by Anne Price PhD, Executive Director

The Calgary Learning Centre brings an important perspective to the field of literacy. The multidisciplinary team has expertise in addressing learning difficulties, particularly learning disabilities. Through work with individuals of all ages encountering learning difficulties, particularly in learning to read and write, the Centre has become involved with literacy issues across the lifespan. The staff have expanded their knowledge base along the continuum from prevention to intervention and draw upon information from the fields of literacy and learning disabilities to assist individuals, their teachers, employers and families; and to influence the systems which impact their lives.

Services of the Centre include:

• assessment to understand the factors contributing to an individual’s literacy difficulties, to help appropriate intervention plans and to choose appropriate accommodations;
• consultation to teachers, employers, career counselors to guide in understanding and assisting an individual encountering difficulties;
• a family literacy early intervention programme to assist parents with preschoolers to involve their children in literacy activities, and particularly to provide their children with the opportunities to develop vocabulary, awareness of the sounds of language and knowledge of the world;
• “strategy” tutoring for school age children and adults to assist them to be more effective learners and to advocate for themselves; and
• adult literacy programmes involving volunteer tutors trained and supervised by Centre staff.

The mandate of the Centre is to improve services for persons with learning difficulties. Our work goes beyond direct service to individual clients, for example:

• Library and Resource Centre with information services and material resources dedicated to learning, literacy and attention issues; - development of resources to assist post-secondary instructors, trainers, career counselors and employers to understand and assist individuals with learning and literacy difficulties;
• workshops for individuals from many sectors to assist them in understanding the impact of low literacy and learning difficulties and to take positive action (e.g., daycare workers, health professionals, employers, police, probation officers, child care workers, social workers, human resources personnel, etc.);
• professional development for teachers (elementary through post secondary), psychologists, and literacy workers focusing on assessment and programme planning for children and adults with learning and literacy difficulties;
• networking with front line workers in many sectors to keep literacy on their minds (education, advanced education, health, social services, justice, human resources, career development); and
• participating in awareness and advocacy.

The Calgary Learning Centre is celebrating 20 years of service. We look ahead to more individual successes, as well as to broader system changes. For more information about the Calgary Learning Centre, see our website: http://www.nald.ca/clc.htm