- Sound Awareness: Building skills to recognize, manipulate, blend, and separate sounds within words.
- Phonics & Word Reading: Learning how letters and letter patterns represent individual speech sounds.
- Reading Skills: Developing accurate, smooth reading while strengthening understanding and meaning.
- Writing & Spelling: Supporting spelling, sentence formation, grammar, and clear organization of ideas.
- Vocabulary & Language: Expanding word knowledge and language skills to support reading and writing success.
Foundations of Literacy
Spoken language provides the basis for reading and writing. At Loewen Speech and Language, we provide support for the foundations of literacy: the sound and language skills that underlie decoding, spelling, and comprehension. We help connect the sounds heard in speech to the letters and words on the page. We utilize a variety of evidence-based programs to address phonological awareness, decoding, spelling, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Questions You May Have
Why would we see a speech-language pathologist instead of a tutor for reading?
Speech-language pathologists have specific training in the sound and language systems behind decoding, spelling, and comprehension.
What if my child has been identified with dyslexia?
Structured, explicit instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics with a multisensory approach has been proven to be effective when working with individuals with dyslexia.
What if my child can read but doesn't understand what they have read?
We can help with that too. Comprehension is based on vocabulary, understanding sentences, and language skills. We can assess and treat comprehension breakdowns.
Please reach out if you would like to discuss the specific programs that we utilize and how we support reading in our clinic.