Jen Reid General

Labour Day

Happy (belated) Labour Day! This is an important day for all working people, who recognize and celebrate our collective history and power. Also a significant day for educators, for in reality it is the New Year’s Eve for the school year. 

Leading up to this, I felt a bit nervous to meet my new class, but I had set up my classroom, and had submitted my order of supplies needed. I have ordered a large number of pencils. 

This year, as with every year, I have shifted my classroom organization a bit, reflecting on what worked last year and what needed to change. I shifted the direction of my reading area, moved where I house chromebooks, and decluttered my games shelf. I also revised my Jobs board, which anchors a routine that is super important for my students and myself. 

At the start of the year, I set up a container with popsicle sticks, each with a student’s name written on it. To select their job, I pull a popsicle stick and each child comes up and puts their name beside the job they want. Students are not allowed to have the same job for more than one two-week rotation in a row, but can revisit a job that they enjoyed. The student who picks last gets to pick first the next time jobs are selected. 

The students like the approach because they get to choose the job they want and the order is random and therefore fair. Inevitably, some jobs are done well and consistently, while others are forgotten. I realized that student choice, while important, doesn’t necessarily create student responsibility. 

Hence the shift: this year, I am changing three aspects of the Jobs system. 

  1. Times of Day:  I organized the Jobs into three categories: Morning, Throughout, and End of Day. This will allow me to prompt students to complete their jobs throughout the day and week. The goal is that as the kids become more accustomed to the expectations, the reminders will diminish (and I hope disappear).
  2. Practice: I am going to spend more time reviewing and practicing each job during the first week of school. This will provide an opportunity for the class to embed the culture of responsibility and contribution into our classroom norms.
  3. Scribe: I have added a new job: scribe. At the end of the day, the scribe will record on a posted piece of chart paper one or two things that happened that day with assistance from the class. At the end of the week, I will send some of these highlights home to parents. I decided to add this job because I wanted to have more student voice reflected in my communication home, and I wanted to make visible to everyone what we are learning and accomplishing on a daily and weekly basis.

The first week of school is important: students are figuring out teacher expectations, we are all getting to know each other, and the class is starting to build a supportive community. Just like Labour Day, launching the year with a strong understanding of how contributions are made collectively to benefit the common good is essential. Our next steps as a community will be to continue that work and understanding.

Diane Kim English As Second Language (ESL), English Language Learners (ELLs), General, Language Learning

Sponge Blog

Just immerse Multilingual Language Learners in English, they’ll soak it up before you know it.

Don’t worry, children are wired for language acquisition; they’ll pick up English quickly.

Young children are like sponges! Just keep talking, they’ll absorb whatever you say.

I have heard these types of statements my entire career. They pop up not infrequently in ESL discussions and seem to imply (at least on some level) that when you have a beginner MLL in your class, it’s fine to carry on as usual. That a classroom teacher can continue instructing and speaking as they normally would. That mere exposure to words will result in the eventual learning of them. That English is largely being “soaked up” with no intentional scaffolding or supports necessary. While young children do have some inherent advantages in acquiring language, the “sponge” approach to language acquisition may require some unpacking… Consider the following excerpt from a grade 4 science lesson:

Look at this big rock everyone! This is obsidian. It is a deep, rich black and very smooth. And this smaller one, it’s called sandstone. It feels rough but I love its vibrant orange. Over here we have another smaller one, lapis lazuli. What a vivid blue! And glossy… Look at how the light reflects off it. Oh, and feel the rock’s texture…it’s smooth isn’t it? Not at all like this one, it’s name is pumice… so sharp and porous and rough! This pointy pink one over here is named quartz…

The above lesson intro seems fine so far. The teacher is using realia, holding up actual rocks and minerals as they speak. Perfect for engaging students and demonstrating concepts. There are also some rich and varied Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary in there, always helpful for expanding student lexicons. Yes, by all accounts, this short script could effectively begin a grade 4 lesson on rocks.

But what about a beginner MLL sitting in the class? Would any of this rich language and meaning be accessible to them? Maybe. Maybe not…

Notice how the grammatical structure changes in every sentence – the teacher uses five different grammar constructs to achieve one purpose: introducing rock names (this is obsidian … it is called sandstone, here we have lapis, it’s name is pumice, this one over here is named quartz…). While fluent speakers of English may follow this chain of sentences easily, a beginner MLL may find this jumble of constructs confusing. They may be able to expertly name items in varied ways in their first language but may not yet have learned even one way in English and need support to do so. And notice how the teacher jumps about from colour to size to texture to lustre… So is “pointy” a colour? Is “blue” a texture? Is “smooth” a size? What may be a language-rich description for fluent speakers of English soon becomes a confusing maze for MLLs, with so many linguistic twists and turns it may be difficult to glean any new words from it.

