Literacy Newfoundland and Labrador

Summer Tutoring Program 2009: Learning Disabilities Association of Newfoundland and Labrador

Project Start/End Dates: July and August of 2009

Initial Project Description: The Learning Disabilities Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (LDANL) originally designed their project as the Linking Literacy to Learning Program. The aim of this project was to assist children in Grades kindergarten to six who have difficulty reading, whether due to a disability or not. This program was to operate out of their Corner Brook office during after school hours. Once the Corner Brook office was shut down, Literacy NL and LDANL agreed to change the project to that of a summer tutoring project for youth in the St. John’s area.

Final Project Description: The Barton System is a highly regarded program, originally created for students with Dyslexia, which has been found to help any student experiencing difficulty with reading. This system was to be employed in a summer tutoring program. The aim of the project remained intact: to assist children in Grades kindergarten to six who have difficulty reading, whether due to a disability or not. The goals of the initiative remained largely intact as well:

  • Develop programs for children with or are suspected to have learning disabilities
  • Help children in learning how to read
  • Identify learning disabilities in children as early as possible
  • Develop learning strategies for those with learning disabilities
  • Work in collaboration with schools and teachers
  • Increase public awareness of learning disabilities and the Learning Disabilities Association of NL

Project Outcomes: Children received two one hour sessions of The Barton System per week. Each session was one on one, with an experienced full-time tutor guiding the student through the Barton lessons. Students concentrated on phonemic awareness and on developing the decoding skills necessary to improve their reading. Most students progressed through at least one level of the system, while others went further. Students could register for either a 4 or 8 week session.

The summer program was considered a success, based on parental feedback from the program and registration for a fall 10 week program. The Learning Disabilities Association of NL will be offering Fall, Winter and Summer sessions of this program, as it has been found to be a valuable tool to assist those struggling with reading.

Developed and hosted by NALD in collaboration with Literacy Newfoundland and Labrador.

This project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Office of Literacy and Essential Skills.