New Curriculum for Kids

Here in Canada, our school year begins today. So I was interested to find out if anything had changed for our youngsters in the first few grades. It turns out all kids from grade 1 through to 9 will have this change in programming. One of those developments includes a 30 minute period of reading instruction which I think is well overdue. Reading should be included in a daily routine for children and not just when mom or dad reads a book at bedtime although that is encourage.

So much depends on a child's ability to read. Their whole world depends upon it for understanding all the concepts presented to us. In every day life, we use it all the time from reading recipes, following instructions when at work, reading advertisements for suggestions to purchase, looking at labels on our food products, following prescriptions on a medicine bottle, checking to see what ingredients or materials are in the products we buy, etc.

There is also a language curriculum to learn phonics, word processing, cursive writing, critical thinking skills and digital literacy. Many of these are old friends but so important. If children cannot learn the basics, how can we expect them to understand the complex systems they will be dealing with in the work world in later life.? We have been lax lately and allowed events like the pandemic to effect our methods because much of the education had to fall on the parents who were struggling at best.

This change or new direction is necessary and I am delighted reading and writing are taking centre stage again. I know that we are all excited about AI and the potential it has to change our lives. But it is meant to assist, not take over. That means our kids must know how to give directions and absorb the basics in order to do so. They also need a well rounded education which starts with reading.