Instead, at least for part of the lesson, the classroom teacher could use a patterned, repeated, and predictable construct to introduce rock names.  In addition, if the learning task involves sorting by texture, an initial focus on those adjectives rather than an onslaught of all descriptors at once may help beginner MLLs understand more linguistic and academic content in the lesson:

This is obsidian. It is smooth. This is lapis lazuli. It is smooth. This is sandstone. It is rough. This is pumice. It is rough.

Couple the above with gestures, choral reads for emphasis, and sorting of physical rocks by trait on a graphic organizer, and you have a turbo-charged recipe for language acquisition and curriculum access. And the above speech need not be a robotic read either. I have seen teachers deliver patterned sentences like this with panache, slowing their rate of speech, pausing dramatically, and adding expression and flair that would engage even the most determined naysayer. Some are more subdued, adding the sentences with natural ease. Everyone finds their own style eventually.

So how do we determine which language to intentionally highlight in our lessons? Establishing the level of English proficiency of your student, in collaboration with your ESL teacher or system ESL staff, is a first step. From there, Jim Cummins and Margaret Early offer a helpful planner for teachers, that assists in isolating not only the academic content they deliver to the whole class, but also the related language and linguistics objective:

I love this planner because it encourages consideration of the types of tasks and texts that occur during lessons, and which vocabulary and language structures are likely to emerge from them, that the MLL will need to know. The planner helps us to clearly identify both the curriculum and language objectives in any given lesson and emphasizes that they are related. Learning language and curriculum hand-in-hand, as the saying goes… And if you want to explore this type of planning further, ETFO offers an excellent guide: Program Adaptations for MLLs.

So, should classroom teachers speak in patterned and repetitious ways throughout the entire lesson? No, of course not. I have seen brilliant educators seamlessly weave in highlighted and intentional patterns of speaking in their lessons, at just the right moments, ensuring there are entry points and growth in the lesson for everyone. It just takes a little practice to find your stride. And so with use of realia, gestures, and language scaffolding, MLLs do begin to “soak up” the language … but not because of mere proximity. Rather, they absorb it because the teacher makes it comprehensible.

There are many ways to intentionally highlight language in lessons, the above is just one example. But beyond improved curriculum access and linguistic development, perhaps the most important benefit of such lesson delivery is student well-being. Being able to understand and participate in the same lesson as your peers is essential to belonging, and knowing you have a place in the classroom community. So whether you are teaching students in the classroom, ESL tutorial groups, or a pineapple under the sea, good luck highlighting those beautiful words that welcome all your students into the lesson.

References

Cummins, J., & Early, M. (2015). Big ideas for expanding minds: Teaching English language learners across the curriculum. Pearson Canada.

Diane Kim English As Second Language (ESL), English Language Learners (ELLs), General

Equitable Read-Alouds

Read-alouds have always been one of the more magical parts of teaching for me. Pictures and words bring rich stories to life, and suddenly the class is immersed in tales that might be whimsical, moving, hilarious, suspenseful, heart-breaking, or uplifting… It’s hard to imagine a more powerful learning medium.  As a new teacher I remember marveling at the hush that would fall across a carpet full of students when I took out a book, held it up, and began reading to a suddenly-motionless class. And I remember my own school days, sitting on similar carpets, similarly enthralled.

Most (if not all) of the read-aloud experience back then was in the listening. The teacher would simply open a picture book and start reading, usually without much introduction. Flipping through the pages one by one, the teacher’s voice was the only one that filled the room, until the final sentence was uttered and the cover firmly closed. The End. Back to your seats, everyone. And although that uninterrupted story time was a joyful experience, and valuable in and of itself, I love what we have added to that joy in more recent years: isolating and defining interesting vocabulary that pops up in the story, decoding key words from the text and studying their morphology, exploring curriculum connections found within the book, and using music, art, and drama to explore character, conflicts, connections, and solutions.

