Dear Community,
I am very happy to announce that Naturally Literate has our first graduate! After 18 months of very hard work H.K. has completed the Reading Remediation program.

At the beginning of grade 8, H.K. began his journey learning how to decode and encode the English language. Starting at a grade 3/4 reader and speller, H.K. worked very hard in our one-on-one classes 3-5 times a week during 2019-2020. COVID was not a barrier as we continued with digital distance classes increasing the frequency of our lessons to fast track H.K. over the summer to prepare him for Highschool.  With hard work and specialized instruction H.K. was able to go from a struggling reader/speller decode books at the grade 4 level to achieving language fluency and confidently able to keep up with his grade 9 class.
Well Done!

I hope that you continue to strive for the stars and share your brilliance with the world. I can not wait to see what you achieve. 

Warmly,

Julia (Ms. Postigo)

Have you heard of Stealth Dyslexia? I hadn't either until I read this article by The Dyslexia Initiative.
Here is a little excerpt;
"STEALTH DYSLEXIAPeople with stealth dyslexia have problems sounding out (or decoding) words just like those with "classic" dyslexia, yet typically their scores on tests where reading comprehension is measured are typically above average, or even quite strong."-The Dyslexia Initiative 
Check out the full article, it short and a good informative read.

Happy October!
Warmly,
Julia 

"Mical" is a powerful film about a young boys struggle with Dyslexia and his mothers tenacity to find a way to teach him how to read.

Very much worth a view. Click on the link below 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LJkJrCxgLE&t=1s 

This is an excellent link to explain Orthographic mapping. 
"Orthographic mapping; the process by which we store written words in our long-term memory, for quick retrieval at a later time.  This concept was first described by Linnea Ehri, who explains it as creating links that “glue” spelling to the pronunciation of words in long-term memory.  To create these links, we need to be very good at two things:

1. breaking spoken words down into sounds (phonemic awareness)
2. knowing which sounds can be represented by which letters (letter-sound knowledge)"

The article goes into further details about the ways various drills help solidify Orthographic mapping in the brain.

The reading remediation lessons offered at Naturally Literate retrain the brain to achieve fluency. Check out our services page for more details. 

Warmly,

​Julia 


44to26.wordpress.com/2020/08/03/orthographic-mapping-how-we-learn-to-read-so-fast/?fbclid=IwAR1NAs1F8sKI0_QFWgWeAt7fPXYVT3K5qgB9vLId-YqzeyeTyB9RjwI7JFk​​

Boreal Waters.
By: Julia Postigo-Rombola
Aug. 1, 2020

Once upon a time there was a woman and she smiled.
She had just crawl up onto shore after a long swim.
When had it began raining? She wasn't certain.
Sprawling out on the rock she stretched her limbs, it felt good to use them again. How long had it been since she last swam, really swam?
Months...
Years...
Funny how life slips by faster and faster as one grows. Distractions easily teasing ones attention here and there.

She felt the rain patter on her skin, plick-plick-plick. It felt so good, like 1000 tiny massages falling from the sky. The warm rain soothed her worked muscles.
She felt the wind caress her face, like a mother who hadn't seen her child in so very many years. Caring, loving, tender. Her little body hair reached out for more.
She heard the the leaves sign to her from their tall balconies high above everything else, the adagio delivering the perfect pace to natures melodic masterpiece. The song clearing out her mental clutter until it filled the space and sang through her.
She lay on the Canadian shield, its stored warmth of summer seeping into her bones and banishing the weeks, months, years, of overworked technological distractions. Joints popped and sighed as the contour of her body melted and relaxed.
She smelt the intoxicating bouquet the soft pitter patter unlocked from the mishomis rocks, their's hidden secrets released once again into the atmosphere.
As she inhaled the deep sent of warm summer rain and hot shield rock, that humid tangy scent wove down through her core awakening a slumbering peace locked in her marrow.
The thrum of her heart beat, Lub Thub, fell in tune with the rock,
the lake,
the wind,
and the rain.
Her heart smiled.
What fantastic medicine she thought.
She was home.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Take the time to remember the magic that surround us everyday. We are from the earth and to the earth we shall return, make sure you take the time to meet her while you journey through as well.

