Opinion

Public School Failed Her Kids. She’s on a Mission to Save Yours.

Produced by ‘First Person’

Naomi Peña’s son Jonah was in first grade when he was diagnosed with dyslexia. It’s the most common learning disability — 20 percent of the U.S. population is dyslexic — but as Peña quickly discovered, getting dyslexic kids help with learning to read in the public school system is extraordinarily difficult. Now, she is part of a growing movement, led by the parents of dyslexic students, to change how all children are taught to read.

[You can listen to this episode of “First Person” on Apple, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google or wherever you get your podcasts.]

(A full transcript of the episode will be available midday on the Times website.)

Credit…Photo by Mario De Biasi/Mondadori Portfolio/Mondadori via Getty Images

Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. Follow Lulu Garcia-Navarro on Twitter: @lourdesgnavarro

“First Person” was produced this week by Courtney Stein. It was edited by Kaari Pitkin and Stephanie Joyce with help from Anabel Bacon. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud and Isaac Jones. Original music by Isaac Jones, Carole Sabouraud, Sonia Herrero and Pat McCusker. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. The rest of the First Person team includes Olivia Natt, Sophia Alvarez Boyd, Wyatt Orme and Jillian Weinberger. Special thanks to Kristina Samulewski, Shannon Busta, Allison Benedikt and Katie Kingsbury.

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