But all of that great learning starts with the first reading itself, listening to the tale for the simple and beautiful pleasure of it. In fact, many teaching guides recommend this as the first step: before diving into text study, just read the book for pure enjoyment, like the old days on the carpet.

And it would be heartbreaking if any student were excluded from that wondrous story time with their peers…

We tend to think of read-alouds as universally accessible, that anyone could sit through a cold reading and be included in the moment. But for a student new to English, it is difficult to imagine they would feel much inclusion in that initial read.  Words that fill the air with emotion and story for others may be incomprehensible to a beginner Multilingual Language Learner. Pictures that capture the imagination of everyone in the room may be culturally unfamiliar and equally perplexing – and even if they are familiar to the student, they have no access to the language that introduces and explains them. Instead of enjoying the story along with their classmates, MLLs may sit flummoxed, perhaps fidgeting or staring out the window while their peers listen to the tale, while we educators occasionally remind them to “pay attention” to what amounts to white noise.

So how do we make sure every student is included in that community? How do we make that first reading accessible to everyone, including MLLs? Here are some initial questions and considerations that may help:

 

Planning Stage – Background Knowledge

  • What aspects of the story I have chosen might be unfamiliar to the MLL?
  • If it is unfamiliar, how can I build schema around story content before the whole class reading?
  • Is there a different book I could choose that is more familiar to the student?
  • Is there a dual language book on a similar topic, written in both the language of instruction and the language of the student, that they could preview before the whole-class reading?
  • Can I translate parts of the book accurately for the student before the whole-class reading?
  • Can I use online storybooks that read picture books aloud in both English, French, and many other languages?

 

Planning Stage – Language Features

  • What vocabulary will the MLL need to understand the story?
  • Could I pre-teach this vocabulary with a simple picture walk before the whole-class read?
  • What simple, student-friendly definitions could I prepare for these words ahead of time?
  • Can students easily “chime in” or repeat language in the book for oral language practice?

 

Show Time – The Whole-class Reading

  1. Before the first read, do a short picture walk through the text with the whole class, simply pointing to vocabulary in the pictures and having the class repeat.
  2. Then point to that vocabulary again in the pictures as you read the story naturally to the class.
  3. Slow your rate of speech and add emphasis to highlight vocabulary.
  4. If your read-aloud has patterned, repeated, and predictable sentences, have the class “chime in” at key points for oral language practice.

 

These are just a few ways to make your read-alouds accessible to all students, no matter their level of language proficiency. And regardless of which ones work for your students, I wish you magical journeys into those story times for everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tracy Jansen-Sequeira General

What’s in a name? Oh so much!

A student enters a learning space for the first time, and a million thoughts run through your mind about how you can make them feel welcomed, safe and included.

There are many ways to make a space inclusive, but one of the simplest and most impactful ways is all in knowing, understanding and properly pronouncing students’ names. It sets a tone. It opens the door to discussion about identities as well as developing literacy. 

As I’ve mentioned to students whether in kindergarten or in high school, and even colleagues, the first and most special word should always be one’s name. To show respect and to honour identities, the pronunciation of names is so crucial. Sadly and quite often, when I’ve met students and colleagues, they’ll quite often shorten their name or tell me, “You can just say it this way” because that’s what their normal has become. You’ve probably heard, “Oh, it’s just a name” or “It’s too long to remember,” but that is not okay. It negates one’s identity rather than celebrating it. When learning about names, it reinforces mutual respect for each individuals’ identity and it encourages lived experiences and knowledge to be shared by not only students, but also their families. Here are some ways to help build an inclusive learning space by focusing on names.

1. Write out each students’ name phonetically. For example, you can write it like this: Tracy – (Tray-see).  Yes, it may take a little longer to go through the attendance that day, but it lays the foundation for respect and care.

2. Make it accessible, not just for you, but for students and colleagues, too. Post a list on the classroom wall, your desk, each student’s name/desk tag, in the attendance folder or digitally in an Learning Management System (LMS), like Brightspace or Google Classroom. Think of multimodal ways, such as a visual and audio clip connected to a QR code on a classroom wall, email or within an LMS. The more places the names are, the more everyone feels included.

3. If students are co-creating the learning space with you through their art, name tags, scribe or have students write the phonetical pronunciation.

4. One of my favourite ways to learn about names is through an assignment or unit. However, it’s important to know the situation of home life before beginning. Be considerate of varied backgrounds and family structures, including limited to no connection to birth family. One way to support all students is through a research project. Learning about their names can be the first “research” they need to do, and it’s a great way to discuss the differences between primary and secondary resources, such as name dictionaries. 

