TVO Learn

What TVO Learn is

TVO Learn is a free learning site from TVO for families in Ontario. Its home page describes it as "an effective way to help your child explore learning that aligns with the Ontario curriculum, from Kindergarten to Grade 12," built from "straightforward, engaging and free resources you can trust." The site is run by The Ontario Educational Communications Authority (TVO), which the footer describes as a registered charity, and its math tutoring service, TVO Learn Mathify, is presented as brought to you by TVO Media Education Group, whose other services include TVO Today, TVOkids, TVO ILC and CAEC Testing.

Three promises frame the site. Resources are "Curriculum Aligned", selected by TVO's Ontario certified teachers to support the Grade 1-12 Ontario curriculum. They are "Free & Safe", with no hidden fees or online advertising, TVO developed and, the page says, Ontario Ministry of Education approved. And they are customizable, described as relevant, engaging, award-winning content that students enjoy, so a parent can choose what works for their child. The home page sums up what TVO Learn connects: Ontario's largest online high school, in TVO's own description; videos, games and content that reflect the Ontario curriculum; current affairs and documentaries; and 1:1 math tutoring for grades 4-12.

Resources by grade

The activity menu runs from Kindergarten through Grade 12, with an All Grades view, hand-picked collections, partnerships and games. For Kindergarten, the site offers learning activities "designed by Ontario educators to align with the Ontario Kindergarten program and support well-being in the early stages of childhood development."

For grades 1 to 8, parents choose their child's grade and then a subject. The page suggests two ways in: understand the curriculum requirements and use them to make a plan, or go straight to resources and activities to get a child learning now. Either way, the resources can be used on their own or alongside learning at school, online or at home, and they cover math, language, science, social studies and more. The aim, in the site's words, is to help a parent "understand what your child needs to learn and get started."

The Mathify FAQ gives a feel for the math activities on TVO Learn, with one example per grade: Exploring Repeating Patterns in Grade 4, Equivalent Fractions in Grade 5, Measuring Mass in Grade 6, Solving Equations in Grade 7, BEDMAS in Grade 8, Coding for Algorithms in Grade 9, The Sine Law in Grade 10, Functions and Applications in Grade 11, and Interpreting Data in Grade 12.

Featured activities change over time. Recent ones include resources built on the TVO Original Documentary "This Film is Garbage!", games and resources for letter recognition, and "Honouring Bravery", a collaboration with Canada Company about diverse heroes. A health and wellness section, "Active Body, Healthy Mind," adds resources on a child's wellbeing.

Study Hall for grades 9 to 12

High school students get Study Hall, a library of Grade 9-12 online English-language high school learning materials. Students can use a computer or tablet "to keep up with their learning or deepen understanding of a specific subject." All Study Hall content is developed by TVO Ontario Certified Teachers. The page is clear that "this content is not for credit": Study Hall supports a student's courses, it does not replace them. A banner adds that TVO Learn has introduced a new suite of hand-picked learning resources for grades 9-12.

The site also carries free support for Ontario's new financial literacy graduation requirement, in English and in French ("Condition en littératie financière"), and a For Teachers area with resources for educators.

Mathify: free 1:1 math tutoring

TVO Learn Mathify offers "FREE online math help for Ontario students in Grades 4-12," with tutoring by Ontario Certified Teachers. Students use it to get homework help, prepare for math tests, ask for clarity on math concepts and sketch problems visually.

Tutoring is drop-in. A student starts a session whenever they are ready, with no need to book in advance, and connects with an Ontario Certified Teacher for a 1:1 session. Tutors are online Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 9 PM ET, and Saturday to Sunday from 3 PM to 9 PM ET. During a session, students can switch between voice call and text-chat messaging.

The tools around the session are well thought out. An interactive, collaborative whiteboard lets a student add photos of their work and use built-in color, shape and text tools to prepare or model a question. A Question Bank, for students who are "not sure where to begin," offers hundreds of example questions aligned with the Ontario math curriculum for grades 4-12; a student can add one to the whiteboard and connect with a tutor about it. My Stuff keeps a record: students can watch recorded tutoring sessions, revisit chat messages, and save whiteboards to review and change later.

Safety gets its own section. Mathify uses anonymous usernames to guard privacy during sessions, and student and tutor feedback about every session is closely reviewed and monitored. The site says coaching by tutors reflects what students learn in class, and that Mathify is accessible 24/7 from any device and browser, in class, at home or in the library, though live tutors keep the hours above. It runs on desktop, tablet and mobile, with updated versions of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Safari recommended.

Mathify is completely free and features zero advertising, the FAQ says. All a student needs to create an account is an Ontario Education Number (OEN), and accounts can be created as a student or as an educator. The FAQ is also honest about outcomes: asked whether tutoring will raise grades, it says Mathify tutors "can help you build math confidence for your schoolwork now and in the future." The site says thousands of students across Ontario rely on it, and quotes students by grade and school board; a Grade 5 student writes, "I was able to talk with a real person in real time and I learned a lot today."

Staying in touch

Families can sign up for the TVO Learn newsletter, which the site says connects families to the Ontario K-12 curriculum, and a feedback form on every page asks whether the user is a learner, caregiver or educator. TVO Learn also posts on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

Who it suits

TVO Learn suits Ontario parents who want free, curriculum-matched activities from Kindergarten through Grade 8 without sorting through ads or subscriptions, and Ontario high school students who want extra explanation through Study Hall. Mathify is the standout for students in grades 4-12: live help from a certified teacher, on the same evening the homework is due, with no booking and no cost. Everything is built around the Ontario curriculum, and Mathify needs an OEN, so it serves students in Ontario's system rather than learners elsewhere.