What Ontario grade 7 students learn in language arts

Your child will learn how to use skills like problem-solving and critical thinking (transferable skills) to better understand and communicate in different situations, whether they are reading, listening, watching, or creating their own stories and presentations.

Your child will understand how skills they learn in one area, like problem-solving, can be used in other situations to help them speak up, stay interested in learning, and develop their abilities.

Your child will be able to understand their rights and responsibilities when they are online, and make good choices that help them and others have a positive online presence.

Your child will learn how to safely use the internet, protect their personal information, and interact with others online in a way that is respectful and responsible.

Your child will learn how to do research, making sure the information they find is true and trustworthy. They will also learn to spot misinformation (mistakes), disinformation (lies), and curated information (information that has been specially chosen and presented), and understand how to use this knowledge to write and share what they've learned, all while being respectful and following the rules.

Your child will be able to understand how different choices in digital and media texts (like videos, websites, or social media posts) affect the people who see them, and use this knowledge when they look at or create their own media.

Your child will be able to understand how the way something is written (its form), what it says (its message), and the situation it's in (its context) all connect. They will also learn how these connections affect who the text is for, whether intended or not, and why it was created.

Your child will be able to pick and use the right digital tools and media (like websites or videos) to help them design new and creative ways to solve real-world problems.

Your child will learn how to communicate and work with others online in a way that is safe, respectful, and responsible, while also being aware of different cultures.

Your child will understand how the reading, writing, and communication skills they learn this year help them in other school subjects and in their daily life. They will also see how these skills improve their understanding and ability to communicate with others.

Your child will understand how different people and groups, including those in Canada, have lived and contributed throughout history. They will learn about this by reading various texts that reflect different cultures and help them think about their own identity and sense of belonging.

Your child will explore important ideas found in the cultures of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. This will help them understand the different ways these groups see themselves, relate to others, and live their lives.

Your child will learn to be a good listener in different situations, understanding when to ask helpful questions and how to respond thoughtfully to what others say in group talks.

Your child will learn to use different ways to listen well, both when people are speaking and when they are communicating without words. This helps them understand what's being said, ask questions if they're confused, and respond appropriately.

Your child will learn to understand why and for whom they are speaking in different situations, and how to choose the best ways to speak clearly and logically.

Your child will learn to use and understand different ways people communicate without words, like through facial expressions, hand movements, and body language. They will also explore how these non-verbal cues help us understand each other, and how their meaning can change in different cultures.

Your child will learn to choose words carefully, using different kinds of descriptive words (adjectives and adverbs) and varied sentence structures to make their writing clear and easy for others to understand, whether they are writing formally or informally.

Your child will be able to use their knowledge of word parts, like prefixes (beginnings of words), suffixes (endings of words), and bases (main parts of words), to read and spell longer words correctly and easily.

Your child will understand many different words and be able to use new words they learn in various situations, including in other school subjects. They will also use their knowledge of word parts (like prefixes and suffixes) to figure out the meaning of new words they encounter.

Your child will be able to read different kinds of challenging stories and articles smoothly and correctly, at a good speed, to help them understand what they're reading. When reading aloud, they will also learn to change their voice and tone to match the reason they are reading.

Your child will learn how to use different kinds of sentences, including complex sentences (which combine ideas using phrases and clauses), to clearly share their thoughts.

Your child will understand how different word types, like nouns and adjectives, work in sentences. This will help them better understand what they read and write more clearly.

Your child will understand how to use capitalization and punctuation correctly to make their writing clear and easy to understand. This includes knowing when to use things like colons, semicolons, commas, ellipses, and dashes to properly structure sentences and show pauses or missing words.

Your child will be able to understand different kinds of complex texts by using their knowledge of words, grammar, how sentences are connected, and what they already know about the topic.

Your child will be able to understand how different types of writing, including stories, poems, and texts from various cultures, use their unique features to share a message or meaning.

Your child will be able to understand how text patterns (like cause and effect in a factual text) and text features (like a bibliography or easy-to-read fonts) are used in different types of writing, including stories and information from various cultures, and explain how these things help people understand what they are reading or seeing.

Your child will be able to understand how pictures, graphs, and the way things are designed visually work together to create meaning in different types of texts.

Your child will be able to identify different writing styles, like the author's unique "voice" or the words they choose, and understand how these choices help create the story's meaning and fit the type of text they are reading.

Your child will be able to figure out who is telling a story (the narrator) and from what perspective (point of view), whether it's "I" (first person), "you" (second person), or "he/she/they" (third person). They will also understand how changing the narrator's perspective would change the story.

