New for subscribers! Gift this article to friends and family for free.
Ontario’s new kindergarten curriculum changes how kids will be taught to read, adds fractions and coding to math and even covers basic navigational skills.
These expectations for the province’s youngest learners have been touted as a more “back to basics” approach and will be implemented next fall, with training for teachers to start in the new year.
The curriculum was delayed earlier this year to give teachers more time to get familiar with the new material that still uses play-based learning — but on Wednesday, critics said they have concerns about any move away from the play-based learning that is a hallmark of the province’s full-day kindergarten program.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
“We’ve had a very quick turnaround to try to digest what’s in the curriculum document, and it does provide a little bit more clarity for some of our members on certain academic and curricular expectations,” said David Mastin, president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario.
“But it is maybe veering towards academic outcomes much more so than an emphasis on play-based learning,” which he said is developmentally appropriate and helps build “foundational, important skills” in young kids.
Play-based inquiry is still a key part of the new curriculum, but with more direct instructional time required.
A spokesperson for Education Minister Paul Calandra said the delay was “specifically to provide educators with the time, training and supports needed for effective implementation.”
The timeline ensures teachers “have ample time to review the curriculum and prepare ahead of implementation,” said press secretary Emma Testani.
The changes “will support each child in developing foundational reading, writing and math skills, while maintaining play-based learning that allows students to learn through play,” she said.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
The updated lessons include specific targets for math, including “counting and exploring number relationships to 20,” and adding numbers to 10, phonics for reading, and giving and following directions.
Coding will include a sequencing of steps, and it says “students will conduct scientific investigations and engage in engineering design.”
The revamp is in part a response to a scathing Ontario Human Rights Commission report in 2022 that found the so-called discovery method for literacy was leaving a number of students struggling to read — especially those with learning disabilities — when research pointed to phonics and other, direct methods.
It is also intended to be a better match with the Grade 1 curriculum, which has also been updated.
The province has promised monthly webinars for educators starting in February.
Mastin said he expects “high-quality, comprehensive, job-embedded professional learning” for both teachers and early childhood educators, who team-teach in full-day kindergarten classrooms.
“They deserve more than a webinar and set of slides, and they must not be expected to complete this training on their own time,” he added.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
In a memo released Wednesday, the Ministry of Education said the revamp will replace the current curriculum, which was introduced in 2016, for the 2026-27 school year.
“The kindergarten curriculum (2026) uses age-appropriate and evidence-based teaching methods. It takes a student-centred approach in providing children with the knowledge and skills they will need to succeed in Grade 1 and beyond.”
Report card templates will also be updated, the ministry says.
Shelly Mehta, of the early childhood programs at George Brown College and Toronto Metropolitan University, said she worries the government is “pivoting away from what really works with children, what works with their brain development and their age.”
“We’re kind of going backwards,” added Mehta, who is also with the Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development at the University of Toronto’s education faculty.
Jim Grieve, a former director of education in Peel who was the assistant deputy minister of education who oversaw the implementation of full-day kindergarten, said play-based is “not just throwing a bunch of toys out and saying ‘let them explore.’ It’s absolutely intentional play, which means the teacher and the ECE have worked together” to ensure the play is developing numeracy or literacy skills.
In Boston, play-based learning has been extended throughout the primary grades up to age seven with much success, said early childhood researcher Kerry McCuaig.
“Boston’s commitment to play-based early learning is impressive. So too are their results,” including better results on standardized tests in math and literacy, said McCuaig of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, and the Atkinson Centre.
Ontario should learn from that example, she said, adding “the results have been remarkable, with evidence of the lasting impact continuing through their education and improving post-secondary outcomes.”
ONTARIO NOW NEWSLETTER Get our free new weekly newsletter
Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request.
There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again.
Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up This newsletter is only available for subscribers. If you are already a subscriber, please login now. If you want to become subscriber, please click here Yes, I’d also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from thespec.com.
You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply.
ONTARIO NOW NEWSLETTER You’re signed up! You’ll start getting Ontario Now in your inbox soon.
Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