A profound gratitude goes out to Lake Superior for its healing waters. I feel blessed to be able to swim in her crystal clear water. She is still clean and safe. Take a moment to reflect,
What are the bodies of water around you?
Where are they?
Are they healthy or sick?
What can you do to heal them or keep them healthy? Remember we are made of water. Water is life.

Happy August everyone.
Love, Light, and Laughter.

Warmly,
Jules

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I am a teacher and an environmentalist. I am a dyslexic. I have ADHD. This summer I challenged myself to write stories, to practice weaving stories. With hidden barriers, it is a monumental challenge I set for myself. Today I choose to see the side of light. Everything has two sides. Which side will you see. Remember, You are not alone.

#wildwomansisterhood #wild #boreal #environmentalteacher #Ontario #waterwarrior #lakesuperior #dyslexia #adhdadults #naturallyliterate ​

The Human Right Commission's inquiry is students Right To Read has now released an additional survey for Educators and other professionals. 

Please take the moment to answer the survey so that students who need reading help can access it, hopefully in the not so distant future. 

This survey is for educators and other professionals, including teachers, principals, tutors, pediatricians, speech-language pathologists, psychologists and social workers, to share their perspectives.

Please feel free to distribute the survey link through your networks.

Follow this link to complete the educator survey: Take the Survey

Or copy and paste the URL below into your internet browser:
https://ontariotbs.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bC5CrK7ocBwYswB?Q_CHL=email

The survey is also available on our website.

The survey will be available until June 1, 2020.

Links to News Release: "OHRC to engage educators and professionals for its Right to Read inquiry" (EN)
"La CODP fait participer les éducateurs et les professionnels à son enquête Le droit de lire" (FR)
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Anyone having difficulty or who needs help completing the survey can contact the OHRC at 416-314-4547 and leave a voicemail, or email legal@ohrc.on.ca. The OHRC is continuing to monitor emails and voicemail messages related to the inquiry, although there may be some delays in responding.
. http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/right-read-public-inquiry-on-reading-disabilities

Hi EcoWarriors!

Nature is full of Surprises! Every day, no matter where you live, you can see small, amazing things in nature. You can spot them going for a walk, going to the grocery store, or looking out the window. You can even be surprised in your own house, like finding a spider in the shower! These unexpected moments of wonder are free, simple, and often happen quickly, so keep your eyes peeled and your senses alert! 

In the spirit of Surprises, let us play a game of scavenger hunt! Spring is here and with it all sorts of wonders are beginning to emerge from the ground. Let us see what you can find on an evening walk. 

I spied a cluster of Snowdrops! They look like this. What did you spy?? Send me your favourite discovery over the weekend by email as a picture or drawing. Happy hunting and remember to respect nature and each other by keeping a good distance. 

Attached is a scavenger hunting sheet. Good Luck!

Warmly,

Ms. Postigo

Resources:  ​
https://www.storey.com/the-nature-connection-worksheets/
http://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2016/03/spring-scavenger-hunt-free-printable.html
https://www.interflora.co.uk/content/about-spring-flowers/#SNOWDROPS

With our changing times, Naturally Literate, has developed an Digital Distance Learning program based off of Remediation Plus, Learning Without Tears, and Waldorf Education pedagogy. The program will be taught using Zoom.us as the digital classroom platform.  

This Digital Distance Learning intervention program is specifically focused on establishing a solid foundation in reading, writing, and spelling. Please read Reading Remediation for more details on the program and the various options available.

For new clients an initial assessment of your Childs abilities will be conducted digitally through an entry testing process. Exit testing as well as test analysis are for students looking for Reading Remediation or Digital Distance Learning. These tests are extremely important to help us best match our program to each students needs.

To book a time for an assessment, please contact us.
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