Your child will engage with different kinds of stories created by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people. They will learn about the past and present experiences, cultures, and communities of these groups by understanding how Indigenous Storywork shares meaning.

Your child will be able to use what they already know from their own life and other school subjects to help them understand new things they read.

Your child will be able to understand why people read different things, choose books or articles from various authors that fit those reasons, and explain why their choices are good ones.

Your child will be able to make good guesses about what they are reading by using what they already know and clues from the text. They will also learn to ask questions to see if their guesses were right, and if not, change their understanding.

Your child will learn to use different strategies, like picturing what they read or asking questions, to make sure they understand texts and to help them when they get confused.

Your child will be able to explain how the ideas in what they read connect to what they already know, their own life experiences, other books or stories, and the world around them.

Your child will be able to understand the main message and key details in different stories and articles, and use that information to form strong conclusions.

Your child will be able to explain how different reading strategies, like picturing the story in their mind, guessing what might happen next, summarizing, or connecting the text to their own life, help them understand what they read. They will also set goals to become an even better reader.

Your child will be able to identify and explain how authors use literary devices like foreshadowing (hints about future events), allegory (stories with a hidden meaning), and symbolism (objects representing ideas) to add meaning to different types of writing. They will also understand how these devices are chosen for a specific audience and purpose.

Your child will be able to understand what they read by using clues from the text and their own knowledge to figure out what the author is trying to say, even if it's not directly stated.

Your child will be able to understand difficult stories and information by figuring out what's important, putting ideas together in their own words (synthesizing), and organizing the information to draw conclusions.

Your child will be able to understand and explain the cultural parts of different stories and texts, like traditions, art, or buildings. They will connect these to their own life and culture, and share what they've learned with others.

Your child will be able to explain both obvious (explicit) and hidden (implicit) messages in different stories and texts. They will also be able to identify if there's any unfairness or one-sidedness (bias) in these messages and suggest ways to avoid it.

Your child will be able to explain how different texts talk about topics like diversity (the variety of human differences), inclusion (making sure everyone feels welcome), and accessibility (making things usable for everyone). They will also understand the main ideas or messages in these texts and recognize different viewpoints presented.

Your child will be able to understand how historical events, cultural backgrounds, or social and political situations affected stories and other texts created by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people. They will also learn how these older texts connect to the experiences of people living today.

Your child will be able to compare the different ways they think critically about texts, figure out which thinking skills helped them understand best, and explain why those skills were useful.

Your child will learn to figure out the main idea, reason, and who they are writing for when they create different types of writing. They will also understand how to choose the best way to write something (like a story, report, or poem) and the best way to share it (like on paper or online) so that their message is clear to the people reading it.

Your child will be able to come up with and expand on ideas and details for different topics, including those about diversity, fairness, and inclusion, by using various methods and resources, including their own experiences.

Your child will be able to find and combine information from different written materials about a topic. They will also learn to check if the information is good, fair, and correct, and to keep track of where they found it.

Your child will be able to organize their thoughts and information in a logical order, using different strategies and tools, so they can write well-structured pieces in various formats like essays, stories, or presentations.

Your child will be able to explain how different writing strategies and tools helped them come up with ideas and organize their writing, and how these tools made them a better writer.

Your child will be able to write different kinds of complex texts, like stories (narrative), explanations (expository), and factual reports (informational), using various tools and methods.

Your child will be able to write in cursive, developing their own style, and use computer programs to write and edit their work more easily and accurately.

Your child will learn to write in a way that sounds like them, using words and writing styles to share their thoughts and feelings about a topic. They will also understand how to choose the right "tone" (the feeling or attitude in their writing) for different types of writing.

Your child will be able to understand the viewpoint, opinions, and biases in their own writing. They will also be able to explain how different people might understand their message based on their own perspectives.

Your child will be able to make changes to their writing to make it clearer and more focused. They will learn to add, remove, or rearrange sentences and use feedback from others to improve their work.

Your child will be able to make their writing better by checking for mistakes in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. They will also learn to use computer programs to help them edit their work.

Your child will be able to create finished pieces of writing, choosing different methods and tools, including computer programs, to make their writing have the impact they want.

Your child will be able to share their writing in different ways, like through presentations or digital formats, and understand how the choices they made helped them get their message across.

Your child will be able to compare how different strategies and tools helped them share their message when writing and presenting. They will also think about how their writing addresses different topics and suggest ways to improve their writing in the future.