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.
​

With growing momentum towards advocating for students and individuals with reading disabilities add your voice and be heard. The Ontario Human Rights Commission's Survey for Parents/Guardians and Students gives the public the opportunity to share their experience with the Ontario education system. This survey is non discriminatory, if your are a person who has already completed the primary and elementary school system you can still share your experience. I just did and it was very cathartic. If you, a loved one, or friend is effected by reading challenges please forward this link to them. The more voices shouting the same message, the closer we come to real change. Give your voice or aid someone who does not have the ability to shout for themselves. 
​
Survey Link:
ontariotbs.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4TwifRctQYohRoV

Further information can be found here:
www.ohrc.on.ca/en/right-read-public-inquiry-on-reading-disabilities

​Wishing everyone a great and relaxing March Break.

​There is movement towards advocating for our Dyslexic children in schools today. Hopefully our government and the work of hundreds of individuals with voice will be able to advocate for those without ones. Students in schools in Ontario are at a disadvantage, our teaching system does not teach English in a phonological way cause a massive barrier to those who can not learn the language through memorization and wrote. With this barrier students find themselves falling behind, frustrated, and hating school. Inevitably students check out, are labeled "lazy" or a "trouble maker" and are often given attention in a negative manner due to their behavioral habits in class. All this can be avoided with Phonological awareness and explicit structured lessons. Teaching this way is an inclusive method in reaching all the learning style of a classroom as well as including new language learners. 

Check out the recent CBC episodes on Dyslexia and the conversations that are moving toward good change. 
​https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-45-ontario-today/clip/15755666-ontarios-human-rights-commissioner-standing-up-for-kids-who-cant-read.

A free 'app' that detects dyslexia in 15 minutes
23 DIC 2016 - 7:21 CET
My child has dyslexia . How did you find out? In the doctor. This may change. Dyslexia is the impaired ability to read why confused or order of letters, syllables or words altered. Now, as announced this week, Samsung and Change Dyslexia presented Dytective for Samsung, "a new free application for tablets that integrates for the first time a test of linguistic games and attention artificial intelligence for early detection of risk this disorder, "reports EFE. It is the first detector online dyslexia.
The application, which is available for both Android and IOS- consists of a series of exercises lasting a quarter of an hour in which "after analyzing more than 200 variables and the user is notified if you are at risk or suffer dyslexia with 89.5% accuracy, "he explains Change Dyslexia on its website. Unlimited use, the test is aimed for families, professionals and schools. And it has been tested with a sample of 10,000 people. "It can be used for children aged seven years and this test is not equivalent to a medical diagnosis," warn the creators.
This new action is part of the campaign 'purposeful Technology', launched by Samsung, which aims to eliminate all kinds of educational and social barriers through technology, as explained in a statement.
It is estimated that 20% of the population suffers from dyslexia, as announced by the Madrid Association Dyslexia last January. Among children, more than 600,000 children suffer and many even become diagnosed. Although children with dyslexia have a completely normal intelligence, this disorder is behind many cases of school dropouts, according to experts. "With this app, we can help both detect dyslexia as experience and improve school performance of these children , " said the director of Communication, Institutional Relations and Corporate Citizenship Samsung, Francisco Hortigüela.
"Dytective is the result of several years of research Luz Rello (Princess Award Girona 2016) years hard labor after which finally has managed to materialize into a single tool," explains Association Madrid with dyslexia in its web . For research, he had more than 300 volunteers from different countries (Spain, Colombia, Argentina and Chile) and the collaboration of more than 100 schools and centers. The result is the largest study to date on dyslexia in the Spanish-speaking world.
"Talking about Samsung is talking about innovation, but innovation with purpose. Dytective for Samsung is a good example of this. This is an initiative that helps break barriers and help people through technology helping to make a better society "says Marketing Director of Samsung Spain, Alfonso Fernández.
The app is available in Samsung App Store. The promotional video on these lines can be seen in Callao (Madrid) and in cinemas throughout Spain in the coming weeks.
You can follow Mamas & Papas on Facebook , Twitter or subscribe here to the newsletter .
​
Article translated from Spanish. 
Original Article: https://elpais.com/elpais/2016/12/22/mamas_papas/1482421874_807579.html 

Naturally Literate is excited to be accepting new students for the new year! Enroll your child at our Toronto location and help support them through the rest of the school year. Or Enroll your child in our summer intensive in Thunder Bay, Ontario. More information 

 Today we were treated with a lovely sunny day to kick off our Summer Intervention Program.
We are off to a fantastic Start! Assessments for our summer intervention are complete. I'm so proud of our students for completing the assessments. Now our real work can begin.

Tomorrow we begin the exciting adventure through the land of the English language. We will set off on this voyage learning the fundamental letter sounds and then search for the 44 speech sounds and the elusive 90 grapheme representations. Some will be easy to catch and some will be sneaky but I have full confidence in our Adventures. Let's equip them with the best nets and skills, then let us see what will escape them! Good job boys! 

If you know of families in the Thunder Bay Area that need literacy help please do not hesitate to pass along this link Home. Naturally Literate is still taking students for the Summer Intervention Program, Grades 1-12. Please refer to Services for more information on our programs.

​Have a wonderful Monday everyone and stay tuned as our adventurers discover and capture these sounds and graphemes. 

-Julia