About Us

Mission Statement

Our mission is to ensure every child becomes a capable and joyful reader. By equipping educators, parents and community members with a structured, evidence-based literacy approach shaped by real classroom experience, we create learning environments where all students can thrive and reach their full potential.

Gloria Olafson

I inherited a lifelong love of teaching from my grandmother, a dedicated educator herself, which inspired me to pursue this rewarding profession.

I graduated from the University of British Columbia (UBC) with a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) in 1974. Soon after, I moved to Fraser Lake, British Columbia, where I began my career teaching Kindergarten.

At age 8, my daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia, a pivotal moment that deepened my commitment to literacy support. To help her, I trained in a multisensory, structured literacy program. This training not only empowered me to support my daughter but also led me to become a certified instructor in structured literacy approaches.

Over the years, I tutored individuals in my community—from children as young as 5 to adults up to 75—while also training fellow educators in the program. As classroom teachers, my colleague Stephanie and I recognized the transformative potential of adapting core components of structured literacy into a comprehensive reading program for entire classrooms. Drawing on the latest scientific research in literacy and our decades of hands-on teaching experience, we developed the Fundamentals of Structured Literacy program.

Stephanie and I had the unique opportunity to teach together, refining and completing this classroom-ready program. Today, I continue to champion Fundamentals of Structured Literacy because of its proven track record in fostering confident, skilled readers for all learners.

About the Fundamentals of Structured Literacy Approach

The Fundamentals of Structured Literacy Approach was created by educators Gloria Olafson and Stephanie Lindstrom, drawing on their extensive classroom experience and training in the Orton-Gillingham approach. Gloria first completed Orton-Gillingham training in Prince George to support her daughter’s reading development. As a UBC-trained teacher, she immediately recognized the strength and clarity of the approach and later began teaching the Orton-Gillingham tutoring course. Stephanie trained alongside her, and the two educators quickly formed a lasting professional partnership.

Both Gloria and Stephanie believed that the Orton-Gillingham method—traditionally used for one-on-one tutoring—could be successfully adapted into a comprehensive classroom reading program. Their opportunity arose while they were teaching together at Fort Fraser Elementary School: Stephanie in Grade 1/2 and Gloria in Grade 3/4. There, the Fundamentals of Structured Literacy Approach took shape.

Through ongoing research, classroom practice, and deep engagement with the Science of Reading, they developed a comprehensive suite of teaching materials—including structured lesson plans, a clear scope and sequence, and a wide range of activities that support progressive skill development. With students ability-grouped for reading instruction, children remained in the program for 2–4 years, depending on their needs.

The results were exceptional. Students consistently met or exceeded grade-level expectations, and assessments using the Canadian Standards of Basic Skills demonstrated solid retention and strong, continuous improvement from year to year.

Today, our focus is on supporting classroom teachers, educational support staff, parents and community members. Grounded in research and refined through real classroom application, the Fundamentals of Structured Literacy Approach offers a practical, proven approach to building strong, confident readers.