Saskatchewan's cross-curricular competencies and broad areas of learning, explained for parents
The Saskatchewan Curriculum aims to help students become lifelong learners, build a sense of self and community, and become engaged citizens. These are the three broad areas of learning. Four cross-curricular competencies, which teachers weave into every subject, help students get there: developing thinking, developing identity and interdependence, developing literacies, and developing social responsibility. Teachers often comment on them separately from subject outcomes.
Developing Thinking
Understanding, questioning, problem solving and thinking creatively and critically.
Ideas for home
- Ask “What do you think will happen, and why?” before a game, a recipe or an experiment.
- When your child is stuck, ask what they have tried and what else they could try.
- Look for more than one way to solve the same problem and compare them.
Developing Identity and Interdependence
Understanding who you are, taking care of yourself and working well with others and the land.
Ideas for home
- Talk about family stories, traditions and languages.
- Let your child make age-appropriate choices and explain them.
- Spend time outdoors and talk about how people, animals and the land depend on each other.
Developing Literacies
Making sense of the world through language, numbers, images, technology and the arts.
Ideas for home
- Read together every day, and also read maps, recipes, signs and charts.
- Ask your child to explain a graph, a price or a game score in their own words.
- Draw, build or perform something to show what they learned.
Developing Social Responsibility
Taking part in the community, respecting differences and caring for the environment.
Ideas for home
- Help with a family or community job, such as a clean-up or a food drive.
- Talk about how a rule or a choice affects other people.
- Learn about the Treaties and the First Nations and Métis communities near you.
Common questions
What are the broad areas of learning?
There are three: lifelong learners, sense of self and community, and engaged citizens. They describe the big goals of a Saskatchewan education.
Are the competencies graded?
Teachers comment on them alongside the subject outcomes. How they are shown on a report card is up to each school division, so ask your child's teacher.
Do the competencies replace subjects?
No. They are woven into math, English language arts, science, social studies and the other subjects instead of being taught separately.
Does Gradelings measure the competencies?
No. Gradelings practises subject outcomes and shows how practice is going. The competencies grow through talk, projects and community, so we suggest home activities rather than scores.
How can I help if my child is working on one of them?
Ask the teacher for one specific example and one thing to try at home, then pick a single competency to focus on. Small, steady habits work better than trying to change everything at once.
Next: understand the Saskatchewan report card levels or browse all Saskatchewan parent guides. Gradelings practises subject skills; These competencies grow through everyday talk, projects, play and helping others.
Ready to try Gradelings?
Curriculum-matched practice for Kindergarten to Grade 9 in British Columbia and Ontario and Alberta and Saskatchewan, with kind hints, learning games and no ads. Free for 30 days, no card needed.