One of the district's five strategic goals supporting its Vision for 2030 creating an innovative, inclusive community where all learners belong and everyone soars focuses on a critical cornerstone of education: literacy.
Elementary School Resources and Assessments
In recent years, the district's Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction Department has introduced a range of strategies and resources to strengthen literacy instruction. Among these is a new reading website offering an extensive collection of literacy tools designed to support elementary teachers.
Currently, more than 80 teachers are participating in a pilot program for Grades 1 and 2 that emphasizes phonics instruction. This initiative provides Grade 1-2 educators with 15- to 20-minute lesson plans aimed at improving students' early reading success.
Shifting How We Assess Reading
The district is also rethinking how elementary students' reading abilities are assessed. Several schools are piloting tools that measure specific skills critical to reading success, such as being able to decode words. These assessments not only predict current and future achievement but also pinpoint areas where students need targeted support giving teachers actionable insights for next steps.
"We're seeing an increase in curiosity from educators about new approaches to teaching reading," said Megan Sandham, Coordinator of Primary Learning. "The research and evidence show that it's important for students to understand phonics. When a child encounters an unfamiliar word, if they can use phonics to break it down and sound it out, they are more likely to be successful reading the word and recognizing it in the future when they encounter it again."
"These skills have always been taught to students but in recent years, we've placed a greater emphasis on them," said Jason Hodgins, Early Learning Coordinator. "The district is providing more specific guidance and support for instruction while making sure those supports align with the new assessment tools. Teachers have a heavy workload, so we want to offer ready to use, impactful, and engaging activities to teach the skills and respond to the needs identified in the assessments."
Collaboration and Impact
This work is guided by a committee of classroom teachers, principals, and district staff, and the impact to date is tangible. "Teachers are finding these tools invaluable for identifying which students are getting it', which need extra support, and what kind of help will make the difference," said Neil Stephenson, Director of Learning Services.
Looking ahead, the Ministry of Education and Child Care plans to expand its mandatory literacy screening for Kindergarten students this school year to include students in Grades 1-3 in 2026, and the district is considering its own changes for K-7. "Our ultimate goal is simple," Stephenson explained. "Teach the skills students need to become successful readers, monitor progress, troubleshoot and adjust instruction based on what we learn."
Tips for Parents and Caregivers
Parents play a vital role in supporting literacy at home. Jason offered this advice: "If your child comes across a word they don't know, encourage them to look closely at the letters, and use sounds to try to figure it out. If they still struggle, break the word into smaller parts and put it back together for them. Patience is key even when it's tempting to just give them the answer. They will learn so much more if you ask questions like: What letters do you see? What sounds do they make?"
Megan added, "Learning to read is hard work for students and teachers alike. Try to make reading practice something your child looks forward to by keeping focused and fun! And if you have concerns about your child's reading skills, talk to their teacher early. The sooner challenges are addressed, the better."
Supporting Secondary Literacy
The commitment to literacy doesn't stop at elementary school. Secondary educators are collaborating with Tashi Kirincic, Inclusive Literacy Practices Coordinator, to implement reading strategies and assessments that better support high school students ensuring every learner has the tools to succeed.
Tashi recently completed a Spiral of Inquiry in response to growing concerns from secondary schools needing literacy support.
"Many high school students are reading less and struggling more but teachers don't have to tackle it alone," said Tashi. "My goal as a teacher leader is to equip and embolden teachers to persist in effective practices so all students can read well enough to navigate our increasingly complex textual world."
The Challenge
Tashi began with a simple but critical question: "What's going on with kids' reading skills in high school?" She found students' reading abilities appeared to be declining, the quality of their submitted work was falling, and their stamina for reading and other challenging tasks was diminishing.
"Teachers had many hunches about the causes - such as the availability of technology, increased screen time, and lack of direct reading instruction in earlier grades - but were uncertain about how to respond," shared Tashi.
Although teachers cared deeply about students' reading abilities, many did not see themselves as "reading teachers." To address this, Tashi chose a focused approach. Rather than treating reading as a general skill, she worked with one subject area science to explore how targeted literacy strategies could improve comprehension and engagement, knowing this blueprint could later be adapted across other subjects.
Listening to Teachers and Students
Tashi met with science teachers from five high schools who reported that some students struggled to identify main ideas, process text independently, follow lab instructions accurately, understand and retain scientific vocabulary, apply concepts across topics and tackle challenging tasks or follow multi-step instructions. The teachers wondered whether reduced textbook use, scarcity of quality texts and shifts in learning models have contributed to students' struggles with reading.
Students echoed these concerns. Notably, all 13 students interviewed reported that their go-to strategy when they encounter difficulty reading is to "ask the teacher." When prompted to consider alternatives if a teacher were unavailable, most said they would ask a friend. Only after further prompting with the question, "What would you do if no one were available to help?" did students identify strategies such as slowing down, rereading, using context clues, or looking up unfamiliar words. Interestingly, one student highlighted a theme that teachers had hinted at: students are not regularly reading in class because the teacher just explains it.
Experimenting with Literacy Routines
Following this scan for information, Tashi worked closely with one Science Department to investigate how small, deliberate shifts in teaching practices, such as introducing key words, previewing a text and summarizing text, could support students' reading and learning in science and enhance student success.
Students completed exit slips after each lesson to reflect on what they learned and how the strategies helped. Analysis of these reflections and teacher feedback confirmed the team's hunch: integrating literacy strategies into science lessons had a positive impact on teaching and learning, with improved student comprehension, engagement, and confidence.
Looking Ahead
"This inquiry was a first step in exploring how literacy practices can support learning," says Tashi. "When teachers are given practical strategies, clear models, and choice in how they engage, literacy really does enhance learning," said Tashi.
Building on this success, Tashi plans to deepen collaboration and strengthen collective understanding across the district of how literacy enhances learning by embedding strategies that are simple, relevant, and aligned with teachers' core work.
The district's literacy initiatives, from early phonics instruction to secondary-level interventions, reflect a shared goal: to equip every learner with the skills to succeed in an increasingly complex textual world.
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