Page 17 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English, 2007 (Revised)

THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | English
clues from context or from their understanding of language structures and/or letter- sound relationships – to help them solve unfamiliar words, and comprehension strategies to help them make meaning of the text. Comprehension strategies include predicting, visualizing, questioning, drawing inferences, identifying main ideas, summarizing, and monitoring and revising comprehension. After reading, students may analyse, synthesize, make connections, evaluate, and use other critical and creative thinking skills to achieve a deeper understanding of the material they have read. It is important to note that although the specific expectations for each grade may focus on particular strategies that emphasize grade-appropriate skills, they do not impose a restriction on the range of strategies stu- dents will apply in that grade. Teachers must use their professional judgement in decid- ing which comprehension strategies to model and teach, based on the identified learning needs of the students in their classrooms and on the nature of the particular texts stu- dents are reading.
Fluent, independent readers read frequently for a variety of different purposes – to locate information, to satisfy curiosity, for enjoyment, to build vocabulary, for research, and for various more specifically defined purposes. The purpose for reading will be determined by the teacher in some cases and by the student in others. The reading program should include a wide variety of literary, informational, and graphic texts that engage students’ interest and imagination – for example, novels; poetry; myths, fables, and folk tales; short stories; textbooks and books on topics in science, history, mathematics, geography, and other subjects; biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, and journals; plays and radio, film, or television scripts; encyclopaedia entries; graphs, charts, and diagrams in textbooks or magazine articles; instructions and manuals; graphic novels, comic books, and cartoons; newspaper articles and editorials; databases and websites; and essays and reports. Teachers routinely provide materials that reflect the diversity of Canadian and world cultures, including the cultures of Aboriginal peoples. Within each course and from one grade to another, students should be assigned texts of increasing complexity as they develop their reading skills, and should also have many opportunities to select their
own reading materials. Frequent exposure to good writing will inspire students to work towards high standards in their own writing and will help them develop an appreciation for the power and beauty of the written word.
The study of literature is central in the secondary English curriculum; it offers students opportunities to expand their intellectual horizons and to extend and strengthen their lit- eracy skills. As a creative representation of life and experience, literature raises important questions about the human condition, now and in the past. As students increase their knowledge of accomplished writers and literary works, and vicariously experience times, events, cultures, and values different from their own, they deepen their understanding of the many dimensions of human thought and human experience.
All students, regardless of their postsecondary plans, need to read a balance of exemplary literary, informational, and graphic texts that nourish the imagination, promote intellectu-
al growth, contribute to a sense of aesthetic appreciation, and provide a broad range of language models for their own writing. They should be exposed to literary works drawn from many genres, historical periods, and cultures, by both female and male writers, that represent a wide range of perspectives and reflect the diversity of Canada and the world.
This strand helps students learn to read with understanding, to read critically, to become familiar with various text forms and their characteristic elements, and to recognize the
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