Your child’s education journey

Find information to support your child from kindergarten to Grade 12.

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Overview

From kindergarten to Grade 12, your child will experience different stages of learning and development. Our school system meets your child’s needs, interests and abilities at every stage.

Support as your child moves between grades

Schools plan for the success of students in many ways to support them as they move between the different stages of their education.

As a first step, you can reach out to your child’s current teacher to:

learn about the different support programs available at your school
help prepare your child for their education journey

Support for students with special education needs

Some children may require special education supports and programs. Special education programs and services are tailored to meet the individual needs of students, supporting those with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, autism and more.

As children with special education needs move between different grades and stages of their education, they may require additional support to ensure a smooth transition.

For information about the special education supports and services at your child’s school board, reach out to your school.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten can be a big change for both you and your child. It prepares your child for success in Grade 1 and beyond with strong social skills and a solid foundation in reading, writing and math.

Your child will learn from an educator team that includes a teacher and, if there are more than 16 students in your child’s class, an Early Childhood Educator (ECE).

When your child starts kindergarten, they will be in a new environment, meeting new friends and teachers, and doing new things. This can be exciting — but it can also be overwhelming.

We have information about:

finding a school and registering your child
meeting your child’s teacher, early childhood educators and principal
getting ready for the first day of school
what your child will learn
ways you can support your child

Learn more about how you can help prepare your child for a strong start in kindergarten.

Primary grades (Grades 1 to 3)

Grade 1 is the start of elementary school. This is when your child continues to build strong foundational skills in reading, writing, math and social studies, which is the basis for everything they learn.

In Grade 1, your child will:

learn elementary curriculum subjects such as language, math and arts
receive report cards
build on social and interpersonal skills

In Grade 3, they will take the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) assessment, which helps schools, school boards and the Ministry of Education to monitor school board and provincial progress in reading, writing and math.

Find information about what your child will learn and resources to support you.

Ways to support your child

You can help your child have a strong start to Grade 1 and primary grades by:

Meeting the teacher: Attend orientation sessions or meet-and-greet events to get to know your child’s teacher.
Establishing routines: Set up consistent morning and evening routines to help your child adjust to the school schedule.
Supporting learning at home: Encourage reading together, find fun ways to practice math skills at home and model positive attitudes towards learning math to grow your child's confidence.
Staying involved: Keep in touch with the teacher and stay informed about your child’s progress and any upcoming events.

Contact your child's school for more information and to meet your teachers.

Junior and intermediate grades (Grades 4 to 8)

In Grades 4 to 8, students begin to take on more responsibility and independence in their learning. Your child may start to experience:

Curriculum focus: Students engage in more critical thinking and problem-solving tasks to prepare for high school.
New teaching structure: Students may rotate between teachers for specialized subjects such as French, science, physical education or music.
Learning French: Starting in Grade 4, your child will start learning Core French as a mandatory subject.
Provincial assessments: EQAO testing occurs in Grade 6 to monitor board and provincial progress in reading, writing and math.
Opportunities to join clubs and extracurricular activities: Schools have different types of clubs and extracurriculars, such as student council, environmental clubs and sports teams.

Ways to support your child

You can support your child during these years by:

Encouraging organizational skills: Support your child to use planners, homework routines and time management to help them handle more responsibility and new learning. Schools teach these skills throughout elementary school.
Monitoring social development: Social dynamics change quickly in these grades. Stay engaged with your child through open conversations about their challenges, monitor online activity and encourage them to participate in extracurricular activities.
Communicating with teachers: Stay involved by attending parent-teacher meetings, checking school updates and engaging teachers if you have questions or feel your child may benefit from more support.
Supporting discussions about transitions: Talk with your child about the transition to high school and support them in creating their Individual Pathway Plan beginning in Grade 7.

Find information about what your child will learn and resources to support you.

High school (Grades 9 to 12)

Going from elementary to high school is one of the biggest changes in your child’s education journey. Your school will offer an orientation program to introduce you to the educator team and the programs available at your high school.

In high school, your child will have new academic requirements and opportunities, including:

planning their courses and individual pathway to earn their high school diploma
local programs available at the schools in your school board
job skills programs
volunteering, sports, extracurricular activities and clubs
planning for life after high school and their future career goals

During this time, your child is continuing to develop:

new social relationships with their friends and peers
new academic pressures and responsibilities
physical and emotional changes as they continue to grow and develop

Learn more about what to expect as your child starts high school and ways you can support them.

Starting at a new school

Starting at a new school can be a challenging time. To help your child adjust, you can:

maintain a positive attitude and reassure your child that it’s okay to feel nervous
communicate with your child about how they’re feeling and settling in
keep in touch with your child’s teachers to address any concerns

If your child is in elementary school or starting at a new school during the school year, you may wish to visit the school before your child’s first day to get familiar with the layout or environment.

If your child is starting at a new school during high school, you can reach out to the school about attending an orientation program.

Contact your child’s school to learn about any mentorship or buddy programs they may have for new students.

Getting ready to graduate

As your child gets ready to graduate from high school, they will be thinking about the next stage in their lives, such as:

postsecondary education and training
community living
joining the workplace

Your child will start to plan for what comes after high school as early as Grade 7. In high school, they will explore different opportunities through career planning tools and the courses they select.

Make sure your child has completed everything they need to get their diploma. This includes: