Meet Aviva, a 14-year-old who loves journaling. Before Aviva – who has Down’s Syndrome and scoliosis – started using WordQ to support her, the physical act of writing or typing wasn’t just hard, it was painful.

Not everyone learns to read and write the same way. For 20% of kids, the way that we’re traditionally taught to read and write doesn’t work. LiteracyQ is different.

WordQ is a state-of-the art literacy support software that has helped millions of users around the world read and write better. WordQ works virtually anywhere that you type or read on a PC or Mac, running overtop of word processors like Word or Pages, design software like Photoshop or InDesign, and even social networks like Facebook or Twitter. Whether you’re planning to use WordQ at school, home, or work here are some tips to get you started.

WordQ [wurd-kyoo] is an award-winning assistive technology software that was developed right here in Ontario, by Dr. Frasier Shein in partnership with Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. In the simplest terms, WordQ helps people read better and write better and, because of that, it increases confidence and independence in the students that use it. Regardless of whether they have an IEP in place or not, whether they are neurodiverse or neurotypical, or whether they have a physical disability or are non-disabled, students that use WordQ improve their writing skills and communicate more effectively.

At the beginning of November 2020 the Ontario government announced that a new one-time payment for parents of children ages 0-12 called Support for Learners would be coming soon. Like the Support for Families payment that came before it, this program offers “a one-time payment of $200 for each child up to age 12, or $250 for each child or youth up to age 21 with special needs.”

This October, the Ontario Human Rights Commission launched a public inquiry into the Right to Read. The inquiry was spurred on by the data collected from recent EQAO ­– Education Quality and Accountability Office ­– test results, which showed that more than 25% of grade 3 students and 53% of grade 3 students with special education needs did not meet the Ontario’s reading standard.