Curriculum Context
| Topic | What’s new in 2023? |
| Introduction | The curriculum emphasizes the foundational knowledge and skills in both oral and written language that are necessary to support more complex skills such as critical thinking and problem solving.
The curriculum provides educators with a comprehensive guide to supporting the development and growth of these essential knowledge and skills in every student. |
| Vision and goals | The curriculum is designed to support students in developing the language and literacy knowledge and skills they need to succeed in education and in life, and to encourage students to experience the joy and possibility that literacy learning can ignite.
The curriculum emphasizes evidence-based systematic and explicit instruction of foundational knowledge and skills, including oral language, word-level reading and spelling, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. This curriculum was informed by recommendations in the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Right to Read inquiry report. |
| The Program in Language | The new strand structure is as follows:
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| Instructional approaches in language | Added:
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| Program planning for students with special education needs, students with disabilities | Added guiding principles and subject-specific instructional strategies for students with special education needs and students with disabilities. |
| Program planning for English language learners | Added key considerations and research-informed pedagogy to support students who are culturally and linguistically diverse. |
| The role of school library | Updated language to reflect the important role of the library learning commons and teacher-librarians. |
| Cross-curricular and integrated learning | Updated cross-curricular learning examples to align with recently released curricula, including mathematics and science and technology. |
| Assessment and evaluation | Revised the achievement chart to reflect the new learning areas in this curriculum. |
NEW Strand A. Literacy Connections and Applications
The learning related to Strand A takes place in the context of learning related to Strand B, C, and D, and it should be assessed and evaluated within these contexts.
| Topic | What’s new in 2023? |
| Transferable skills | Students will use transferable skills to support communication in various cultural, social, linguistic, and domain-specific contexts, and apply them when reading, listening to, viewing, and creating texts.
Students will understand how transferable skills help them to express their voice and be engaged in their learning. See A1 |
| Digital media literacy | Students will understand their rights and responsibilities when interacting online with appropriate permission and make decisions that contribute positively to their digital identity and those of their communities.
Students will understand how to navigate online environments safely, manage their privacy and personal data and interact in a way that supports their well-being, including seeking appropriate permission. Students will understand the interrelationships between the form, message, and context of a text, the audience, and the creator. Students will use digital and media tools to support stages of the design process and to develop creative solutions to authentic real-world problems. Students will communicate and collaborate with various communities in a safe, respectful, responsible, and inclusive manner when using online platforms and environments, including digital and media tools, and demonstrate cultural awareness with members of the community. See A2 |
| Applications, connections, and contributions | Students will apply the knowledge and skills to support learning in various subject areas and identify ways this learning can be used in everyday life.
Students will understand the contributions, lived experiences, and perspectives of a diversity of individuals and communities, including those in Canada, by exploring the concepts of identity, self, and sense of belonging in culturally responsive and relevant texts. Students will identify themes explored in First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultures to demonstrate an understanding of the varied identities, perspectives, relationships, legacies, truths, and ways of knowing, being, and doing. See A3 |
Strand B. Foundations of Language
| Topic | What’s new in 2023? |
| Oral and non-verbal communication | Throughout this strand, students will be explicitly learning non-verbal communication skills and strategies to understand and communicate meaning in various contexts.
Students will use appropriate word choice, including new vocabulary, grammar, and cohesive phrases and sentences when communicating ideas orally and non-verbally. See B1 |
| Language foundations for reading and writing | Students in Grades 1 to 3 will develop language foundations through scientific, evidence-based approaches that emphasize direct, explicit and systematic instruction of word reading and spelling, including phonemic awareness, alphabetic knowledge, and phonics.
Students in Grades 4 to 8 will focus on explicit learning and application of orthographic, morphological, vocabulary knowledge and fluency to develop their reading and spelling skills. See B2 |
| Language conventions for reading and writing | Students will apply new learning on cohesive ties, including an understanding of their function and application in relation to sentence structure, grammar, and capitalization and punctuation.
See B3 |
Strand C. Comprehension: Understanding and Responding to Texts
| Topic | What’s new in 2023? |
| Knowledge about texts | Students will apply foundational knowledge and skills, drawing on their vocabulary and background knowledge to read, listen to, and view texts by creators with diverse identities, perspectives, and experiences, including diverse First Nations, Métis, and Inuit creators.
Students will learn about the patterns, features, and elements of style associated with various text forms and genres, including digital, media, and cultural texts. See C1 |
| Comprehension strategies | Students will develop comprehension strategies including:
See C2 |
| Critical thinking in literacy | Students will analyze how various perspectives and topics are communicated and addressed in a variety of texts, including digital, media, and cultural texts.
See C3 |
Strand D. Composition: Expressing Ideas and Creating Texts
| Topic | What’s new in 2023? |
| Developing ideas and organizing content | Students will create texts of various forms, genres, including digital and media texts.
Students will research, gather information, and verifying the reliability of sources. Students will develop ideas about various topics of interest, using strategies and various resources, including their own lived experiences. See D1 |
| Creating texts | Students will learn printing (Grades 1 and 2), cursive (starting in Grade 3), and word-processing skills (Grades 4 to 8).
Students will apply their knowledge of oral language and learn to express ideas and create texts in various media, forms, and genres, including digital tools. Students will apply their knowledge of language conventions from Strand B in their writing and use text patterns, features, and stylistic elements to express their ideas clearly and coherently. Students will apply new learning on cohesive ties from Strand B, including the understanding of their function and application in relation to sentence structure, grammar, and capitalization and punctuation, in the creation of texts. See D2 |
| Publishing, presenting, and reflecting | Students will publish and present texts they have created, using various media and tools, including digital tools.
Students will reflect on their learning, seek feedback from others, analyze their own texts, reflect on their use of techniques, tools, and technology, and consider how to improve as text creators. See D3 |
