Closing the Gap this Summer
Updated: Mar 31, 2023
Summer Sessions
Our goal this summer is to help as many students as possible close the gaps from their fragmented school year and get them prepped to hit the ground running in September. Sounds awesome, right? Here’s how we can help make that happen.
We use The Barton Program, an evidence-based program with a 1:1 teacher-student instruction ratio, and the Orton Gillingham approach to learning. Each lesson is highly structured, carefully scripted, and focused on reading, spelling and writing using ten progressive levels. Our approach is multi-sensory, sequential and prescriptive, enabling the kids and us to have fun!
We do this by memorizing rules and practicing using real and nonsense words. We use colour-coded letter tiles to help students connect sounds with letters. Activities change about every five minutes, so our students stay engaged. The lesson continues in the next session if a student cannot complete the eight steps within the 50-minute session.
All sessions are conducted online via Zoom, which means they can be completed anywhere there is wifi! We encourage a minimum of 2 sessions a week for at least three months to assess the program and its benefits. Ideally, three sessions per week work best for results, but we are flexible to work with you, your schedule and your needs. We are offering 20 or 25-session packages for the summer months.
Keep learning fun and exciting by incorporating multisensory techniques at home. Have your child use magnetic letters, play-doh or finger paint to spell out words! You can also use a dry-erase board or chalkboard to teach your children about replacing and changing letters. Try writing a word but leaving some letters blank (have your child fill in the missing letters-providing them with guidance as needed).
What is your child passionate about? Make sure to choose books about topics your child enjoys. If your child loves trains or sharks, incorporate those aspects of their life into the reading process.
Encouragement goes a long way in building children's confidence and self-esteem. Including a visual way for your child to mark their progress, like a chart where they can paste stickers for each lesson learned, can help motivate them to keep learning.
Would You Teach a Fish to Climb a Tree? Everyone deserves the opportunity to show the world how bright they can shine. “Would You Teach a Fish to Climb a Tree?” by Anne Maxwell, Gary M. Douglas, and Dr. Heer provides a refreshing new perspective on children with ADD, ADHD, OCD and Autism. Instead of labelling children as disabled, they lovingly refer to children with ADD, ADHD, OCD and Autism as X-Men viewing their differences as superpowers. X-Men communicate, connect with people and learn differently than other kids. Often the conclusion is reached that children who don’t “fit in” need to be taught how to behave to learn to function as if they were “normal”. By asking them to be “normal”, we are doing two things: we are telling them that there is something wrong with them, and we are asking them to become someone they are not. What if there’s nothing wrong with how they communicate, connect or learn? What would it be like if we taught these kids different ways to know that work for them, rather than using methods that might have worked for us?
The READy Clinic understands everyone learns differently. We embrace it, which is why our students have had such great success. Parents, siblings, loved ones, and friends could all benefit from this empowering book, and we highly suggest it! It will make all the difference for you and your child.
