, Dyslexia can affect anyone, regardless of race, gender,
culture or socioeconomic status and impacts up to 20% of the population;
and

WHEREAS, Imparting to our children literacy skills built on the five
pillars of reading can ensure that the benefits of good literacy
instruction will accrue to improved educational and life outcomes for
New York's children; and

WHEREAS, Literacy skills for everyone is an important goal for the
State of New York and because dyslexia affects a high percentage of our
struggling readers, it is important that we recognize and address this
issue head on so that each person in New York has the opportunity to be
able to learn, read and spell proficiently and reach their full
potential; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 17, 2023, as Dyslexia
Awareness Day in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York