by Laura Bross For a long time, I was much better at assigning writing than teaching writing. Looking back, my students were often just doing writing rather than learning how
Welcome back! We hope everyone had a wonderful summer, with some time to rest and recharge before another busy school year. Whether you are heading back to a familiar classroom,
Ontario has released a new Kindergarten curriculum, marking an important moment for early literacy instruction across the province. Kindergarten is a critical window for language and literacy development. What children
Sentence combining is an effective instructional approach for developing students’ understanding of sentence structure, syntax, and language conventions, which ultimately supports written communication and reading comprehension. Rather than teaching grammar
With Ontario’s beginning-of-year screening window now complete, schools now have a clear, research-based picture of students’ early literacy skills. Screening tools provide dependable information about the foundational skills that matter
We are thrilled to introduce ONlit’s newest project: the Learning Through Literacy resource series. These resources will give educators the tools to teach each grade level’s Ontario language expectations while
“How well I teach = How well they learn.” This idea can feel daunting, particularly when we reflect on students who have not yet learned everything we intended. At the
To support Ontario educators in the intermediate grades, ONlit has created two new resources to support fluency instruction. In the Fall of 2024, the Grade 8 Changemakers series was released.
In August through October of 2024, ONlit hosted an eight-part book study for Ontario educators. Following Deb Glaser and Susan M. Smartt’s book, Next STEPS for Literacy Instruction: Connecting Assessments
This winter and spring, ONlit hosted a dynamic six-part book study designed specifically for Ontario educators teaching Grades 3–8. Centred on Dr. Heidi Anne Mesmer’s Teaching Skills for Complex Text,
Nellie Caruso has been a French Immersion teacher from 1999 to 2015 with the York Region District School Board and since 2015 with the Toronto District School Board. At her
Melissa Monette Smith currently works with the York Region District School Board. Over the last 17 years, she has held many positions, teaching grades 3-8, Special Education, Regional Literacy, and
