About Strong Start to reading™
Strong Start® Charitable Organization offers a literacy program called Letters, Sounds
and Words™, which has been specifically designed to help young children who need
extra practice when learning essential early reading skills. To learn more about Strong
Start, please visit their website.

The Letters, Sounds and Words program at our school
Strong Start’s Letters, Sounds and Words program is a fun and engaging way for
community members to help young children acquire the essential literacy skills they
need to be confident and successful learners. This 10-week program targets children in
Year 2 Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2 who are lagging behind in their early reading
skills. Children are matched with trained community volunteers who come into our
school to work one-on-one with them, playing carefully designed games and activities.
The program is designed in 4 strands to help children learn the names of letters, a
sound each letter represents, how to recognize focus words and how to read a word
using the sounds of its letters. Classroom teachers select which children would most
benefit from this program, as well as the strands in which they should be enrolled.

How you can get involved at Strong Start at our school
You can make a difference! Volunteer at our school and help a young child learn to
read. Contact our school’s Strong Start Site Co-ordinator to get involved.
As a Strong Start volunteer, you will:

  • Attend two, 2-hour training sessions
  • Work one-on-one with a child in Year 2 Kindergarten, Grade 1 or 2 in our school
  • Play games and activities designed to help develop the child’s literacy skills (All
    materials are provided)

Make a minimum time commitment of 30 minutes/week for 10 weeks
“It’s so exciting to see a child start on that path of identifying letters and sounds…it’s
amazing to watch. I would highly recommend this program for anyone who wants to
volunteer.” – Bethany Jakob, Volunteer Coach.

To learn more about the Strong Start’s Letters, Sounds and Words program and
register for training, please click here.