Literacy Support for children & teens in Edmonton & St. Albert
Evidence-based reading and writing support for children and teens struggling with dyslexia, reading difficulties, and language-based learning disabilities.
Reading and writing are fundamental to school success, learning, and independence.
When your child or teen struggles to decode words, comprehend what they read, or express themselves in writing—despite hard work and good instruction—it's not a lack of effort. It's often a language-based learning challenge that responds to the right kind of support.
At Ruby Therapy Services, our Speech-Language Pathologists with specialized literacy training use evidence-based, structured literacy approaches to address the underlying language skills needed for reading and writing success.
Serving families in St. Albert, Edmonton, and Northern Alberta.
Who we Serve
Our literacy support services are designed for children and teenagers who are struggling to learn to read, read fluently, comprehend text, or express themselves in writing. Select your age group to learn about age-appropriate literacy support.
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Early literacy intervention to help your child build the foundational reading and writing skills needed for school success and confidence.
What We Address:
Phonological awareness (sound awareness skills—the foundation of reading)
Letter-sound knowledge (phonics)
Decoding (sounding out words)
Reading fluency (reading smoothly and accurately)
Reading comprehension (understanding what they read)
Spelling skills
Written expression difficulties
Dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities
Why It Matters:
Early intervention is powerful! The earlier we address reading difficulties, the better the outcomes. Children who receive structured literacy support early often close the gap with their peers.
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Targeted literacy support to help teens improve reading comprehension, vocabulary, written expression, and study skills for academic success.
What We Address:
Reading comprehension strategies (understanding complex texts)
Vocabulary development (academic and content-specific vocabulary)
Written expression (organizing thoughts, writing essays, grammar)
Study skills (reading textbooks, taking notes, preparing for exams)
Decoding and fluency (if still struggling with reading accuracy or speed)
Dyslexia support for teens
Language-based learning challenges affecting academics
Why It Matters:
It's never too late! Teens can still make significant gains in reading and writing with the right support. Strong literacy skills are critical for high school success, post-secondary education, and future career opportunities.
What is Literacy Support?
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Literacy support at Ruby Speech Therapy is evidence-based reading and writing intervention provided by Speech-Language Pathologists with specialized training in structured literacy methods.
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Reading and writing are language-based skills. Many reading difficulties—including dyslexia—are rooted in underlying language challenges, particularly phonological processing (the ability to hear, manipulate, and use the sound structure of language).
Speech-Language Pathologists are uniquely qualified to address literacy challenges because we:
Understand the language foundation of reading and writing
Are trained in phonology, phonics, morphology (word structure), syntax (grammar), and semantics (meaning)
Use evidence-based structured literacy approaches
Address both oral language AND written language
Identify and treat the underlying language skills needed for literacy success
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Structured literacy is an evidence-based approach to teaching reading and writing that is:
Systematic: Skills are taught in a logical, sequential order
Explicit: Concepts are taught directly and clearly, not assumed or discovered
Cumulative: New skills build on previously learned skills
Diagnostic: Instruction is tailored to individual needs based on ongoing assessment
Multi-Sensory: Uses visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways to strengthen learning
Structured literacy is the gold standard for teaching children with dyslexia and other reading difficulties, and it benefits ALL learners.
What we work on Together
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Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that affects reading and spelling. It is neurobiological in origin and characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, poor spelling, and poor decoding abilities.
What It Looks Like:
Difficulty learning letter-sound relationships (phonics)
Trouble sounding out (decoding) unfamiliar words
Slow, labored reading
Frequent reading errors (substitutions, omissions, reversals)
Poor spelling despite effort
Reading comprehension difficulties (often due to slow, effortful decoding)
Avoidance of reading tasks
Frustration with reading and schoolwork
Important to Know:
Dyslexia is NOT a vision problem, and it is NOT due to lack of intelligence or effort. People with dyslexia are often bright and creative but struggle with the language-based aspects of reading.
