Sound Connections is NOT a speech-language pathology service.

If you have concerns about speech and language development, contact a registered speech-language pathologist.

Sound Connections teaches generally recognized best practices in pencil grip, pencil control, and letter printing as part of the program. Therefore, improvement of fine motor skills often happens with the explicit nature of this teaching. However, we are not an occupational therapy program, so if students have significant fine motor difficulties, we suggest that parents contact an occupational therapist.

The Sound Connections resources were developed through strong theoretical knowledge, combined with hands-on action research. This research encompassed a unique blend of brain research, cognitive psychology, education, early childhood development, and learning disabilities. Annette (the program developer) spent many years researching, trying, and testing the programs during her years working with a dedicated team in School District 5 in B.C. An “Action Research” methodology was adopted where the intervention was implemented throughout the year by a multi-disciplinary team. Each year in May, the teachers provided data based on standards set by the English Language Arts IRP. The data showed the ability of each child to function with successful literacy skills in the classroom. Teachers were delighted with the positive impact that the program made in the classroom, especially considering that it did not exclude any students with any form of diagnosis.

Ten years of data were submitted to school district administrators and several years of data were submitted to the Network of Performance-Based Schools. The results were positive and impressive. In 2010 Annette’s work was recognized by the province of British Columbia with an honorable mention for outstanding achievement in literacy (Council of the Federation Literacy Award). Annette continues to remain up to date with literacy research, ensuring that Sound Connections methods are research-based.

Sound Connections session times vary based on centre location. Please contact your nearest centre to discuss scheduling.

Many people conclude that we are a phonics-based program due to our name including the word “sound.” However, “sound” also refers to solid, firm, logically valid, and thorough (Merriam Webster Dictionary, 2021). Therefore, Sound Connections refers to having solid and firm multi-sensory connections across all areas of literacy. As part of our program, we do have a strong focus on phonological awareness and important phonic skills. We use a highly structured phonic approach with intensive systematic teaching of foundational literacy skills that include phonemic and phonological awareness training.

The answer to this is absolutely! Our methods are multi-sensory, structured and cumulative, which makes it a great fit for children with a diverse range of needs.

This question is difficult to answer because student learning profiles vary greatly, and some have more opportunities for home practice than others. Regular practice makes a significant difference in the speed at which a student will progress through the program. We encourage all parents to be partners in the process. If there are significant learning needs and delays, children will need to move slowly to make sure the skills are fully established. Other students achieve grade appropriate skills (and above) very quickly. We believe in lifelong learning; there is always more that we can learn! Therefore, when your child is functioning independently and confidently at grade level, it may be an appropriate time to consider stopping services. However, many students develop a love of writing and want to continue creating their own literary masterpieces. These students choose to stay at Sound Connections and develop writing material well beyond that of their grade level.

Currently, Sound Connections Calgary is offering online services using an interactive program for multi-sensory learning. Please contact the centres directly for more information on Covid-19 safety measures and protocols. 

It is important to note that phonological awareness is different to phonics. Phonics is the way that letters, or groups of letters, correspond to different types of sounds. Phonological awareness is the awareness of the sound structure of language. This includes awareness that sentences are made of words, words are made of syllables and that we can further subdivide into onset-rime (e.g. cat broken into c-at, spin broken into sp-in) and phonemes. Tasks can include blending (putting back together), segmenting (breaking words apart) and manipulating units of sound with working memory. Phonological awareness develops a strong foundation to reading, writing, and oral language. If we just do phonics training, valuable learning opportunities are missed. Phonic skills are important, but they are important alongside all aspects of phonological awareness.

The 45 minute lessons are fast-moving and fun. We focus on hands-on learning rather than using worksheets. The lessons are motivational and incorporate kinesthetic movement into our in-person and online sessions.

Students attend a minimum of 2 sessions per week. This allows for the appropriate amount of revision and overlearning. Students are welcome to attend more than 2 sessions per week, if desired.