Inclusive Education for All
In 2023, a Community Vitality Grant of $65,000 was awarded to Strong Start for their Letters, Sounds and Words program, a project that acts as a literacy intervention for young children to develop foundational reading skills. Over two years, the program aimed to address gaps in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) across its educational materials, ensuring that all children and volunteers were represented.
This grant supported the review, revision, and production of materials for the program. In the decision-making process, experts in EDI and individuals with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences were consulted to see where revisions could be made.
“Through an extensive community-informed review process, we identified and revised 55% of program activities to align with current educational equity standards. These changes have strengthened the program’s impact and reinforced its role as a vital support for early literacy development.”
Helen Kelch, Ontario West Regional Program Coordinator for the Letters, Sounds and Words program.
Strong Start visited 151 schools to conduct a retrofit as part of their annual kit-checking cycle, where many existing materials were replaced with new ones. This included the successful redesign of 16 books, working with a local artist for new book and gameboard illustrations, and the creation of entirely new materials. It also involved a language revision to 44 games and activities – a challenging yet necessary process following changes to the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Language Curriculum while the project was underway.
Some examples of game changes include ‘Race to the Castle’ being re-named ‘Race to the Playground’, and ‘Treasure Hunt’ becoming ‘Nature Walk.’ Existing resources being used by classroom teachers were considered to ensure consistency and appropriate language in all revisions.
The updated materials have increased children’s engagement and confidence, with the program consistently demonstrating 95% literacy improvement among participants. Helen described how one student, Drago, expressed excitement when playing one of the revised games called ‘Alphabet Soup’, formerly known as the ‘Three Bears’ board game. Drago said, “My baka [grandmother] makes soup too! I get to cut the onions.” This shows how funding inclusive education can create meaningful connections for children and deepen their love for learning.
With over 3,000 volunteers supporting Strong Start, changes made possible by the Community Vitality grant have increased the group’s overall confidence in delivering the program to diverse children. As for program partners, Helen noted that the response has been “overwhelmingly positive,” building strong momentum to continue the program’s upward growth. This development has helped support London District Catholic School Board’s decision to sign a three-year agreement with the Letters, Sounds and Words program, a significant milestone for the project.
“Investing in inclusive literacy materials has strengthened the program’s foundation, ensuring it will serve many more children in the years ahead,” said Helen.
