It’s clear that students with higher needs belong in French Immersion. But, it is also clear that reading difficulties tend to be an important reason that students leave the program. This is no surprise, as reading is “arguably the most essential skill for success in all educational contexts” and remains “of paramount importance”. Naturally, parents and teachers worry when their children or students are struggling to learn how to read. This brings us to the question: How can we help all...

Do children with learning disabilities (LDs) and other learning challenges belong in French Immersion? In education, we often talk about equity through the lenses of race, religion, gender, socioeconomic status, or ability. These conversations matter deeply.But one equity issue that is rarely discussed — and yet affects every part of a child’s academic life — is equitable access to high-quality reading instruction . And in French Immersion (FI), this gap becomes even more visible. Many...

In 2012, the Supreme Court of Canada determined that learning to read is a basic and critically important human right. Ten years later, the Ontario Human Rights Commission published the Right to Read  Inquiry Report, in which Ontario was given a failing grade for reading instruction. Over one million children in Canada are estimated to be “below grade level” in reading. Despite decades of research outlining best practices in early literacy instruction, the Ontario curriculum—and, as a...