LifeREADY

Foundational Skills

Our Rationale

Elementary Programming is not governed by credit acquisition or the OSSD requirements. The focus is on meeting curriculum expectations within a nurturing, safe, productive, and caring learning environment.

An effective elementary program, along with a rich learning environment (referred to as programs), ensures academic growth and excellence. These programs include, but are not limited to, extracurriculars, student leadership and specific academic programs that outline how a school will achieve curriculum excellence.

We are proud to align our comprehensive and robust academic program with the underlying skill development required for success in every grade. We scaffold our skill development in an age-appropriate way based on our expertise in child and teen development, expansive understanding of the Ontario Curriculum, and our commitment to the InnovOak School Guarantee - we ensure your child is ready for their post-graduation choices. We start this work in JK because skill development and academic excellence develops over time. By working diligently and proactively toward this goal, we ensure that students are given the attention necessary to master the skills and no one falls behind.

Our unique organizational framework means that our school day and school year are designed to include additional time for academics, social and learning development and extra curricular activities.

The Framework

InnovOak teachers will teach all learning skills in the context of subjects in Junior and Middle School.  As well, each student will be assigned InnovOak’s Core Skill Development Program as a subject or class.  This subject will be used for time management, organization of the week, and to ensure that ICSD skills are discussed, explicitly taught, and intentionally practiced.  Teachers will devote time to a class discussion and develop appropriate ways for students to self-evaluate and monitor their personal progress. Progress will be reported on during student-led conferences and listed on both the progress and term reports in Junior and Middle school.  In Senior School, progress is reported on both midterm and final report cards.

Teachers will create real success criteria and learning goals that students will work towards each day.  This will involve creating success criteria, learning goals and grade specific rubrics as a class or within a division.  The students will learn what each skill is, its importance to their success and how to achieve it.  They will learn how to set goals to improve their focus and use of each skill, with these plans and goals becoming part of the student-led interview process in Lower and Middle School. 

Upper School teachers will expect that skill acquisition has been a long-term focus for students in Grade 9-12 and students have moved into refinement of skills during this time.  Teachers will review and reaffirm the skills needed for success when completing coursework, projects, and in preparation for exams.  They will also report on these skills as part of the InnovOak Honors Graduation Diploma. Teachers will explicitly teach, assess, and report on the following learning skills, many of which are transferable and interrelated:

The Skills We Focus On