Beginning in the 2026/27 school year, schools are required to conduct literacy and numeracy screenings to all kindergarten to grade 5 children and students.

Literacy and numeracy are essential skills that develop in the critical early years of education. These foundational skills ensure success in later years of a student's education and in later life. Screening children’s and students’ learning in literacy and numeracy in their early years provides critical information to teachers, parents, and Alberta Education and Childcare to help children and students get additional support if they need it.

Kindergarten screenings occur only in the Winter, while screenings for all students in grades 1 to 3 occur in both the Fall and Winter, with a Spring screening required for students identified as requiring additional supports from the Winter screening. Students in grades 4 and 5 are required to be screened in the Fall with an additional re-screening in Spring for those who required additional supports.

School staff share literacy and numeracy screening results with parents following the screenings. Results from the literacy and numeracy screenings are intended to help teachers identify and address gaps in their kindergarten children’s and grades 1 to 5 students’ foundational understandings of literacy and numeracy.

A Quick Facts for Parents/Guardians is available on the Alberta Education and Childcare Literacy and Numeracy Screening website.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely, 

Alexandra Caso-Gustafson

Principal, Colonel Sanders School