Information for Parents

Early Reading Screenings

2024/2025

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Reading is a foundational skill critical to student success, both in the classroom and beyond. Beginning in 2024-2025, our schools will be administering annual early reading screenings for all students in Year 2 of Kindergarten through Grade 2. Early reading screening is newly mandated by the Ministry of Education through PPM #168.

This new early reading screening is a tool to identify students who are experiencing difficulties with reading.

The purpose of early reading screening is to:

  1. Monitor your child’s development in early reading skills,
  2. Identify children who need additional support, and
  3. Guide classroom instruction.

Annual screening is completed at the beginning of the school year to determine your child’s individual reading progress. Screening results are not used to evaluate student learning and are not part of your child’s grades, The screening covers various skills needed for reading proficiency. For example, your child might be asked to identify letters and corresponding sounds or sound out words. No additional preparation is needed for the screening. Students whose scores fall below the benchmark will be provided with support to help them catch up.

Educators will provide ongoing communication regarding your child’s strengths, areas of need, and to share examples of their growth and progress over time.

PLEASE NOTE:

  • Results of the first screening will be communicated to you in your child’s Kindergarten, Communication of Learning or Report Card, Grades 1-6 ( February 2025) and will indicate if your child has met the screening benchmark at the time of screening.
  • *Please note that these results will be from screening completed at the beginning of the year and may not reflect current screening results or recent assessment information.

Should you have any questions or concerns about your child’s reading abilities, you are encouraged to reach out to your child’s teacher and/or principal.

Sincerely,

Gerald Foran | Superintendent of Learning

Jennifer Ritsma | Superintendent of Learning

Waterloo Catholic District School Board

35 Weber St. | Kitchener, ON | N1H 6N6 | 519-578-3660

Support Your Child’s Learning

Language: Grades 1-8, A Guide For Parents

As your child’s first teacher, you are an important partner in your child’s education.

You can help your child make connections between what they learn at home and at school and everyday experiences at home and in the community. Talk about it and listen carefully! Children build capacity for reading and writing through talking and listening.

Here are some ways to share the joy and the importance of literacy with your child. You don’t need to use them all, and you may have many more ways to make reading, writing, speaking and listening more interesting to your child.

  • Be curious and show an interest. Talk to your child about day-to-day situations and ask questions that will encourage them to share their thoughts and ideas (e.g., what if? how did you know?).
  • If it’s available to you, speak to your child in another language. Languages are an important part of our identity. Reading and talking to your child in various languages helps them learn how languages work and are used. Children transfer their knowledge from one language to another.
  • You are your child’s role model, so share with your child that you too are reading and writing for your own purposes.
  • Share the joy of reading with your child every day – read and share stories aloud.
  • Look for a variety of materials your child will enjoy reading – stories, poems, graphic novels, song lyrics, magazines, comics, online media.
  • Encourage your child to choose books and materials themselves.
  • Browse online together based on themes and topics that interest your child.
  • Ask your child to talk about what they are reading. Leave notes. Encourage your child to write back.
  • Suggest a scrapbook or e-book to record special times, a diary or daily reflection book.
  • Stay informed about your child’s learning by staying in touch with their school and teachers. If you are unsure of your child’s progress, or how you can support your child’s literacy learning at home, ask your child’s teacher about skills and experiences required to support your child’s learning.
  • Make it fun!

For younger children, here are some things you and your child might enjoy:

  • Look for words and phrases that are all around us – on cereal boxes, street signs, maps, posters and books.
  • Explore public libraries – they have great resources and in-house programs.
  • Play board games and card games (e.g., word bingo, memory and rhyming games).

As your child gains competence and becomes a critical thinker, here are some things you and your older child might enjoy:

  • Keep reading with your child. Read a variety of material – magazines, e-books, poems and comic books.
  • Tap into their interests and hobbies – children are more likely to explore what they are interested in.
  • Read some of the same books and materials as your child, so you can talk about characters, stories and topics together.
  • Find fun and meaningful opportunities for children to write, or for you to write together. Some examples: create greeting cards, shopping lists, party invitations, gratitude notes, posters, records of special events, and so on.