Ontario is overhauling its language curriculum. Here's what's changed

Ontario students will begin learning from a new language curriculum in September 2023.

Ontario students will begin learning from a new language curriculum in September 2023.

The changes to English and French language courses come as the province continues to de-stream Grade 9 and will impact students starting in Grade 1.

The Minister of Education said the changes were inspired by the Ontario Human Rights Commission Right to Read report and focuses on “time-tested practices” such as phonics, cursive writing, digital literacy and critical thinking skills.

“We have a third of children graduating high school not at the reading comprehension levels for grade 12,” Minister Stephen Lecce told CTV News Toronto. “We need our young people to master the fundamentals. They need to be fluent in literacy, in math, and those skill sets that really matter.”

The “massive overhaul” of the English and French language curriculums introduces a new strand structure involving foundational reading and writing, digital literacy and connections to diverse voices. Students in senior kindergarten to Grade 2 will also be screened regularly using an evaluation-based system to determine their knowledge compared to provincial averages.

“This is a way by which we're going to measure province wide, how kids are doing and the youngest grades, and then allow parents to know the result,” Lecce said.

Report cards will also change in September. Students will be given one mark for language instead of separate marks for each learning strand.