Kingsdale Academy Wins National Award for Leadership in Dyslexia Support
by Lia Ciarallo, Literacy Coordinator and Grade 1 Teacher;
Kathryn Byrne, Principal;
and Simone Viger
Early screening, hands-on literacy tools, and a commitment to inclusion help every student thrive.
Nearly every morning at 10 a.m., the Grade 1 and 2 classrooms at Kingsdale Academy come alive with purpose. Students sit in small groups, rolling dice in literacy games, arranging magnetic tiles, and enthusiastically sounding out words.
These 30 minutes are more than just a literacy block—they’re a daily boost of confidence, curiosity, and growth.
This commitment to early intervention and inclusive instruction has earned Kingsdale a prestigious national award.
Awarded for Excellence in Inclusion
Kingsdale Academy is the proud recipient of the 2025 Dyslexia Canada Educational Excellence Award, which honors schools that demonstrate exceptional leadership in supporting students with dyslexia.
“This prestigious honour reflects your unwavering dedication,” said Alicia Smith, Executive Director of Dyslexia Canada.
“Your team’s innovative approaches and evidence-based practices have made a profound impact on your community.”
The award recognizes Kingsdale’s use of structured literacy, early screening, and a school-wide commitment to inclusion.
What Structured Literacy Looks Like at Kingsdale
At the heart of Kingsdale’s literacy success is the UFLI Foundations program, developed by the University of Florida Literacy Institute. This structured literacy approach is grounded in the science of reading and focuses on systematic and explicit instruction.
Each lesson follows an eight-step routine:
- Phonemic Awareness – Students identify and manipulate sounds in words.
- Visual Drill – Students connect graphemes (letters) to phonemes (sounds).
- Auditory Drill – Students hear a sound and write the matching letter(s).
- Blending Drill – Sounds are blended to form words.
- New Concept Practice – Teachers model new skills using the “I do, we do, you do” method.
- Word Work – Students build and manipulate words with tiles or magnets.
- Irregular Word Recognition – Practice with high-frequency words.
- Connected Text – Students apply skills by writing sentences and reading short passages.
Literacy in Action: A Classroom Walkthrough
We had the privilege of visiting Kingsdale during its daily Literacy Block, held from 10:00–10:30 a.m., Monday through Thursday. Here’s what we saw:
Phonemic Awareness
Students practiced identifying sounds in spoken words—a critical foundation for decoding and spelling.
Students practicing sound segmentation in small groups.
Visual & Auditory Drills
Children quickly matched letters to sounds and vice versa, building fluency and automaticity. Students are presented with the graphemes (visual representation of the sound – ie, a letter or letter combination) and asked to make the phoneme (the sound that the letters represent). This drill builds quick recognition that will assist children in reading fluently.
A teacher points to graphemes and students say the phonemes aloud.
Roll & Read
Learning gets playful with dice-based word games that reinforce decoding skills. These students are working on a fun reinforcement activity where they roll the dice and read the words.
Laughter fills the room as students challenge themselves during “Roll & Read.”
Word Work & Blending
Using magnetic tiles and small dry erase boards, students build, decode, and spell words in hands-on ways. Students work with letter tiles/magnetic letters or similar to read and write words.
Hands-on literacy builds engagement and memory retention.
Blending Drill
The teacher is manipulating letters (swapping different letters in and out of words) and the students are practicing blending the sounds together to read the words.
Teacher-led blending practice reinforces decoding skills.
More Word Work
Grade 1 and 2 students dive into their morning literacy routine, combining fun and focus.
Practicing New Concepts
Step 5 of each lesson is when the teacher introduces the new concept and the student practices the skill on the whiteboard. This element follows the “I do, we do, you do” model of gradual release of responsibility.
A student practices newly introduced concepts on a dry erase board.
Why This Matters
Kingsdale’s literacy model is grounded in a powerful belief: every child can learn to read when given the right support at the right time. Early screening allows teachers to identify challenges before they escalate. Structured literacy ensures all students—not just those with dyslexia—develop the skills they need to become confident, independent readers.
Celebrating a Well-Earned Honour
Congratulations to the staff, students, and families of Kingsdale Academy on receiving the 2025 Dyslexia Canada Educational Excellence Award! Your commitment to evidence-based instruction, early intervention, and inclusive education is transforming lives—and setting a national standard for what’s possible in public education.