Who We Help:
Children (Ages 5-12): Early dyslexia intervention
Teens (Ages 13-18): Dyslexia support for academic success
How We Help:
We use evidence-based structured literacy approaches specifically designed for dyslexia, including systematic, explicit phonics instruction, multi-sensory techniques, and practice in phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, and comprehension. Early intervention is key, but teens can still make significant progress.
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Phonological awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the sounds in spoken words. It is the strongest predictor of early reading success.
What It Looks Like:
Difficulty rhyming
Trouble identifying beginning, middle, or ending sounds in words
Challenges blending sounds to make words ("c-a-t" → "cat")
Difficulty segmenting words into sounds ("cat" → "c-a-t")
Struggles deleting or substituting sounds in words
These difficulties often appear BEFORE formal reading instruction begins
Who We Help:
- Children (Ages 4-8): Building phonological awareness as a foundation for reading
How We Help:
We use explicit, systematic phonological awareness training through games, activities, and multi-sensory techniques. Strong phonological awareness skills lead to better decoding, spelling, and reading success.
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Decoding is the ability to use letter-sound knowledge (phonics) to sound out unfamiliar words. Difficulty with decoding is a hallmark of dyslexia and other reading disabilities.
What It Looks Like:
Guessing at words based on the first letter or context rather than sounding them out
Difficulty applying phonics rules when reading
Slow, labored reading
Frequent errors when reading aloud (substitutions, omissions)
Reliance on memorization of whole words rather than decoding strategies
Struggles with unfamiliar or complex words
Who We Help:
Children (Ages 5-12): Building decoding skills for reading independence
Teens: Strengthening decoding for reading fluency and accuracy
How We Help:
We use structured, systematic phonics instruction that explicitly teaches letter-sound correspondences, blending, and decoding strategies. We practice applying phonics skills to real reading in a supportive, multi-sensory way.
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Reading fluency is the ability to read smoothly, accurately, and with appropriate speed and expression. Fluency is essential for reading comprehension—if a child is working hard to decode each word, they have little mental energy left for understanding.
What It Looks Like:
Slow, labored reading
Choppy, word-by-word reading (lacking flow)
Frequent pauses or hesitations
Lack of expression or attention to punctuation reading aloud
Rereading words or lines
Reading comprehension suffers due to slow, effortful reading
Who We Help:
Children (Ages 6-12): Building reading fluency for comprehension
Teens: Improving reading speed and efficiency for academic success
How We Help:
We work on building automaticity (automatic, effortless word recognition), practicing repeated readings, increasing reading speed, and developing prosody (reading with expression). Fluency practice is motivating and goal-oriented.
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Reading comprehension is the ability to understand, interpret, and draw meaning from text. Comprehension challenges can result from weak decoding/fluency (too much effort spent on reading words) OR from underlying language comprehension weaknesses.
What It Looks Like:
Difficulty answering questions about what was read
Trouble making inferences or "reading between the lines"
Challenges understanding vocabulary in text
Difficulty summarizing or retelling stories
Struggles understanding complex sentences or paragraph structure
Can read words accurately but doesn't understand the meaning
Who We Help:
Children (Ages 6-12): Building comprehension strategies alongside decoding/fluency
Teens: Developing advanced comprehension skills for academic texts
How We Help:
We work on vocabulary development, comprehension strategies (predicting, questioning, summarizing, visualizing), understanding text structure, making inferences, and monitoring comprehension. We also address underlying language skills (grammar, syntax, semantics) that support comprehension.
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Spelling (encoding) is the flip side of reading (decoding). Many children who struggle with reading also struggle with spelling.
What It Looks Like:
Poor spelling despite effort and practice
Inconsistent spelling of the same word
Difficulty applying spelling rules
Reliance on memorization (which doesn't generalize)
Phonetic spelling that doesn't follow conventional spelling patterns
Frustration with written assignments due to spelling challenges
Who We Help:
Children (Ages 6-12): Building spelling skills through phonics and word structure
Teens: Improving spelling for written expression and academic work
How We Help:
We use structured spelling instruction that explicitly teaches phonics patterns, spelling rules, morphology (prefixes, suffixes, roots), and strategies for encoding words. Spelling instruction is integrated with reading (decoding) instruction.