5. Ask Administration and the Office to write the phonetical pronunciation of a student’s name on the information card, email or even a sticky note. It can change the culture in the school, not just a learning space within it.

When a student hears their name properly pronounced or is able to share how their name was chosen, it builds another way of community connection. It builds a positive learning community, one that is respectfully inclusive and welcoming in the simplest but kindest manner.

Sharon Ethier General

Beauty and Joy in Mathematics

As a student, I would venture to say that math was felt very different. There were a lot of equations and my teacher would write examples on the board to help us to find the right answer to the problems. I could follow along with the examples and formulas and felt confident in completing my homework and worksheets. 

As an adult in university, I had a really great professor. He was so passionate about mathematics and often talked about the “beauty” of math. Things shifted for me as we spent a lot of time trying different strategies to get the right answers. This was the beauty my professor kept talking about!  Thinking about problems and trying out new ideas for solutions. 

Fast forward a few more years and as a teacher candidate, I was now responsible for helping students to understand math. This was a catalyst for me! I wanted my students to have amazing math experiences that would empower them to become mathematicians. It seemed like some things never changed; I was a math student again, in a different way this time. I had a wonderful professor while studying my Bachelor of Education. His classes were all hands on; there were visuals and there were experiences and he chatted with us about our thinking and learning. He made space for us to explore, to question, to articulate what we saw and thought and wondered about. 

Math continued to be beautiful as I used representations and manipulatives.  Mathematics lived here between what I saw and experienced in magnitude and measurement and what I wrote down on the page.  It wasn’t just magic or following examples, it was a language that helped me to communicate what I was doing and what I saw happening. 

In those early days of my career, I engaged in a lot professional learning opportunities including co-planning and co-teaching with colleagues, watching videos of classrooms, reading research and new resources, and even observed some amazing teacher mentors doing amazing math.  I earned a Math Specialist as an AQ through ETFO and it was such an inspirational experience to engage in thinking about building my knowledge as a math teacher. Teaching math was  was exciting and a space where my teacher colleagues and I found joy. 

At this stage of my math journey, I still find math beautiful, but also enjoy a sense of curiosity and wonder. When I’m planning and reading the curriculum expectations, I always make sure to click on the teacher supports found under the specific expectations. The examples show the kinds of things students might write to demonstrate their thinking and the manipulatives they might use to represent their ideas. I take my time with the key concepts too; they help me deepen my own understanding of the math I want students to explore. The sample tasks are a great tool as well. They paint a picture of what the learning experience could look like in the classroom and spark ideas for how I can frame those moments so students have the chance to experience math in a way that leads them to make sense of the mathematics. All of these supports are there to help math feel vibrant and alive.  

While I’m not a mathematician like Sophie Germain or Maryam Mirzakhani, I find beauty and wonder in math. Of all possibilities, this journey has led me to becoming a math teacher and maybe that’s the kind of mathematician that students need.

Sharon Ethier General

Taking a Break

There is a moment in the classroom when the students are curious.  You’ve probably noticed this moment because it changes the energy of the entire room.  There’s a certain buzz of anticipation; maybe it’s the moment when they are waiting to see what happens next in a science experiment or listening for the next exciting part in the shared reading.  It’s the moment of pure engagement. 

On the other hand, there are other moments when it seems like the students feel disengaged. The classroom feels sleepy and dull, the students are clearly disinterested. I’m sure you’ve felt that moment, too.  The vibe in the room feels like I’m putting on a performance and getting a one star review. 

It’s at these moments that I recognize we need to take a break; we need something to re-energize our systems and get us back on track.  Over my years in teaching, I’ve learned the importance of breaks.  As a student, I can remember many moments of just listening to information or sitting and working for (what felt like) hours and eventually being unable to absorb any more information. My students feel the same way sometimes!  I’m not always the best ‘edutainer’ and sometimes I’m focussed on getting stuff done, but deep down I know that if the students are hitting a plateau then they are no longer in a place of learning. 

This is a great opportunity to take a break!  Reading the body language and emotions of students also means that we can respond to them.  If you’re feeling the energy start to dip or frustration start to grow, consider taking a break to bring the students back to a learning stance. I know that when I’ve spent a lot of time in heavy thinking, a break is always welcome.  While there are many different kinds of breaks to offer, there are a few of my stand by favourites that can easily be incorporated into the classroom.

