- The Right to Read inquiry revealed Ontario’s public education system was not using evidence-based approaches to teach children with reading disabilities (and others) how to read.
- The education minister also said curricular updates are in keeping with the Right to Read report’s recommendations.
Teaching reading isn’t basic
- It is not surprising that this political strategy is being used to market updates to the kindergarten program.
- It’s also important to note that the phrase “basics” is contradictory to what we know about the science of reading: teaching reading is anything but basic and involves understanding reading psychology and development, understanding language structure, applying evidence-based practices and using validated and reliable assessments to inform teaching.
Ontario’s full-day play-based kindergarten
- Based on recommendations from Ontario’s special advisor on early learning, in 2010 Ontario began phasing in full-day play-based kindergarten for all four- and five-year old children.
- Essential to the revised kindergarten program was the play-based structure of the full-day program.
- Decisions to revise the earlier half-day kindergarten program acknowledged and leveraged research on the value of play and its role in supporting academic, social and emotional development.
The OHRC Right to Read report
- Changes to the above model are now being made in response to recommendations from the Right to Read inquiry.
- The inquiry’s report includes 157 recommendations directly tied to addressing systemic issues affecting children’s right to read.
Not an either/or conversation
- There are many educators in Ontario who already offer meaningful play-based learning opportunities and direct and systematic instruction in their classrooms.
- This research has, to date, also documented kindergarten educators using systematic instruction in combination with play-based learning.
Educators need development, resources
What’s needed is to ensure kindergarten educators are being provided with training and professional development to effectively lead classrooms utilizing both play-based learning and systematic instruction in reading, writing and math. This task is anything from basic — but is 100 per cent possible and necessary. As curricular revisions are made, we must ask:
Who are the stakeholders that are being invited to make the revisions to the curriculum?
Who is missing from the conversations?
What research is being used?
What type of training will be provided to educators?
Will this training include a focus on what it means to teach in evidence-based ways — and how to do so?
Will policymakers consider class size and sufficient resourcing for teachers so all students have the classroom supports required to ensure these changes will have real impact?
In updating a curriculum, we cannot merely add additional content for educators to cover each day. Instead, we need to consider what these changes mean and how we can best support educators in successfully supporting children’s learning — through both play-based learning and direct instruction.
Kristy Timmons received funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. She is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at Queen's University, an Ontario Certified Teacher, and a Registered Early Childhood Educator.
