Our literacy programs are designed for children who may benefit from extra support with reading, spelling and writing skills. We tailor the groups to suit the needs of the children. We may recommended a block of intensive sessions rather than a group depending on your child's needs.
Our Kindy, Year 1 and Year 2 children tend to need support with their earlier reading and spelling skills (phonics) whereas our Year 3 and above age groups often join groups more focused on reading comprehension and written language skills. When you enquire we can discuss the literacy program that may best suit your needs.
We use teaching principles from multiple evidence-based programs including 'Visualising & Verbalising' for reading comprehension, 'Sounds-Write' for phonics and programs such as 'Talk 4 Writing', 'Story Grammar Marker' and "SKILL Narrative" to help children practice their oral and written language skills in a fun and meaningful way.
We currently do not have any Literacy Group Programs scheduled.
A variety of goals are covered in the various Literacy Group and 1:1 Intensives Programs on the type of literacy program suited to your child's age and needs)
- To gain confidence with reading, spelling and writing
- To improve awareness of the sound to letter correspondences expected for age
- To develop stronger blending, segmenting and phoneme manipulation skills
- To increase awareness of strategies that can be used during reading comprehension tasks
- To develop a stronger understanding of different text types and the different 'toolkits' that can be used to enhance writing
- To gain confidence with developing an oral narrative using story grammar elements
- To clearly describe the macrostructure of a story
- To develop and apply techniques to improve microstructures of a story
- To provide more detailed descriptions of characters, setting and key events in stories
Print Concepts
Awareness of the functions, forms, conventions and uses of print and an understanding about words, letters, sentences, paragraphs, punctuation and grammar.
Phonological Awareness
Awareness that words can broken up into syllables and sounds. Phonological awareness also involves the ability to manipulate or 'change' sounds in words to build new words. Phonological awareness skills are an essential foundation for reading and spelling.
Sound to Letter Knowledge
Sound to letter knowledge is knowledge of the letters or groups of letters which represent the individual speech sounds in language. Letters and letter patterns that represent speech sounds are also called 'graphemes', while the speech sounds of a language are called 'phonemes'.
Phonics
Our English language consists of 44 sounds yet there are only 26 letters of the alphabet. Therefore different combinations of letters have been combined to represent our written representation of speech sounds. For example, the /ch/ sound can be made by combining 2 letters (such as in the word "chop") or by combining 3 letters (such as in the word "watch"). The teaching of these correspondences is most effective when introduced systematically by commencing with the most common vowels and consonants through to the more complex alternative spellings.
Written Expression (Creative Writing)
We help children to develop their written language skills by also developing their spoke story telling skills. Many of our programs are based on the notion that "you can't write what you can't say". Programs we incorporate into our practice include; Talk for Writing, SKILL Narrative and Story Grammar Marker, all of which help children to develop their writing skills from an oral language base. These effective methods enable children to imitate the language they need for a particular topic orally before reading and analysing it and then writing their own version using key concepts and 'toolkits' to enhance their writing.
Reading Comprehension
Reading comprehension is the ability to process text, understand its meaning, and to integrate it with what the reader already knows. Key skills required for efficient reading comprehension include: knowing the meaning of a wide variety of words, an ability to follow the organisation of a text, and an ability to make inferences based on what we know about the world. 'Visualising and Verbalising' principles are used in our groups to help children create strong concept imagery so that they can better understand the content of what they are reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
1Where is the group held?
All group sessions are held at our clinic in Lane Cove. We have a variety of purpose-built therapy rooms that are spacious, colourful and engaging for learning. Families are encouraged to congregate in the clinic waiting area approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the session. The speech pathologist facilitating the group will meet families there, and accompany them to the appropriate room. The address of the clinic is: Ground Floor, 1 Pottery Lane, Lane Cove, 2066, NSW.
2What happens if I miss one of the sessions?
All group programs are designed so that a session can be missed without hindering future sessions. However, if you are unable to attend, we do appreciate 24 hours notice so that the facilitator can plan accordingly. Unfortunately we cannot provide a refund for missed group sessions.
3How do I pay?
All group sessions are paid for in advance. Our front desk team will provide you details on how to pay to secure your spot.
4What qualifications do the staff have?
All group programs are facilitated by certified practicing speech pathologists.
5Do parents need to stay?
No. Parents are welcome to stay for the first few minutes of the session, however we generally find that children are more involved in group activities when parents are not present. There are plenty of shops and cafes in the local area that we encourage parents to explore while they wait. Families are also welcome to pass the time in our clinic waiting area, offering a small selection of magazines, books and toys.
6What do I need to bring?
Nothing! All resources for the group program will be provided by Sydney Speech Clinic. Children are welcome to bring a water bottle into the therapy room.
7Do groups replace one to one sessions?
No. One-to-one sessions are intensive, individualised, and tailored specifically to the needs of the client. Group sessions are seen as ‘boosters’ or supplementation to one-on-one therapy, and should not be used as a replacement in most cases.
8How do I arrange for one to one intensives for my child?
Please call our Client Services Team to register your interest for intensive sessions. Intensives suit many goal areas in speech therapy and occupational therapy. One example is when working on literacy skills. 3-4 sessions a week for 2 weeks is a great way to gain momentum and achieve mastery of a particular skill. Let us know what you are hoping for and we will advise you as to whether 1:1 intensives or a group program may suit your child's needs best.