Overview
The Monthly Decode
CT-Dyslexia Awareness Collaborative Newsletter
Stay Informed with Updates and Announcements! 
The Monthly Decode at a glance:
[ This Month's Theme ] [ Upcoming CT-DAC Events ] [ Celebrating Past Events ] [ Podcast ] [ Community Outreach and Engagement ] [The Inside Scoop]
December Theme: Dyslexic Thinking: Creativity in Action 
This December, the CT-DAC spotlights the power of dyslexic minds in shaping innovation, discovery, and design. Together, let’s celebrate the unique strengths of dyslexic thinkers and the incredible impact they make in the world. We’re thankful for every educator, parent, and student championing literacy equity.
Upcoming CT-DAC Events 
| Date & Time | Event | Location/Link |
|---|---|---|
| 12/2/25 5:00 -6:30 p.m. |
Visit to Meriden Public Library | 105 Miller Street Meriden, CT |
| 12/4/25 9:00-10:00 a.m. |
Megan McCubbin: Dyslexic Zoologist | Virtual Registration |
| 12/15/25 10:00-11:00 a.m. |
Jim Rokos: Engineering Designs as a Dyslexic | Virtual Registration |
| Month of December | ODRD Podcast: Community Members who made gratitude submissions |
Virtual: Streamyard |
| Month of December | SLD: Dyslexia Online Webinars/Modules |
Canvas Modules Register |
| Month of December | Community Outreach and Engagement: Creativity Challenge – Think Like a Dyslexic Check the Weekly Challenge: Each week, we’ll post a fun prompt that calls for imagination and problem-solving (examples: Invent a tool that helps animals in winter or Design something that makes reading more fun). Share Your Idea: Submit a drawing, photo, short video, or written description of your creative solution. Be Featured: Selected submissions will be highlighted on our website to celebrate the many ways our community thinks differently. |
ODRD Listserv and Website |
Celebrating Past Events 
In November we asked you:
Who’s Made a Difference in Your Dyslexia Journey?
We want to hear from you! Has an educator, family member, fellow student, or community partner made a positive impact on your dyslexia journey?
You responded:
Krista Rubino:
This month, as we celebrate Gratitude and Appreciation, I want to recognize my daughter’s incredible OG tutors, Lisa Tweed, Beth Stone, Martha Cartsen, and Marisa Daly, for their tireless dedication to those that struggle with Dyslexia.
Their patience, compassion, and commitment have been truly life-changing for our family. They work endlessly to help our daughter gain confidence, rediscover the joy of learning, and realize that her potential is limitless. They meet our daughter at her level and are guiding her step by step, celebrating every small victory and reminding her that progress, no matter how gradual, is powerful.
My daughter’s OG tutors have been instrumental not only in her academic success but also in her emotional well-being. They have helped her build resilience, self-esteem, and a genuine belief that she can achieve anything she sets her mind to. Watching her grow from a hesitant reader into a confident learner has been nothing short of inspiring, and we owe so much of that to their expertise and encouragement.
As a parent, it’s easy to feel uncertain about whether you’re doing enough or taking the right steps to support your child. Her tutors have given us the reassurance, education, and partnership we needed to know we were on the right track. They’ve supported our whole family through this journey, offering not just instruction but hope, understanding, and unwavering positivity.
Thank you
Jennifer Zabetakis:
I am writing to share my sincere gratitude for the work and advocacy of Decoding Dyslexia Connecticut (DDCT). Under the leadership of Allison Quirion, the support has been truly life-changing for my family. Without their guidance my children would have remained illiterate.
Our local school district lacks the understanding and resources needed to teach my children to read. It was through the advocacy of DDCT that our district began to recognize the importance of structured literacy and the critical need for evidence-based reading instruction for all students — not just those with dyslexia.
Because of Decoding Dyslexia Connecticut, my children are now readers. They have gained not only literacy skills but also confidence and hope for their futures. DDCT has also empowered countless parents, like me, to become informed advocates and partners in improving literacy education across the state.
I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the Connecticut State Department of Education for listening to and supporting organizations like Decoding Dyslexia Connecticut, which are making a real difference in students’ lives.
Library Visit
Kristin Allen, Associate Education Consultant with the Office of Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities (ODRD), brought Decoding Dyslexia’s mission to the forefront during a special event at the Mansfield Public Library on November 6, 2025. At a night focused on Dinosaurs and Dyslexia, her participation focused on raising awareness and fostering a shared understanding of dyslexia, aiming to promote equitable identification and support for all students.
The event was part of Dyslexia Awareness Month and featured an engaging discussion where Kristin answered community questions, helping demystify dyslexia and empowering families and educators alike. If you want to know where she will be next, check out the Community Outreach and Engagement section! To see the library displays please go to Decoding Dyslexia CT’s Facebook page!
ODRD RewirED Podcast 
- Dr. Megan Alubicki and Dr. Maribel Oliverio: EL/ML Framework
- • Community Members: Gratitude submissions
Previously recorded podcasts are listed below:
Previously recorded podcasts can be found here: ODRD Podcasts.
May take up to 60 days from recording to edit and post podcasts.
Community Outreach and Engagement 
Creativity Challenge – Think Like a Dyslexic
Check the Weekly Challenge: Each week, we’ll post a fun prompt that calls for imagination and problem-solving (examples: Invent a tool that helps animals in winter or Design something that makes reading more fun).
Share Your Idea: Submit a drawing, photo, short video, or written description of your creative solution. Submit your ideas in whatever format works best for you — video, email, images, or more — to sde.Dyslexia@ct.gov.
Be Featured: Selected submissions will be highlighted on our website to celebrate the many ways our community thinks differently.
ODRD is Out and About
Don’t miss Associate Education Consultant Kristin Allen on December 2nd from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. In partnership with the CT State Library and Decoding Dyslexia-CT, she will share resources and answer questions about dyslexia and other reading disabilities with families in the Meriden community at the Meriden Public Library.
Thanks to the CT State Library, the Dyslexia Awareness display created by Decoding Dyslexia, which features facts, book lists and linked video resources, is available to all 191 libraries statewide! Libraries will also be able to borrow a curated collection from the State Library that they, in turn, can lend to the public. Books in this collection include the Dr. Dyslexia Dude series by Dr. Shawn Robinson, the Molly’s Great Discovery series by Krista Weltner, and the second edition of Dyslexia Advocate by Kelli Sandman-Hurley.
Learn More:
- Library Campaign — Decoding Dyslexia
- Dyslexia Support Kit Book Bundle # 1 - Middletown Library Service Center CE and Equipment - CSL, Division of Library Development
The Inside Scoop
2025 - 2026 Competencies Implementation Collaborative
Educator preparation program faculty members from across the state joined staff from CSDE and SERC to kick off the 2025 - 2026 Competencies Implementation Collaborative. The core goal of this Collaborative is to increase the capacity of educators to implement evidence-based practices in structured literacy instruction. Faculty participants will engage collaboratively during the 2025 - 2026 academic year to discuss the knowledge and practices necessary to effectively teach students at risk for and with dyslexia or other reading difficulties, share ideas and resources, and review and revise Connecticut teacher preparation programming to include instruction in the Connecticut Educator Competencies for Structured Literacy and Dyslexia. Funding support for this work has been provided by CSDE's Bureau of Special Education through federal IDEA funds.