A Mercer University professor is researching the impact of physical activity on attention in children with dyslexia, with initial findings showing movement breaks can improve elementary school students’ focus.

Dr. Adam Keath, director of the health and physical education program in the College of Education, said researchers already know that physical activity during the school day has significant effects on neurotypical students’ academic performance, but not much is known about the effects on students with dyslexia. At the same time, students with dyslexia often use more cognitive processing while reading, which can lead to academic fatigue.

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As childhood literacy rates decline across the United States, Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, is stepping up with an innovative approach — conducting reading screenings in pediatric clinics. The hospital has begun screening children’s literacy skills starting at age 3 during routine pediatrician visits, with the goal of catching reading struggles early and guiding parents on how to support their children’s development.

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Much of the pivot away from screens in schools has come from parents who are concerned screen use is getting in the way of their children’s learning — an argument Heather Martin hears in her own community in Concord, 30 miles northeast of San Francisco. She shares some of those concerns, but says, “Never once in the conversation has there been a discussion, except for me bringing it up with the other parents, about kids with disabilities.”

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A landmark report compiled by 26 local dyslexia specialists has exposed deep systemic failures across the Maltese education system, warning that rigid curriculum pacing, severe staff shortages, and a punitive university entry concession model are actively harming the mental health and academic prospects of neurodivergent learners.

The comprehensive report, titled “Dyslexia in the Maltese Education System: A Vision for Improved Provision across the Early, Junior, and Secondary Years,” was published in April by the Malta Dyslexia Association (MDA).

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