Page 29 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English, 2007 (Revised)

THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | English
Motivating students and instilling positive habits of mind, such as a willingness and determination to persist, to think and communicate with clarity and precision, to take responsible risks, and to question and pose problems, are also integral to high-quality language instruction.
Language is best learned through activities that present stimulating ideas, issues, and themes that are meaningful to students. Since no single instructional approach can meet all the needs of each learner, teachers select classroom activities that are based on an assessment of students’ individual needs, proven learning theory, and best practices. In effective English programs, teachers introduce a rich variety of activities that integrate expectations from different strands and provide for the explicit teaching of knowledge and skills. They also provide frequent opportunities for students to rehearse, practise, and apply skills and strategies, and to make their own choices.
PLANNING ENGLISH PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS
WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS
Classroom teachers are the key educators of students who have special education needs. They have a responsibility to help all students learn, and they work collaboratively with special education teachers, where appropriate, to achieve this goal. Special Education Transformation: The Report of the Co-Chairs with the Recommendations of the Working Table on Special Education, 2006 endorses a set of beliefs that should guide program planning for students with special education needs in all disciplines. Those beliefs are as follows:
All students can succeed.
Universal design and differentiated instruction are effective and interconnected means of meeting the learning or productivity needs of any group of students.
Successful instructional practices are founded on evidence-based research, tempered by experience.
Classroom teachers are key educators for a student’s literacy and numeracy development.
Each student has his or her own unique patterns of learning.
Classroom teachers need the support of the larger community to create a learning environment that supports students with special education needs.
Fairness is not sameness.
In any given classroom, students may demonstrate a wide range of learning styles and needs. Teachers plan programs that recognize this diversity and give students performance tasks that respect their particular abilities so that all students can derive the greatest pos- sible benefit from the teaching and learning process. The use of flexible groupings for instruction and the provision of ongoing assessment are important elements of programs
that accommodate a diversity of learning needs.
In planning English courses for students with special education needs, teachers should begin by examining the current achievement level of the individual student, the strengths and learning needs of the student, and the knowledge and skills that all students are
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