September 23, 2014
Focused on Literacy in the Classroom and Community
Minister Provides Update on K-12 Literacy Initiatives
The Honourable Darin King, Minister of Education, says major progress has been made on several initiatives designed to strengthen language and literacy development at the K-12 level since last year’s release of Learning for a Lifetime – A Literacy Plan for Kindergarten to Secondary.
“This six-year, K-12 literacy plan builds on our early learning programming and is designed to provide our students with a strong foundation in language and literacy that will benefit them for life. As of this date, we have almost completed a renewal of the entire English language arts curriculum, and professional learning for teachers is ongoing. In addition, over $1.7 million has been invested in recreational reading materials for classrooms, and more than $1 million worth of resources has been provided to school libraries. Further initiatives include plans for the development of supports for families, so that they can help reinforce literacy strategies at home, and the initiation of talks with Memorial University around literacy training for new teachers.”
- The Honourable Darin King, Minister of Education
Examples of the strategies outlined in Learning for a Lifetime – A Literacy Plan for Kindergarten to Secondary are included in the backgrounder below. The plan can be viewed in its entirety at: //www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/publications/k12/Literacy_Plan.pdf
“Our students perform well on national and international reading and writing assessments – but we want to do better. The most recent results from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) show that Grade 4 students in this province are performing at the Canadian average. With our renewed focus on early childhood learning and fundamental literacy skills in the primary grades, we expect to see their reading and writing performance improve even more in the future.”
- Minister King
Information on provincial results of the 2012 PIRLS study can be found at: www.gov.nl.ca/releases/2012/edu/1211n02.htm.
QUICK FACTS
- A number of initiatives designed to enhance literacy at the K-12 level, have been undertaken over the past year as part of a six-year plan to strengthen language and literacy development among K-12 students.
- Learning for a Lifetime – A Literacy Plan for Kindergarten to Secondary outlines a number of strategies to support and improve literacy for school-aged children throughout the province, including a renewal of the K-12 English language arts curriculum; the provision of teaching and learning resources, and professional learning for teachers.
- To learn more about Learning for a Lifetime – A Literacy Plan for Kindergarten to Secondary, see: //www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/publications/k12/Literacy_Plan.pdf
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Media contact:|
Heather May Director of Communications Department of Education 709-729-0048, 697-5061 heathermay@gov.nl.ca |
BACKGROUNDER
K-12 Literacy Plan Includes Focus on Families and Communities
The following are examples of strategies outlined in the province’s K-12 literacy plan, Learning for a Lifetime – A Literacy Plan for Kindergarten to Secondary, a six-year plan to support enhanced language and literacy skills:
- an ongoing renewal of the English Language Arts curriculum from K-12, which is almost complete;
- the provision of a variety of reading materials to classrooms and school libraries to promote reading and writing at all levels;
- a collaboration among teachers and community educators (e.g. early childhood educators, public library staff, community-based artists) to support literacy instruction in schools;
- the development of professional learning for educators to support the K-12 literacy plan;
- the development of strategies for families which support reading and writing at home, promote cultural learning, and connect with community partners such as public libraries;
- the development of new initiatives to support individuals and groups with demonstrated achievement gaps, including resources for students with diverse learning needs (e.g. Aboriginal students, boys, students with special needs); and
- plans to facilitate discussions with Memorial University’s Faculty of Education on critical areas of literacy training to help prepare teachers to deliver programs.
2014 09 23 9:20 a.m.