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Written expression involves organizing thoughts, constructing sentences and paragraphs, using correct grammar and mechanics, and conveying ideas clearly in writing.
What It Looks Like:
Difficulty organizing thoughts to write
Short, simple sentences when longer, more complex sentences are expected
Poor grammar and sentence structure
Challenges with paragraph structure and essay organization
Avoidance of writing tasks
Difficulty getting ideas from head to paper
Spelling and mechanics errors that interfere with writing
Who We Help:
Children (Ages 7-12): Building foundational writing skills
Teens: Developing academic writing skills (essays, reports, papers)
How We Help:
We work on sentence construction, paragraph organization, planning and organizing writing, grammar and syntax, vocabulary for written expression, and strategies for generating and organizing ideas. We address both the mechanics AND the content of writing.
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Language-based learning disabilities (LBLD) are learning challenges rooted in difficulties with language processing. Dyslexia is the most common LBLD, but language challenges can also affect listening comprehension, spoken language, and academic learning across subjects.
What It Looks Like:
Reading and writing challenges (dyslexia)
Difficulty understanding complex spoken language or lectures
Trouble following multi-step directions
Challenges with vocabulary and word-finding
Difficulty organizing thoughts orally or in writing
Struggles with grammar and sentence structure
Academic challenges across multiple subjects that rely on language
Who We Help:
Children & Teens: Comprehensive language-based intervention
How We Help:
Our Speech-Language Pathologists address the underlying language skills—phonological processing, vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, expression—that are impacting literacy and academic success. We use evidence-based approaches tailored to individual needs.
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As students move into middle and high school, the language demands increase dramatically. Academic texts use complex vocabulary, sentence structures, and concepts. Weak academic language skills can impact comprehension across all subjects.
What It Looks Like:
Difficulty understanding textbooks or academic materials
Struggles with content-specific vocabulary (science, social studies, etc.)
Challenges comprehending complex sentences or dense text
Difficulty with inferencing or understanding abstract concepts
Poor performance on reading-based assessments despite effort
Frustration with reading and schoolwork
Who We Help:
Teens (Ages 13-18): Academic language and vocabulary development
How We Help:
We work on academic vocabulary development, comprehension strategies for complex texts, understanding text structure, summarizing and note-taking, and language skills for academic success. We help teens access their curriculum more effectively.
Our Approach to Literacy Support
Evidence-Based Structured Literacy
We use proven structured literacy approaches backed by decades of research. Our methods are systematic, explicit, cumulative, and multi-sensory—the gold standard for teaching children and teens with dyslexia and other reading difficulties.
Individualized & Diagnostic
Every learner is unique. We conduct comprehensive assessments to identify specific areas of need and tailor intervention to YOUR child's or teen's strengths, challenges, and learning style. Progress is continuously monitored, and instruction is adjusted as needed.
Multi-Sensory & Engaging
We use visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile learning pathways to strengthen memory and learning. Activities are hands-on, motivating, and designed to make literacy learning successful and even enjoyable.
Builds Confidence & Independence
Struggling with reading affects self-esteem. We celebrate progress, build on strengths, and help students develop the skills and confidence they need to become independent, successful readers and writers.
Comprehensive literacy assessments are typically 90-120 minutes (sometimes across multiple sessions) and are billed accordingly. Assessment fees are generally covered by insurance plans that cover speech-language therapy services.
Investment in Your Child's Literacy Success
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Comprehensive literacy assessment
Individualized intervention planning
One-on-one literacy sessions (45-60 minutes)
Systematic, evidence-based structured literacy instruction
Multi-sensory materials and activities
Progress monitoring and periodic re-assessment
Parent education and communication
Home practice materials and strategies
Collaboration with schools and teachers (with consent)
Written reports for schools or physicians
Ready to Support Your Child's Reading Success?
Reading is a fundamental skill that opens doors to learning, independence, and opportunity. You've already taken an important step by learning about literacy support.
Let's take the next step together.