Movement Breaks

Have a class that likes to get up a move?  A movement break is a great body break that helps students to move their bodies and have a little fun.  This could look like a dance break. Have your students choose a few of their favourite songs and have a moment of music and fun!  You might choose a movement break that gets them to use their imaginations, such as move around the room like you’re at 1.5 speed or 0.5 speed.  I’ve even had students share their own favourite movement break with me, whether it’s Simon Says or Silent Ball, honouring student voice is a great way to let them be creative and feel heard. 

Talking Activities

I love a good moment to chat with my friends.  You might try some talking breaks that incorporate movement, such as Would You Rather where students move to one side or another when making a decision and share their ideas with their peers.  Another fun talking break we use is Mingling to Music; students move about the room to music and when the music stops they must discuss a question or statement with a friend standing close to them. You might even ask students to create questions or topics that they would like to discuss with their peers.  You will likely find out some cool things about the students’ interests!

Brain Teasers

Not all breaks need to involve movement, sometimes a quick brain teaser or game will do the trick.   A fun strategy game we play are counting games, such as Count To  Ten, where students can strategize how to eliminate their friends from the game. One year my students loved a game we called Top Ten where we would try to guess the Top Ten of something, such as Top Ten Disney Movies, or Top Ten Animals You Would Find on a Farm.  I’d Google the answers beforehand and, in teams, the students would try to guess the answers on the top ten list. I learned a lot about what my students liked that year because they all wanted to submit their top ten subjects which ranged from baseball teams to R&B artists.  

In the rush to get through the lesson plan, these breaks might feel like time away from learning, but they’re actually part of the learning. I consider them an investment that helps students return to engagement, that energy we all feel when the room suddenly comes alive again. In all honesty, they help me return to that place too. We all benefit from a break when tasks feel heavy or our thoughts feel sluggish. Our brains need variety, our bodies need movement, and all of us need moments of connection and play.

When the room feels heavy or the energy dips, this is an opportunity to understand more about my students.  An invitation and a reminder that we are building a learning community together and these fun activities can help us to learn about one another and share some smiles. When we honour these moments, we make space for the magic to return. And that’s when the real learning begins.

Check out these links to some of the games in the post: 

Silent Ball: https://www.playworks.org/game-library/silent-ball/

Simon Says: https://www.playworks.org/game-library/simon-says/

Count To Ten: https://greatcampgames.ca/casual-games/ten/

Mingling to Music: https://www.eleducation.org/curriculum/protocols/musical-mingle/

Would You Rather: https://www.weareteachers.com/would-you-rather-scenarios-elementary/

 

Geeta Kumar General

Structured Literacy Shift Series: Final Thoughts

Over the past year I have been reflecting on my shifts in practice in relation to my literacy practice. You can see them all below:

There have been many more shifts, as I continue to learn about better and best practices. However I named these shifts because they are the ones that stayed in my practice in lasting ways and had a significant impact on student outcomes. Each shift was not an add on, but rather a better understanding that literacy development extend beyond phonics instruction to include other areas such as reading comprehension, vocabulary, morphology, writing.

What kept me motivated was the way my students decoded unfamiliar words with more confidence. I heard it in their dialogue and use of language during discussions. I noticed it when they make connections across texts and ideas. These were not isolated successes. This was the result of sustained, intentional shifts in instruction.

Through these shifts, I learned that meaningful change in literacy instruction (or any practice for that matter) is not about constantly adding something new. It is about strengthening and refining what works. It will not work well the first time (and most of the time quite frankly, it did not). Engaging in critical dialogue with peers, collaborating with colleagues and experts, and reflecting on assessment data helped me to refine these practices over time.

These shifts are not an endpoint. They are a foundation that I will keep refining. I know there will always be more to learn, more to refine, and more to shift. But perhaps the more important question is not what else we can add, but what we are willing to stay with long enough to see real change?

Sharon Ethier General

Community

Every year I start in my garden just a little bit later than the year before, not on purpose, but because May and June are so busy as a teacher. “Professional” gardeners on social media share helpful advice – from when to plant to when to close down the garden to what grows best in different light, soil, and other conditions.  Sometimes I’m even able to follow these best practices!

