A Canadian charity that promotes literacy and the Avon Maitland District School Board (AMDSB) are teaming up to improve the reading skills of young students in Huron and Perth counties.
The school board and Strong Start Charitable Organization announced on Tuesday the evidence-based "letters, sounds and words" program will be introduced at schools across the region this fall.
The 10 week program supports early literacy development by offering targeted one-on-one support to children in their second year of Kindergarten through to Grade 2. The goals is to help kids become more confident and capable readers.
“We are thrilled to partner with Strong Start in order to support our efforts to ensure all AMDSB students begin their educational journey with us with a strong foundation in reading skills," said AMDSB Director of Education Graham Shantz. “Letters, sounds and words supports the latest research in reading development and we look forward to having our youngest students benefit from this engaging program.”
The program, designed for children aged 5 to 9, pairs each child with a trained volunteer coach for weekly sessions. Interactive games and hands-on activities are used to help children build skills in letter recognition, phonemic awareness, sound blending, and word reading.
“When children are given the right support at the right time, it transforms their future,” Machelle Denison, chief executive officer of Strong Start, said in a statement. “Through our partnership with AMDSB, we’re helping children build essential literacy skills, grow in confidence, and feel supported by a community that believes in their potential.”
Strong Start was established in 2001 and has helped more than 60,000 children strengthen their reading skills through free, curriculum-aligned programs.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer coach can sign up on the Strong Start Volunteer Page by clicking here.