We believe achieving a literate society
begins with evidence-based research.
At WY Lit, we love facts, evidence, and research. Here are some basic but important facts about the urgency of our mission. Quiz yourself!
20%
An estimated 8.5 million schoolchildren struggle with dyslexia, which accounts for 85% of all learning disabilities.
What percentage of Americans are dyslexic?
What percentage of inmates are functionally illiterate?
80%
70% of incarcerated Americans do not hold a high school diploma, and 48% suffer from dyslexia.
What percentage of low literacy adults live in poverty?
43%
Additionally, 70% of welfare recipients have low literacy levels, contributing to a host of related difficulties.
What is the annual cost of special education in WY?
$238mil
Wyoming spends $18k per year on special education per student. This is in addition to the $16,000 spent on every student.
What is the annual cost of incarceration in WY?
$150mil
Wyoming spends $45k per year on prison inmates.
How much would it cost to train K-12 teachers in evidence-based literacy instruction?
$13mil
Training 11,900 Wyoming teachers and support staff would cost $1,100 per teacher.
This is a real solution.
True or false:
Children with dyslexia see and write letters and words backwards.
False.
(partially)
​
Many children reverse their letters when learning to read and write, and it is not a sure sign of dyslexia—especially since not all children with dyslexia demonstrate this trait.
True or false:
On average, dyslexic children perform 20 points lower on IQ tests.
False.
​
Dyslexia is defined by an unexpected difficulty in learning to read, but is not related in any way to intelligence. Children of all levels of IQ are impacted by dyslexia; it has no bearing on how "smart" someone is.
True or false:
Brain scans differ between children with dyslexia and those without dyslexia.
True.
​
fMRI brain scans done on someone who struggles to read while he or she is trying to read will look different from the scans of someone who has little to no trouble reading.
