ENL1W – ENGLISH – GRADE 9

Part of: English

This course enables students to continue to develop and consolidate the foundational knowledge and skills that they need for reading, writing, and oral and visual communication. Throughout the course, students will continue to enhance their media literacy and critical literacy skills, and to develop and apply transferable skills, including digital literacy. Students will also make connections to their lived experiences and to society and increase their understanding of the importance of language and literacy across the curriculum.

The Grade 9 English course is grounded in the belief that all students can succeed when they develop knowledge and skills in language and literacy. Strong foundational knowledge and skills in both oral and written language are necessary to support more complex skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving. This curriculum provides educators with a comprehensive guide to supporting the development and consolidation these essential knowledge and skills in every student.

In the English program, students have the opportunity to read various forms of texts and to set learning goals for their reading. This helps to develop and sustain their curiosity and excitement about reading. In addition to reading teacher-selected materials that are well planned and purposefully chosen to support instructional goals, students can choose from a wide variety of texts that are engaging and relevant to their personal interests. In this way, literacy enhances students’ development of their sense of self and their unique and shared identities. It fosters a deep appreciation of the diversity of human experience and expression.

Vision: Literacy is essential for success: it affects all academic achievement and is associated with social, emotional, economic, and physical health. The Grade 9 English course is designed to support students in developing and consolidating the literacy knowledge and skills they need to succeed in education and in life, and to encourage students to experience the joy and possibility that literacy learning can ignite.

The Ontario English curriculum for Grade 9 is founded on the following principles:

• An effective English curriculum is based on and informed by evidence-based research.

• An effective English curriculum recognizes the diverse identities and abilities of students and their different language and cultural experiences and learning needs.
• A modern English curriculum reflects emerging technologies and their impact on communication and digital media literacy.
• A comprehensive English curriculum encompasses learning across the curriculum and in the world beyond the classroom.