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PROVINCIAL NEWS

Ontario Connecting Children and Youth to Mental Health Care Close to Home - $44.6 million boost in funding to expand pediatric mental health services

The Ontario government is investing an additional $44.6 million per year to connect children and youth to mental health services across the province so they have access to the care they need, when they need it, in their community. This is part of the government’s investment of an additional $330 million each year in pediatric health services at hospitals and community-based health care facilities across the province.

Ontario Unveils a Back-to-Basics Kindergarten Curriculum - New mandatory learning will focus on literacy and math skills for the province’s youngest learners

The Ontario government is taking continued action to emphasize back-to-basics learning by introducing mandatory learning through clear and direct instruction in reading, writing and math for kindergarten students. Combined with hands-on and play-based learning, this new kindergarten curriculum will ensure students entering Grade 1 across the province have the foundational skills in literacy and math and intellectual growth that will help set them up for long-term success.

All students will soon benefit from evidence-based clear and direct instruction in literacy for the first time to build their vocabulary and instil a passion for reading and writing. New and mandatory learning will include the understanding of sound-letter relationships, developing phonics knowledge and using specific vocabulary. For example, as children are constructing a house with building blocks and other materials, the educator would intentionally use new words to build student vocabulary.