Just 3 months after launching the Lear Literacy Program, we have received an overwhelmingly positive response from our community! Likely a combination of factors have helped our program succeed including a need for literacy instruction following extended school closures, more children learning from home and not accessing essential reading supports in school and the evidence-based program that we offer, focusing on underlying fundamental skills in literacy development. Our program may be new but we are not! Lear Communication has been servicing the community since 2000 and we have clinicians with over 20 years experience in the field.
So what’s so great about our program? Lear Communication’s Literacy Program begins with a comprehensive assessment. In order to read and write there are essential building blocks that must be developed first. If a child is missing a foundational skill, we will identify that and address it before moving to a higher skill. The following are the essential building blocks that need to be developed in order to successfully and confidently read and write:
- Listening comprehension: the ability to understand spoken language (i.e., the understanding of individual words, sentences, verbal instructions, etc…).
- Oral Expression: the ability to verbally express wants thoughts and ideas while utilizing proper syntax, semantics, pragmatics and phonological language structures.
- Phonemic Awareness: The ability to identify and manipulate sounds of language.
- Phonological Awareness: The ability to identify, assess and manipulate sound structures of language.
- Encoding: The ability to spell to apply letter-sound knowledge to accurately spell words.
- Decoding: The ability to apply letter-sound knowledge to accurately pronounce written words. (ASHA, 2009).
Lear Communication is a group of registered Speech-Language Pathologists who have a deep understanding of the relationship between language and literacy development. Treatment is not directed by commercial literacy programs, rather we tailor each program to meet the child where they are at and to facilitate deeper learning and a love for reading by understanding their needs and aligning material with their interest and abilities. We offer in person literacy support or through virtual platforms. We are very excited and encourage you to get on board as well and see what all of the buzz is about!