Ontario preparing ‘back to basics’ curriculum for kindergarten

Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce is extending his “back to basics” curriculum push into kindergarten.

The government plans to spend the next year consulting on new mandatory learning to include in the kindergarten curriculum, including the foundations of coding, and plans to release it in the spring of 2025 for implementation that September.

Lecce says it will ensure students have strong reading, writing and math skills when they enter Grade 1.

The government has introduced new elementary curricula in math, science and language in recent years, and Lecce often touts a “back-to-basics” approach.

Officials say the changes they envision to the kindergarten curriculum will better link it with the updated requirements in Grade 1.

They say what will not change is the full-day nature of the kindergarten program, the current teacher and early childhood educator staffing model, or the play-based learning approach.