This is the Educircles Guide to the NEW Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum.

  • This page is a growing list of student activities, lesson plans, handouts and worksheets to help Intermediate English teachers and Middle School teachers (Grades 6, 7, 8)
  • If you are looking for the official Elementary Language 2023 curriculum website, please visit this Ontario Ministry of Education page
  • This Secondary English curriculum page includes all Strands and Overall Expectations in one spot.

FREEBIE! Do you want a PDF version of the Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum icons and student handouts shown on this page? Click here.

NOTE: This is a growing list of lesson ideas to help intermediate teachers explore the NEW Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum. If you have any questions or suggestions, please email [email protected]

Welcome to the NEW Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum!

Introduction Lesson: An unofficial, critical thinking exploration with Educircles.

Use this free slideshow and student handout / worksheet package to get students analyzing, evaluating and creating new ideas based on the Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum overall expectations.

The slideshow walks through icons that Mike from Educircles has chosen to go with each overall curriculum expectation. The lesson explains that one symbol cannot represent everything to everyone.

As students explore the new expectations, they analyze how well the icon represents everything in the expectation. The worksheet provides an opportunity for students to brainstorm ideas for better icons.

Students select one icon to analyze more deeply.

  • Students record which aspects of the overall expectation the icons represents well,
  • They also record what elements the icon fails to represent citing evidence from the text (the Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum)

At the end, based on the deeper student analysis, they are asked to create a better icon to represent each overall expectation.

Click here to download the slideshow lesson and PDF version of the Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum icons and student handouts.

Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum – Strand A.
Literacy Connections and Applications

A1. Transferable Skills

demonstrate an understanding of how the seven transferable skills (critical thinking and problem solving; innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship; self-directed learning; collaboration; communication; global citizenship and sustainability; and digital literacy) are used in various language and literacy contexts

Source: Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum

A2. Digital Media Literacy

demonstrate and apply the knowledge and skills needed to interact safely and responsibly in online environments, use digital and media tools to construct knowledge, and demonstrate learning as critical consumers and creators of media.

Source: Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum

A3. Applications, Connections, and Contributions

apply language and literacy skills in cross-curricular and integrated learning, and demonstrate an understanding of, and make connections to, diverse voices, experiences, perspectives, histories, and contributions, including those of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals, communities, groups, and nations.

Source: Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum

Lesson: Who is Invisible

Some stories are shared more often than others. Do we hear about the contributions of some groups of people more than others? Absolutely.

Use this free critical thinking slideshow lesson to help students understand whose voices do we hear from and whose voices might be missing. By understanding our own perspectives and aspects of our identity, we can begin to think about whose stories are missing: whether we’re talking about media, novels, or classroom resources.

NOTE: If you are an educator with lived experience from a diverse group, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals, communities, groups, and nations and would like help creating content to publish or sell on TPT, please contact me on my SEOTpreneur YouTube channel. I help teachers become TEACHERpreneurs. I would like to help amplify your voice and educational content..

Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum – Strand B.
Foundations of Language

B1. Oral and Non-Verbal Communication

apply listening, speaking, and non-verbal communication skills and strategies to understand and communicate meaning in formal and informal contexts and for various purposes and audiences

Source: Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum

B2. Language Foundations for Reading and Writing

demonstrate an understanding of foundational language knowledge and skills, and apply this understanding when reading and writing

Source: Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum

B3. Language Conventions for Reading and Writing

demonstrate an understanding of sentence structure, grammar, cohesive ties, and capitalization and punctuation, and apply this knowledge when reading and writing sentences, paragraphs, and a variety of texts

Source: Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum

Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum – Strand C.
Comprehension: Understanding and Responding to Texts

C1. Knowledge about Texts

apply foundational knowledge and skills to understand a variety of texts, including digital and media texts, by creators with diverse identities, perspectives, and experience, and demonstrate an understanding of the patterns, features, and elements of style associated with various text forms and genres.

Source: Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum

C2. Comprehension Strategies

apply comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading, listening to, and viewing a variety of texts, including digital and media texts, by creators with diverse identities, perspectives, and experience, in order to understand and clarify the meaning of texts.

Source: Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum

C3. Critical Thinking in Literacy

apply critical thinking skills to deepen understanding of texts, and analyze how various perspectives and topics are communicated and addressed in a variety of texts, including digital, media, and cultural texts

Source: Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum

Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum – Strand D.
Composition: Expressing Ideas and Creating Texts

D1. Developing Ideas and Organizing Content

plan, develop ideas, gather information, and organize content for creating texts of various forms, including digital and media texts, on a variety of topics.

Source: Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum

D2. Creating Texts

apply knowledge and understanding of various text forms and genres to create, revise, edit, and proofread their own texts, using a variety of media, tools, and strategies, and reflect critically on created texts.

Source: Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum

D3. Publishing, Presenting, and Reflecting

select suitable and effective media, techniques, and tools to publish and present final texts, and critically analyze how well the texts address various topics.

Source: Ontario Language 2023 Curriculum