Photo by Taylor Pardue

Taylor Pardue | The Tribune

Walmart will be hosting the screenings on Saturday, Feb. 16 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Elkin Walmart. Testing will be for children between the ages of 6 and 14.

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The Yadkin Valley Rotary Club will be partnering with Walmart and Dyslexia Services Foundation, a local non-profit organization, to offer free dyslexia screenings.

The event will be held Saturday, Feb. 16 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Elkin Walmart. Testing will be for children between the ages of 6 and 14.

Parents with concerns about their children’s interest in reading, or their written and reading performance levels in school, may attend free of charge. The clinic will provide an online screening test administered by members of the Dyslexia Services Foundation and trained members of the Rotary Club.

The online program used is one developed by Lexercise.com, a locally-based company that offers evaluations and treatment for reading problems. Testing involves children reading single words on a computer screen, with screening to last approximately ten minutes per child. A written handout containing the child’s results will be provided, along with a list of agencies to contact if further testing is necessary.

“Since evaluation is the first step to overcoming these struggles, families will be given a list of local agencies that can perform full language processing evaluations,” said Sandie Blackley, Dyslexia Services Foundation board of directors vice chair.

Four scholarships will be provided by Walmart to children from low-income families for a full evaluation. These will be selected based on financial need for children who complete the screener and apply to the Dyslexia Services Foundation.

“The Dyslexia Services Foundation’s mandate is public information and financial support for low-income struggling readers,” said Sandie Blackley. “Both Rotary International and the Elkin Walmart have an interest in benefitting local literacy, so we were delighted to team up with them to provide this wonderful community service.”

Elkin Walmart Manager Lori Tackitt, a member of the Rotary Club, suggested the idea. Walmart will provide every child that completes the screening with a small gift.

Bill Blackley, Chairman of the Yadkin Valley Rotary Club, said that a similar screening event was held at this year’s Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital Health Fair with pleasing results.

According to the National Institutes of Health, dyslexia affects approximately 20 percent of people worldwide, hindering their abilities to read, write, and spell.

To reach Taylor Pardue, call (336) 835-1513 ext. 15, or email him at tpardue@civitasmedia.com.