But my favourite ‘professionals’ are the real people in my circle. My friends, with whom I swap stories when they come for a visit.  My neighbours,  when we theorize about why we have the same plant but mine grows a lot bigger and wider while hers is a more manageable size. These conversations, as “amateur” gardeners, are as much about sharing as they are about gardening.  We try new strategies when we are rooting plants, move our leafy friends to different windows or places in the garden and chat about the differences we see in their growth and thriving. We’re trying new things, learning, sharing our results (for better or worse!) and thinking through challenges together.  It’s like ongoing science experiments that we partake in and share the results of in a never ending science fair.  

Our staff at school feels like the same kind of community. Colleagues come together in small but meaningful ways. Maybe it’s the conversation in the hallway, sharing strategies and resources that we felt worked well and ones where I need a little advice. It can be the scheduled prep time where we bring in student work and look at it together.  Sometimes it’s sharing the frustration when things didn’t go as planned and brainstorming together for a solution or a little shift that might make the difference. Every story about someone else’s classroom becomes a little cutting I can root in my own teaching. 

New ideas and resources take time to implement as we adjust, experiment, and observe together. I rarely teach a new lesson perfectly the first time. It can take awhile to work up to best practices, but it’s my colleagues that offer advice, and share their own stumbles that inspire me to keep trying. In teaching, as in gardening, there’s a joy in trying something new and seeing what happens. There’s comfort in knowing that I’m not on this learning journey alone. Just like gardening, teaching is ongoing, collaborative work where the results are never final, but always full of possibility.

Each spring, Annie starts her seeds indoors quite early and always saves some to share with us. Mal builds new structures and garden boxes and shows me her newest creations. Sandy always reminds me to just enjoy playing in the dirt and not to worry about perfection. I’m always late to the garden centres but it gives me the opportunity to get the best deals and share or swap what I find. My busiest time of year, as a teacher, falls during the optimum planting months, hence why I’m usually late to the party. Yet there’s no judgement from my little circle of gardeners, only support for my imperfect-but-always-trying practice. And through their encouragement, their joy, and their acceptance I’m reminded that growth always finds its way in community. 

Preeti Deokharan 21st Century Learning, Climate Change, General, Planning, wellness, Wellness

Rethinking Invitations in the 2026 Kindergarten Curriculum

Many of us are probably wondering what the new Ontario Kindergarten Curriculum will look like in classrooms that have embraced play-based learning for so many years. How will play fit into our teaching now that the curriculum places a stronger emphasis on structured literacy and numeracy?

The most substantive change in the 2026 Kindergarten Curriculum is the focus on evidence-based systematic and explicit instruction in foundational language and mathematics. However, I don’t see this as a rejection of the 2016 Kindergarten Program. Instead, I see it as an iteration that builds on what we have already been doing while placing a stronger emphasis on intentionally teaching foundational knowledge and skills.

For me, this means that play is not something we move away from. Instead, it is something we become even more intentional about. The curriculum recognizes three instructional approaches: evidence-based systematic and explicit instruction, student-centred play, and inquiry-based learning. As educators, we determine which approach, or combination of approaches, will be most effective when planning responsive and inclusive Kindergarten programs.

One of the things I have always loved about teaching kindergarten is creating simple invitations to play. There was something joyful about setting up materials with intention before students arrived and then watching their curiosity lead them.

With the new curriculum, those invitations still have an important place in our classrooms. Rather than thinking that every learning experience needs to begin with an invitation or that every experience needs to begin with direct instruction, we can think more intentionally about the learning goal and which instructional approach will best support it. Sometimes that may mean explicitly teaching a skill first and then providing opportunities for children to practise and apply it through play. At other times, play or inquiry may be the starting point that allows us to observe children’s thinking and determine what they are ready to learn next. This balance is what I find most exciting.

Outdoor learning continues to be one of my favourite places for this to happen. It is a powerful environment where children can build on classroom learning while developing oral language, early reading, number sense, and problem-solving in authentic and meaningful ways.

Let’s imagine that you have just finished teaching a lesson on one-to-one correspondence. Rather than moving to a tabletop activity or a worksheet, students head outside to an invitation filled with pinecones, sticks, and stones. Suddenly, those natural materials become tools for counting with accuracy, comparing quantities, making sets, creating patterns, and talking about their mathematical thinking. The same materials can also become a follow-up to a literacy lesson where students describe, label, sequence events, and build their oral language and vocabulary.

