Pathways Storytellers

A fun, inclusive group program to build language AND literacy skills at the same time! Pathways Storytellers builds foundational skills for a lifelong enjoyment of reading, writing, storytelling, and language.

Looking for an inclusive space for your child to build the exact skills they need?

You are looking for a group program that both welcomes and accepts your child AND that can help your child to enhance their foundational skills for literacy and language. This isn’t your typical “reading program;” Pathways Storytellers will help support skill development around narrative skills, such as retelling stories, sequencing, finding the plot, understanding the story, and phonological awareness (pre-reading skills) while honouring each child’s differences in learning. Your child will experience creative and engaging activities all while growing their language and literacy skills!

If you want your child to be successful and confident in these foundational skills, while being supported in their interests and accepted for who they are, our Pathways Storytellers Program is what you are looking for! 

This group is facilitated by a Speech-Language Pathologist and a Specialized Teacher and together, they will support your child’s language and literacy development through neurodiversity affirming practices.

Who should attend Pathways Storytellers program?

At Pathways, we care deeply about ensuring each child’s success and safety in each group program we offer. As such, choosing the right group for your child is important. Please read through the registration criteria listed below before registering your child. If you are NOT sure if this group is a good fit for your child, contact our team at: ally@pathwayslearning.ca

Your child is a perfect fit for the Pathways Storytellers program if:

  1. They are 6 - 9 years of age (or grade 1 - 3 developmental/education level).

  2. They like to participate in groups such as organized activities, sports, and recess.

  3. They would benefit from support in their communication + literacy development.

  4. They can be safe and successful in a group setting with a 1:4 adult-to-child ratio. (e.g., they are not destructively, uncooperatively, and/or aggressively dysregulated when participating in groups). Please note that we care deeply about the safety and success of every child and so this criteria is very important to follow, as we are not able to provide 1:1 support in this program.

  5. They are able to effectively communicate (either via speech or augmented modalities) for a variety of purposes (e.g., making requests, protesting, commenting, asking/answering questions) to ensure that they can follow along, engage in conversations and group activities, and so that our team can ensure their emotional and/or sensory needs can be met.

    Please read this criteria carefully and ensure your child is the right fit for our program. We respectfully need to ensure that all participants are able to be safe and successful at the staffing ratio and benefit from the programming. We reserve the right to discontinue children from the program who do not meet the registration requirements due to safety and/or participation concerns.

What this program will build in your child:

Pathways Storytellers is a 8-week group program led by a Registered Speech-Language Pathologist and Specialized Teacher, and is designed to offer kids a safe and inclusive space to be themselves while also building foundational literacy skills. Core skills targeted over the 8-week program are:

  • Phonological Awareness skills (reading/decoding foundations)

  • Narrative language

  • Sequencing

  • Identifying the plot and main events of the story

  • Re-telling stories

  • Story comprehension

This group is led by a neurodiversity-affirming therapist and teacher using philosophies and methods that support, understand, and accept neurodivergent children within a safe and inclusive space.

The Important Details:

How it works:

Pathways Storytellers involves a weekly 60-minute group session over a 8-week program.

Your child will attend our group classes on each scheduled day of the program; a caregiver does not stay with them. They, and a group of same-aged peers, will work together with our team to participate in a variety of fun and engaging activities to build foundational skills in both language and literacy (e.g., vocabulary, narratives, sequencing, phonological awareness skills, etc.)

Each class will be led and facilitated by a neurodiversity-affirming Registered Speech-Language Pathologist and Specialized Teacher.

Investment:

The program fee for Pathways Storytellers is an investment of $520; this equates to a fee of $65 per class.

Receipts will be provided so you can claim up to the full amount* on your health insurance under private speech therapy coverage (*depends on individual family coverage amount). Additionally, the Speech-Language Pathologists running the Literacy Camp program are listed service provider on the provincial Autism Spectrum Disorder Individualized Funding registry.

Please note: The program fee is refundable, less a $75 cancellation charge, until three weeks before the program’s start date. Cancellations made within three weeks of a program’s start date WILL NOT BE REFUNDED. Missed sessions during the program are not eligible for reduced fees or refunds. Programs may be cancelled if sufficient enrollment is not achieved; refunds will be given in such a case.

WINTER / SPRING 2024 Pathways Storytellers Sessions

  1. Wednesdays, 5:00pm-6:00pm - January 10th - February 28th (no missed weeks/breaks)

  2. Wednesdays, 5:00pm-6:00pm - March 6th - May 1st (no session on Easter break April 3rd)

How to Register:

Registration will occur online through our Jane Online Booking site. Click the REGISTER HERE button below, click on Pathways Storytellers, and select the SPECIFIC START DATE for the session in which you wish to register your child.

**IMPORTANT** You only need to select just the start date and complete the booking for your child in that single session; our team will complete your booking for the remaining 7 weeks of the program.

Once you have completed the booking you will receive an intake form via email from our booking system Jane. You will need to complete this form AND ENSURE you provide your credit card onto your Jane account. A FULL PAYMENT will be collected at the time of registration once our team receives your booking and processes the charge on your credit card. The full $520 will exist on your Jane account as a credit until the sessions are completed, then the credit will be applied $65 per class after each class is completed.

** You will NOT receive session receipts (for insurance/funding) until AFTER each session is done. Session receipts, to show therapist details and service dates, will be automatically emailed after each session. We can NOT provide service receipts in advance of the service.