Reading Readiness Junior

The Reading Readiness Program was launched in 2022 with funding from the American Pediatric Association and has been running successfully for three years. Designed for students in Grades 1–4 who are struggling to develop their literacy skills.

The program supports children struggling with letter and sound recognition, rhyming, syllable identification, and phoneme isolation. Instruction is delivered in small groups and one-on-one by an Ontario-certified teacher. Various techniques are used (multi-sensory delivery, games, practice opportunities with guided instruction). Additionally, students are supported in reading decodable text based on their acquired skills. Using data gathered through assessment, students target the skills specific to their learning needs, resulting in more robust literacy skills.

Aligned with the International Dyslexia Association’s evidence-based Structured Literacy framework, the program provides explicit, systematic, cumulative, multisensory, and diagnostic instruction that targets phonology, sound–symbol association, syllabication, morphology, syntax, semantics, fluency, and comprehension. Through ongoing assessment and diagnostic teaching, we ensure each student builds to a mastery level of foundational literacy skills, freeing cognitive resources for reading comprehension and academic success.

Participant Eligibility

Participants attending the sessions must:

• Not be diagnosed/identified with an intellectual disability or significant behavioural support needs.

Details

Cost: Member $200

Cost for bursary student: $30

Bursaries are available; to qualify, you must confirm that you receive the Ontario Trillium Benefit. 

Target Audience: Grades 1 - 4

Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, January 20 - March 12, 2026 (8 Weeks)

Times: 6-7:30 PM