The reading program at Wellington County Speech Therapy began in 2021 when families were reaching out for support during the pandemic to teach their children to read. It became very evident that children were falling behind in school and many parents were at a loss. We have created a program that is different than what is being taught in school, this way we can support children with a variety of learning styles.

We have taken the science behind reading to put together one on one support for reading development. Together with an SLP or CDA, your child will receive weekly or bi-weekly therapy to target specific reading and phonological awareness skills. Home practice information is provided and we move at your child’s pace. If you have private health insurance, receipts may be eligible for reimbursement.

Phonological awareness skills are the building blocks of learning to read. If these skills are not well established, then a child will struggle to become a skilled reader. Our reading program starts with phonological awareness skills to ensure success later on in the reading process. Delays in phonological awareness not only can be an indicator of disordered reading, but also respond well to intervention and can improve!

Dyslexia is a learning difference that makes it harder for people to read, write, or spell, even though they are just as intelligent as others. This occurs because the brain processes language in a different way, but with support and strategies, people with dyslexia can succeed in school and life. While we cannot diagnose this condition, we can assess for red flags and recommend next steps if certain risks factors are present.

The program is based off of the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program. We have divided it into 13 lessons. Based on where your child starts, we may take more or less that one week per lesson. Generally children come on a weekly or bi-weekly basis for 30 minutes, plus home practice, to see improvement in reading skills. When diagnoses such as dyslexia or learning disorders are present, families may choose to be in the program throughout their child’s school years in order to maintain grade level reading.

If you think your child may benefit from our reading program, reach out and book an assessment with our Speech Language Pathologist. Assessment and therapy for reading support may be covered under speech and language services if you have private healthcare benefits.