Reading Rocks

Grades 1 – 8

Reading Rocks is a structured literacy intervention program designed by Dr. John McNamara, PhD, who specializes in Learning Disabilities. This program is designed for students in Grades 1 to 8 who are performing a minimum of one year behind in the area of literacy due to a diagnosed, identified, or suspected reading disability (Dyslexia).   

Participants work one-to-one with a trained tutor to enhance their literacy skills such as phonics principles, sight word knowledge, and reading fluency. Sessions are taught using a combination of direct instruction and engaging literacy games and activities. Participants use individualized workstations to set goals and visualize their progress throughout the program in order to boost self-confidence and intrinsic motivation.

Questions? Contact Program Coordinator, Emily Morrison | emorrison@LDANiagara.org

Participant Eligibility

Participants attending the sessions must:

• Be in Grade 1 through 8 at the time of participation;
• Have a diagnosed or suspected Learning Disability* (click here for the definition of a Learning Disability);
• Not be diagnosed/identified with an intellectual disability or have significant behavioural support needs.

*Please Note: While exceptionalities such as ADHD, Autism, Mild Intellectual Disability, etc. may impact an individual’s learning, a Learning Disability is a specific impairment and is distinct from these and other exceptionalities.

Fall 2023 Program Applications Now Open!

Fall 2023 Program Details:

* Fees subject to change. An annual family LDA Membership fee is $50. For more information on the LDA Membership program click here. If you require financial assistance, subsidy and payment plans may be available.
** Program will not be running on Tuesday, October 31 (Halloween)
*** Exact in-person location to be determined

Spring 2023 Reading Rocks Sites Generously Supported By:

Proud Community Partner:

Testimonials

“We are very happy with Reading Rocks. My son has improved 5 reading levels at school and his teacher is also impressed! We have gone from tears at homework time to his near complete independence. What used to take him 3 day of struggles he now completes on one morning of the weekend before we start the day! The activities that he is engaged in truly inspire him. His tutor has gone to the effort of discussing his interests and tailoring the lessons according to his tastes. This program is such a valuable asset to our community. I also believe the tutors’ passion and commitment are reflected in the relationship they build with the students which is essential to the learning process.”

“My son has more confidence with his work now rather than feeling defeated and shutting down refusing to do the work. He loves chatting and learning with the volunteers and doesn’t refuse to go as they make it fun and tailored to his learning style. We, as parents, also don’t feel alone in navigating his learning disability as there are so many others out there in the programs that have children that struggle in certain areas too.” 

“We wanted to reach out and let you know how pleased and impressed we are with [our child’s] tutor this session. For us to find out tonight this was [the tutor’s] first time doing Reading Rocks we were blown away. She is very skilled with redirection and getting [our son] to refocus when he needed to. She leads with kindness and has a gentle/ firmness when needed. [Our son’s] teacher has let us know she has noticed an improvement in his reading since this session started. Thanks so much for matching our son with [his tutor], he has greatly benefited from her teaching abilities.”