LDAK Literacy Tutoring Program Coming & Tutor Contacts Available Now
The Learning Disabilities Association of Kingston is proud to announce the launch of our LDAK Literacy Tutoring Program this Spring! The program will be piloted in selected school communities in Kingston, ON from April - June 2022 with students in Grades 1-3. We hope to be able to expand our tutoring program based on the Science of Reading in the future. In the meantime, LDAK is happy to share contact information for some of our trained tutors, who are available independently for online tutoring. Please read on for all the details.
The LDAK Literacy Tutoring Program was inspired by the Ontario Human Rights Commission's Right to Read Inquiry. The recommendations of the report include a mandate for schools to provide explicit, systematic, phonic-based reading instruction to all students, and particularly those with a learning disability, such as Dyslexia. This approach is essential for students with reading difficulties.
To help meet this need, LDAK has partnered with Teacher Candidates at Queen's University Faculty of Education and provided them with online course training (Big Dippers) in the Science of Reading. These tutors have also participated in a series of literacy workshops facilitated by experts in the community such as Emily Moorhead, Lisa Jansen, and Kim Lockhart. The training and workshops aimed to give tutors practical, evidence-based reading instructional strategies that align with the Science of Reading. This same approach will be used in the LDAK Literacy Tutoring Program.
The LDAK pool of trained tutors are eager to hone their skills and begin tutoring children in Grades 1-3 online in Kingston & area. They are available to offer their tutoring services independently before the launch of the LDAK Literacy Tutoring Program in April. If you are interested, we invite you to contact tutors directly to inquire about their services and availability. The tutor names and email addresses are provided in the list below. Please reach out to one tutor at a time. Please only contact LDAK if you are in need of financial support to obtain these tutoring services.
LDAK is able to provide a fee waiver for a small number of families to receive tutoring services from one of the tutors listed below, based on need. If you are interested in obtaining a fee waiver, please contact LDAK via email at: ldak@ldakingston.com. You must reside in LDAK’s catchment area to be eligible. Please tell us about the literacy needs of your child and why you are in need of a fee waiver by Friday, January 28, 2022. Include a phone number where you can be reached and name the tutor(s) who match your availability. After the deadline, decisions about allocating fee waivers will be made and shared with the tutors. Please note, only a small number of fee waivers can be allocated at this time.
List of Tutors Available Online / in Kingston & Area:
Alexa Bjerknes - a.bjerknes@outlook.com
Availability: weekdays after school and on Sundays
About: My name is Alexa Bjerknes. I have experience teaching all school-aged children, specializing in helping students struggling with Math and Language.
Deirdre Godsell - deirdregodsell@gmail.com
Availability: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday afternoons (after 3:30 pm)
About: I am a Teacher Candidate at Queen's University and I am qualifying to teach high school Music and French. I chose to participate in the structured literacy education offered through LDAK to continue improving my French tutoring practice. With this new perspective, I hope to give back to my community and ensure that everyone can access the educational support they require.
Emily MacMillan - emilyamacmillan@gmail.com
Availability: Weekdays after school and on weekends
About: My name is Emily MacMillan. I am an elementary teacher with a passion for the arts and literacy. While teaching, I am completing my Master's of Education in Special Education and Inclusive Learning. I have tutored elementary students. I love making learning fun and seeing students achieve their goals.
Summary of Information in this post:
The LDAK Literacy Tutoring Program launches in April 2022 in selected school communities (Grades 1-3)
The program uses the Science of Reading, informed by the OHRC Right to Read recommendations
A few of the trained tutors are available independently to tutor online in February and March 2022
Contact one of the listed tutors directly via email to inquire about their services and availability
Contact LDAK via email (ldak@ldakingston.com) if you are interested in obtaining a fee waiver for these tutoring services by the deadline of Friday, January 28, 2022. Include a phone number where you can be reached and name the tutor(s) who match your availability. Limited fee waivers available and based on need.
The Learning Disabilities Association of Kingston wants to ensure that all students have access to high quality, evidence-based instruction so they can become literate, confident, and active members of the Kingston & area community. For more information on the LDAK Literacy Tutoring Program launching this April, please keep an eye on our website, Facebook and Twitter pages (@LDAKingston1).
Tutor contacts may be added to the current posting on a rolling basis.
Additional Resources:
To learn more about the OHRC's Right to Read inquiry, click here: https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/news_centre/ohrc-launches-right-read-public-inquiry
To learn more about the Science of Reading, click here: https://www.whatisthescienceofreading.org/science-of-reading-guide
To learn more about a Structured Literacy approach to reading, click here: https://www.idaontario.com/effective-reading-instruction/