In this example, the play experience is not replacing explicit instruction. Instead, it provides children with an opportunity to practise and apply the knowledge and skills they have been taught in a meaningful context. The learning is intentionally connected to the curriculum and to the learning that came before it, while still allowing children the freedom to explore, problem-solve, communicate, and make choices within their play.

The other day, while spending time outdoors with a group of kindergarten students, we started talking about the hot weather and all the ways we like to stay cool. It immediately brought back memories of some of my favourite outdoor invitations. It also made me realize that many of these experiences fit beautifully within the new curriculum with just a slight shift in our planning.

One outdoor setup that became a class favourite was a fence music wall made from old pots, pans, lids, and wooden spoons. Students gathered to explore sounds and rhythms, and every group used it differently. Some created songs, others made repeating rhythm patterns, and a few worked together to put on their own performances.

Now, we might explicitly teach students to hear and produce syllables, clap simple rhythm patterns, or identify beginning sounds in words and then provide opportunities for students to practise these skills through play. To further build on the connection between the lesson and the play, we could add word cards to the music wall using words from our explicit instruction. Students can clap the syllables in each word, identify beginning sounds, read familiar words, or use the cards as they create chants and rhythms. Once outdoors, students can continue practising those same skills by experimenting with rhythm, creating rhymes, and sharing ideas with one another. The invitation becomes a meaningful way to reinforce foundational literacy skills while keeping the joy and agency of play at the centre.

Another favourite was our PVC waterfall wall attached to the fence. Equipped with funnels, tubing, cups, and containers, children spent long stretches of time testing ideas, changing the flow of water, and solving problems together.

Following explicit instruction on comparing capacity or using mathematical language such as full, empty, more, less, and equal, we can provide opportunities for children to practise those concepts in a hands-on way outdoors. They can estimate, compare, measure, test predictions, and explain their thinking as they work together. In this way, the play experience reinforces mathematical language and concepts while giving children opportunities to apply what they have learned in a meaningful and engaging context.

There are so many other outdoor invitations that can be adapted just as easily.

Looking back, I realize that invitations to play have always been about creating meaningful opportunities for children to explore and make sense of the world around them. That hasn’t changed.

What has changed is the way we may think about the relationship between explicit instruction, play, and inquiry. The 2026 Kindergarten Curriculum does not mean that we need to choose between explicit instruction and play-based learning. Instead, it asks us to be intentional about how and when we use different instructional approaches to support children’s learning.

If anything, the new Kindergarten Curriculum reminds us that explicit instruction and purposeful play can work beautifully together. When we intentionally teach foundational skills and then provide engaging opportunities to practise and apply them through play, we create learning experiences that are both purposeful and joyful. The goal is not to replace play with explicit instruction, but to create a thoughtful balance where children receive the instruction they need while still having meaningful opportunities to explore, experiment, communicate, problem-solve, and learn through play.

Rashmee Karnad-Jani 21st Century Learning, Before School Starts, Celebrating Success, Curriculum Planning, Flexible Classroom, General, Inspiring Teachers, Learning in a Real Life Context, Mentorship, Professional Learning and Growth, self reflection

The Joys of Co-Teaching: Part 2

Hello Fellow Travellers,

In response to Part 1 of this conversation, a collaborative thought partner asked me some key questions. From those questions, I have synthesized the gist for us to think through and respond here:

  • As some of our members have not had the chance to have co-teaching opportunities, what would you say to those who wonder how realistic these opportunities are for them?
  • How can we support early career teachers who may not know about how they can do this?
  • What if an instructional coach or consultant does not offer? How can they look into this?

One Size Does Not Fit All

I do understand that everyone is not ready to reach out to someone within the school or outside the school. Some members may be unaware of the possibilities and promise in this practical strategy–and the many benefits of a co-modelled pedagogical partnership.

Look around you and take small steps.

Follow someone’s work on social media if you prefer that path.

First Things First

For new teachers, it is important to think about planning or examining curriculum expectations as well as assessment practices. For that ETFO has many easily accessible resources on the Members site. Register and login to access them.

Sometimes, it is a matter of reaching out to colleagues you meet at professional learning workshops in your school district or those you may attend with ETFO – ask to partner because these collaborations do not always germinate in one work site as well when they thrive across different locations the learning is richer because we can learn from one another.

Please reach out, as I like hearing from you.

With You, In Solidarity.

Rashmee Karnad-Jani