About the Author
This study was conducted by Jammie Cole, an undergraduate student, as part of the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education Honours Degree Program at Brock University.
After working 12 years as an educational assistant, Jammie returned to post-secondary studies to obtain a Degree in Early Childhood Education in pursuit of her Bachelor of Education (attending in Fall 2026 at Trent University).
Positionality Statement
My experience with literacy development, including struggles with reading, comprehension, and fluency, prompted this research. I adapted Musgrave’s (2025) and Brookfield’s (1998) autobiographical lenses, which reflect on lived experiences, emotional ties, assumptions, and biases related to the research.
When researching primary school teachers’ views on Ontario’s literacy curriculum, I acknowledge that my own perspective and experiences influenced this study and its findings.
Furthermore, I am a white female in my late thirties with firsthand experience of the inconsistency and lack of support in previous curricula since starting my academic journey in 1990. The OHRC (2022) R2R report findings align with my experiences in Ontario’s school system and the challenges I faced in elementary and secondary school.
I aimed to understand my strengths and weaknesses, expand my knowledge of literacy development to support others, and advocate for educating parents about reading development.
Lived Experiences Lens
My lived experiences come from my struggles with literacy throughout elementary school and continued into my adult life. Now I see my daughter facing those same challenges, along with my adult diagnosis and educating myself on dyslexia, I understand how to support and advocate for her. My passion for understanding literacy development stemmed from my struggles and has motivated me to advocate for effective literacy programs to ensure students receive the support they need to succeed.
Emotional Lens
My emotional connection has driven me to learn and understand the effectiveness of the current Ontario Literacy Curriculum. Because of my own struggles, I empathize with students who face similar challenges and are afraid to speak up and advocate for their own education. My daughter’s literacy struggles have encouraged me to learn better ways to support her and to make a personal commitment to improving literacy education. I want to be a teacher who empathizes with my students facing challenges and aims to amplify their voices without judgment.
Assumptions Lens
As an individual who has lived through the struggles of developing foundational literacy skills, I understand that I bring certain assumptions to the central topics of literacy development, curriculum, and the effectiveness of these teachings in the classroom. I recognize that early intervention and structured literacy programs are essential for literacy development, as are advances in technology and teaching methods. Still, I remain open to perspectives that challenge or reinforce my views.
Biases Lens
As a researcher, I recognize my preference for structured literacy approaches and for gaining insight through mixed-methods research. In conducting my research, I aimed to mitigate my bias by using objective data analysis tools and maintaining transparency about my personal preferences and experiences.
Page References
Brookfield, S. (1998). Critically reflective practice. The Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 18(4), 197–205. https://doi.org/10.1002/chp.1340180402
Musgrave, J. (2025). Doing reflexivity in educational research: identifying perspectives to inform positionality. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 48(2),
183–193. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2024.2358782
Ontario Human Rights Commission. (2022). Right to read: Public inquiry into human rights issues affecting students with reading disabilities. Government of Ontario.