Reading Pilots: Taking Off With Literacy

Since 2018, Reading Pilots has helped children in Calgary build the skills and confidence they need to become successful readers. Offered three times a year by the CanLearn Society, the program provides 10 weeks of targeted, evidence-based reading intervention rooted in the Science of Reading. Sessions are 1.5 hours long and take place at CanLearn’s downtown office.

Instruction is delivered by trained pre-service teachers from Mount Royal University, who provide personalized, one-on-one support. Each child works with decodable texts, word activities, games, and take-home exercises to keep learning fun and consistent beyond the classroom.

To ensure every child’s unique needs are met, instructors begin with an assessment of key literacy skills such as phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and spelling. Progress is closely monitored, and at the end of the program families receive a detailed report highlighting growth, strategies used, and recommendations for continued success at home and school. Parents are active partners throughout the process, receiving regular feedback and guidance to support their child’s learning.

Thanks to our generous funders, Reading Pilots has been able to provide free reading intervention services to Calgary families who would otherwise be unable to access this kind of support. High-quality reading programs can cost thousands of dollars, and private intervention is often billed at psychologist rates of more than $200 per hour, which is far out of reach for many families, especially in today’s economic climate.

We are asking for $9,000 to fully subsidize six children for the 2026 school year, giving them access to 10 weeks of evidence-based reading instruction at no cost to their families. Each child will receive individualized instruction, assessments, and take-home tools to build lasting literacy skills, along with ongoing support for parents to continue progress beyond the program.

By funding these six spots, the Field Law Community Fund will help ensure that financial barriers never determine whether a child learns to read, continuing the legacy of community support that allows children to take flight with Reading Pilots.

When a child learns to read with confidence, the impact extends far beyond their own success. Literacy is the foundation of all learning. It determines how children perform in every subject at school, how they view themselves as learners, and how they participate in their community. By removing financial barriers, this project creates lasting benefits that ripple outward through families, classrooms, and the greater Calgary community.

This project will directly benefit six Calgary children who will receive free, evidence-based reading intervention. These children will gain the skills and confidence to succeed as readers, making them more likely to stay engaged at school, graduate, and pursue further education or meaningful employment. They also carry forward a love of learning, which inspires their peers and reduces classroom disruptions, benefiting teachers and classmates alike.

The parents of these children will also benefit as they see their child blossom into a more confident learner. Reading Pilots equips families with tools they can use long after the program ends, empowering parents to be active partners in their child’s education. Families who experience this transformation often share strategies with relatives, friends, and community networks, spreading the impact even further.

In today’s classrooms, teachers face immense pressure to meet the diverse needs of students, often without enough resources. By targeting the children most in need, Reading Pilots eases this burden, ensuring teachers can focus more effectively on the whole class. These funded spots are often referred by local schools and agencies, creating strong partnerships and ensuring resources reach the families most in need.

Finally, the broader community benefits from stronger literacy outcomes. Literacy is the foundation of lifelong learning, employability, and civic participation. By removing financial barriers for families today, we are helping build a more resilient, literate, and engaged Calgary for tomorrow.