Literacy Support
Literacy support matched to your child’s needs
We assess and work on the language skills involved in reading, writing, and spelling. Depending on your child’s goals, support may include:
- phonological awareness: the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words
- decoding: sounding out words
- reading fluency: reading smoothly and at an appropriate pace
- reading comprehension: understanding what is read
- spelling and written expression
- narrative skills: organizing ideas for writing
Reading and writing draw on spoken language. We may coordinate literacy work with speech sound therapy or language therapy when those skills are also part of your child’s goals. For signs, explanations, and common questions, see our guides on dyslexia and reading and writing difficulties.
How SLP literacy support differs from tutoring
| Tutoring | SLP literacy support | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Curriculum content, homework help, test preparation | Language skills involved in reading and writing (phonological awareness, decoding, comprehension) |
| Approach | Practice with grade-level material | Goals based on an assessment of the skills involved in reading and spelling |
| Training | Varies by tutor | Registered speech-language pathologist with clinical training in language and literacy |
| May suit | Children who need extra practice with schoolwork | Children whose reading or spelling difficulties are linked to language skills |
Both can be helpful, and some children benefit from both. Literacy support from a speech-language pathologist is often most useful when difficulties are linked to phonological awareness, language comprehension, or other language skills, rather than a need for more practice with grade-level content.
How speech-language therapy helps
At West End Speech, we provide structured literacy intervention to help children:
- identify and manipulate sounds in words (phonological awareness)
- connect sounds to letters and blend them together for reading (decoding)
- spell words using their knowledge of sound patterns
- tell clear stories with a beginning, middle, and end
- understand what they read through active comprehension strategies
- write organized sentences and paragraphs
Our approach
Our approach follows structured literacy methods backed by the science of reading, which is the primary evidence-based approach for children with dyslexia and other reading difficulties.
Phonological awareness
We build the foundational ability to hear, identify, and manipulate sounds in words, including rhyming, segmenting, blending, and manipulating individual sounds. This is one of the strongest predictors of reading success.
Systematic phonics
We teach letter-sound connections in a structured, sequential way, moving from simple to complex patterns so the child builds a reliable system for reading and spelling new words.
Comprehension strategies
For children who can decode but struggle to understand what they read, we teach active reading strategies: making predictions, asking questions, summarizing, and connecting new information to what they already know.
Writing support
We help children organize their ideas for writing, build sentences and paragraphs, and apply their spelling knowledge in written work.
What to expect
Assessment
We begin with a thorough assessment of your child’s literacy skills, including phonological awareness, decoding, reading fluency, comprehension, and spelling. We also assess related language skills to understand the full picture.
Therapy sessions
Sessions are structured and follow a logical sequence. Therapy may include multi-sensory activities, games, reading practice, and spelling exercises so your child builds confidence while building skill.
Collaboration with schools
Literacy skills are practiced every day at school. We can suggest strategies for families to share with a child’s teacher when that would help connect therapy goals with classroom work.
How to get started
If your child is struggling with reading, writing, or spelling, contact us to book an assessment. We offer literacy therapy online across BC and in-home around Vancouver, in English and French.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are speech therapy and literacy connected?
Speech-language pathologists have specialized training in the connection between spoken and written language. Difficulties with phonological awareness, a core speech-language skill, are a primary predictor of reading challenges.
Do you work with children who have dyslexia?
Yes. Our structured literacy intervention directly targets the core phonological and decoding difficulties associated with dyslexia. In BC, a formal diagnosis is typically made by a psychologist, but your child does not need a formal diagnosis to start receiving literacy support.
What literacy difficulties do you address?
We work on phonological awareness, decoding, reading fluency, reading comprehension, spelling, and written expression.
How does this differ from tutoring?
Literacy support from a speech-language pathologist focuses on language skills involved in reading and writing. A child may also benefit from classroom teaching or tutoring, depending on their needs.
Let’s talk about your child’s reading
Tell us what you are noticing with reading, spelling, or writing, with or without a dyslexia diagnosis. In a free consultation, we’ll discuss your concerns and a practical next step.
Book Free Consultation