The Open Door Blog

Welcome to our blog! Here is where you can read articles by our Open Door admin, tutors, and guest writers too. You’ll find tips and tricks, event and book reviews, inspirational stories, and the occasional exciting announcement too!

The Open Door Blog

Is your child’s behaviour testing your limits?

s your child’s behavior causing disruption and stress at home and in school? Explore Applied Behavioural Consulting, a solution to empower parents with effective strategies for managing challenging behaviors and fostering a harmonious family environment.

Does my child have dyslexia? What to watch for, what to do.

Educators and parents must be aware of the warning signs of dyslexia in young children and be ready to take action immediately.

Are you aware of the sweeping recommendations from the Ontario Human Rights Commission Right to Read Inquiry?

After gathering testimonies from reading experts, teachers and parents from across the province over two years, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) Right to Read Inquiry concluded that Ontario’s public education system failed to teach students with dyslexia and reading disabilities—how to read. Why? Because the Ministry of Education did not use evidence-based reading instruction methods to effectively teach these students. Something dyslexia advocates had known for years.

Could your child benefit from individual instruction?

As many educators and psychologists know, the optimal way for a child to learn is through individual, one-on-one instruction. In this setting, the educator can observe exactly what the child can do, where the child struggles, and adapt the teaching precisely to the child’s needs. In addition, the educator can pace the type of instruction and give immediate feedback, such as correction and positive reinforcement.

Considering a Dyslexia Screening for your child? Meet Pam Graydon—The Open Door Assessment Specialist

Dyslexia Screenings involve an intake interview, a review of the student’s education documents, assessment sessions, a written report and feedback session.

Can I claim tutoring expenses on my CRA income tax return?

Can I claim tutoring expenses on my CRA income tax return? Good news, the answer is YES! This is because the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) considers “tutoring services of a person with a learning disability as an eligible Medical Expense.” The CRA definition says:...

This holiday season, are you ready to become a happiness investigator?

Many Christmases ago, when I was living in Newfoundland, far away from my family and friends, my best friend—and budding filmmaker—in Toronto, sent me a photo memory scrapbook she had created for me. Those were the days before Amazon, Instagram, and the iPhone when,...

Is your child seeing diversity in their storybooks?

It’s a challenge finding Canadian children’s books that reflect diversity, inclusion, and disability in the lead characters and story lines. Thanks to Canadian readers demanding change—and librarians leading the charge—the children’s book publishing industry is slowly starting to take note. Yes, Bob Dylan, “The Times They Are a-Changin.”

Do you have any homework tonight?

The usefulness of homework has been studied and debated by scholars, educators, parents and students for many decades. For some students, homework is a cinch. For others, especially children with learning disabilities, homework can be hard to organize, manage, start and complete on their own.