Page 78 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2020

THE SECTION
BEACON OF LIGHT
“Mason still didn’t know all of
his letters, he couldn’t read, write
or spell, and at times he couldn’t
nd the right words to say,” said Jaymie Melton. “After the rst nine weeks, you could see the words
come together. After two years, he
is writing sentences, paragraphs and completing science projects. Not only has he improved in academics, but his self-con dence is soaring.”
Currently, 30 students attend
the 3D school in Ocean Springs, ranging from second to sixth grade. The Melton’s drive each day from Saucier, and others travel from as far away as Slidell. Students come from all over Coastal Mississippi,
and two students even relocated from Tennessee and Texas just to attend the school.
The school’s three-year program involves small classrooms with
full immersion dyslexia therapy every day that is reinforced in
the classroom. Teaching is based
on multisensory, research-based curriculum, which targets the subjects most challenging for dyslexic students – reading, writing and spelling.
“Repetition is key for kids like Mason,” adds Jaymie. Parents even go to a speci c “parent school” designed just for them three times a year to learn how to help their
children with homework and make sure the therapies are reinforced and repeated at home.
Dyslexia is the most common reading disability, a ecting approximately 20 percent of the population. At Lighthouse Academy, students are taught by licensed dyslexia therapists and admission to Lighthouse Academy is available for students in second to fourth grade who have dyslexia diagnosis from a licensed diagnostician.
for Dyslexic Students
story by Alexis Williams photo courtesy of Lighthouse Academy of Dyslexia
When Mason Melton of Saucier was diagnosed with dyslexia in second grade, his parents were delighted to hear that a new school was opening in Ocean Springs speci cally focused on dyslexic students like their son. Two years later, his mother, Jaymie, says she’s seen incredible growth in her son after his time at the Gulf Coast campus of the 3D School, soon to become Lighthouse Academy for Dyslexia.
Lighthouse Academy of Dyslexia
610 Ward Ave., Ocean Springs 601.447.3023 www.lighthousedyslexia.org
78 | April 2020 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
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