The Right to Read program is funded by the Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta through the social enterprise project the Learner’s Licence Prep Kit.
Catching Children Before They Fail... The Right to Read Program
Developed by psychologists and specialists in reading, the Right To Read Program helps identify and support children who have reading difficulties in their earliest school years and children whose first language is not English. Even the best students may have reading weaknesses, and this program will help to pinpoint those weaknesses in underlying phonological skills and other reading readiness skills.
"We trained all of our Kindergarten and Grade One teachers this year, and our teachers have been very receptive to using the RRST to develop clarity around literacy development and student needs in the early years. It (the RRST) has been a great catalyst for productive conversations between teachers, administrators, parents and district decision makers."
Stacey Miner, Optimal Learning Coach, Medicine Hat Public School Division 76
"My son went from not knowing all the letters in the alphabet at the end of kindergarten to reading at grade level at the end of grade 1. I strongly feel that his teacher having this assessment right at the beginning of the school year made all the difference. I am so grateful for this wonderful program and feel every kindergarten child should be assessed for their reading readiness as it would identify potential problems earlier. Thank you for this wonderful tool."
Greta Gerstner, Parent
The Program Vision
- Every child in kindergarten and/or grade one is screened for potential reading difficulties
- Every child at potential risk for reading problems is given support at the earliest possible stage in his or her education
- All teachers have the capacity to provide effective intervention to children at risk for reading problems
How does it work?
The Right to Read program is designed to screen all K-1 children for their readiness to read and offers interventions for the areas of weakness that may become an impediment to reading. Children who fail to progress after active involvement in the program may be at risk for a learning disability and may then be flagged in the earliest grades for assessment and support.
Workshops are for K-1 English and grade 1-2 French Immersion teachers and are delivered as a two-day workshop format (or on-line for English, as well).