Students in Ajax and across Durham Region are being screened for reading development as the Durham Catholic District School Board expands the use of standardized literacy assessments in its junior and intermediate classrooms.
Junior and intermediate educators across the board are using universal reading screeners, including Acadience and DIBELS, to better understand how students' reading is developing, according to the Durham Catholic District School Board.
The assessments give teachers detailed information about three core areas of reading: accuracy, fluency and comprehension. That picture of each student allows educators to flag children who may benefit from additional support.
How the results are used
The board says the screening results are used to guide classroom instruction, helping teachers tailor lessons to where each student is in their reading development.
They also help ensure students who are struggling receive timely interventions. The goal, according to the board, is to strengthen reading skills and support student success across all areas of learning, not just in language class.
Why it matters for Ajax families
Reading proficiency in the junior and intermediate grades is closely tied to how students handle work in every other subject, since textbooks, assignments and tests all depend on it. Catching gaps early — before students move into high school — gives educators a window to intervene while there is still time to close them.
The screeners are universal, meaning they are administered to all students in the participating grades rather than only to those already showing difficulty. That approach can surface students whose struggles might otherwise go unnoticed in a busy classroom.
Families with children in Durham Catholic schools can expect the information from these assessments to inform the instruction and interventions their children receive this school year. The board has not released specific results or said which grades are covered at individual Ajax schools.
Parents with questions about how the screeners apply to their child can contact their school directly, according to the Durham Catholic District School Board.
