Phonological Awareness Therapy in Ottawa
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See Why Clients Choose Vitality Physiotherapy, Chiropractic, Osteopathy, & Massage, Ottawa, ON
Common reasons families reach out
Mixes up sounds and letters
Can't count syllables
Difficulty learning letters
Difficulty sounding out words
Slow to begin reading
Understanding the Concern
What Is Phonological Awareness?
Phonological awareness is the ability to hear and play with the sound structure of language — separate from meaning. It includes skills like rhyming, breaking words into syllables, identifying the first sound of a word, and blending sounds together to make a word.
It’s one of the strongest predictors of later reading ability. Research consistently shows that children with weak phonological awareness in kindergarten are at high risk for reading difficulties — and that targeted intervention works.
Phonological awareness is not the same as letter knowledge. A child can recognize letters but still struggle to hear that “cat” starts with the /k/ sound, or that “sun” and “fun” rhyme. Both skills matter, and both can be taught.
The phonological awareness ladder
- Rhyme awareness (cat / hat / bat)
- Syllable counting (but-ter-fly = 3)
- Onset-rime (c-at, s-un)
- Initial sound identification (sun starts with /s/)
- Blending sounds (/c/-/a/-/t/ = cat)
- Segmenting sounds (cat = /c/-/a/-/t/)
- Sound manipulation (say "cat" without the /c/)
Movement & Milestone Checklists
Vitality Kids Family Physiotherapy and Wellness Centre
Know the Signs
When to Get a Phonological Awareness Assessment
Preschool: Doesn't enjoy or notice rhymes, can't clap out syllables, can't identify the first sound of a word.
Kindergarten: Trouble learning letter names and sounds, can't blend simple sounds together (/c/-/a/-/t/ = cat), confuses similar-looking letters (b/d, p/q).
Grade 1: Slow, laborious sounding-out, frequent guessing from pictures, can't spell phonetically (writes "lk" for "like").
Grade 2+: Reads slowly, avoids reading, weak spelling, difficulty with multisyllabic words.
Note: Phonological awareness difficulties often co-occur with — but are different from — articulation issues. We assess both and can address them together when needed.
Why Ottawa Parents Choose Us
The Vitality Kids Difference
Registered SLPs
Play-based therapy
Family-centred plans
Direct billing
How We Help
Our Approach to Phonological Awareness Therapy
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Skill Assessment
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Sequential Skill Building
Sound-Letter Links
Home Practice
Heard From Ottawa Families
- Ottawa location
- Parking
- Transit
- Insurers we direct-bill
Meet Our Pediatric Speech & Language Pathologist
Elaine Down
Book an appointment with Elaine Down
Speech & Language Pathologist
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
My child is in junior kindergarten and doesn't recognize letters yet — is this a problem?
How is this different from a tutor or reading program?
Will my child be diagnosed with dyslexia?
Is phonological awareness still relevant for older kids?
Related Concerns
Explore Other Speech & Language Areas
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Visit Us
Vitality Kids — Riverside South, Ottawa
Click any concern below to learn about signs, our approach, and how we tailor therapy for children in Riverside South and across Ottawa.
Vitality Kids Family Physiotherapy & Wellness Centre
Address
Earl Armstrong Plaza
160 Blanca Street, Unit 9
Gloucester, ON K1V 2V6
PHONE
Parking & Transit
Free on-site parking at Earl Armstrong Plaza. Accessible by OC Transpo bus routes serving Riverside South and Findlay Creek.
Areas We Serve
Riverside South, Findlay Creek, Barrhaven, Manotick, Greely, and surrounding south Ottawa communities.
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Vitality is a physiotherapy and wellness centre with four locations in Ottawa, Kemptville, and Kanata, Ontario, Canada.
Locations
Vitality Kids
Earl Armstrong Plaza- 160 Blanca Street, Unit 9
Hours
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