Should Ontario schools be going 'back to basics'? Experts weigh in on the new kindergarten curriculum
CTV
One day after the Ontario government announced a revamp of its kindergarten school curriculum, experts remain split.
One day after the Ontario government announced a revamp of its kindergarten school curriculum, experts remain split—some argue a “back-to-basics” philosophy may interfere with inquisitive play while others say the changes are an opportunity to “re-engage” with learning at an early age.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce made the announcement Tuesday morning. The new curriculum, he said, would combine hands-on and play-based learning with a focus on reading, writing and math.
For reading, students would gain an understanding of sound-letter relationships, develop phonics knowledge and use specific vocabulary. Math instruction would include learning about fractions, coding and patterns.
The idea, Lecce said, would be to match up what is now being taught in the rest of elementary and secondary school.
“It’s exciting,” Todd Cunningham, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of Toronto, told CTV News Toronto.
“The research is very clear. Someone who is struggling with reading, if we can intervene by the end of Grade 1, there's like an 80 per cent chance that we can make them a typical reader. But if we wait just to Grade 2, that drops to 50 per cent.”
“Early is key,” Cunningham added.
