leerlijn

Leerlijn, literally "learning line" in Dutch educational discourse, denotes a structured description of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that learners are expected to acquire within a subject area over time. It describes progression from simpler to more complex concepts and is aligned with a curriculum or national/regional standards. A leerlijn typically includes learning outcomes, core concepts, progression milestones, common misconceptions, suggested instructional activities, and criteria for assessment.

In practice, leerlijnen connect content across grades or topics to ensure that new learning builds on prior knowledge and that students are prepared for subsequent stages. They can be subdivided into sub-leerlijnen for specific domains or competencies (for example language, mathematics, or science) and are used to guide planning, teaching, and formative assessment. While rooted in policy, leerlijnen are adapted by teachers to reflect local context and pupil needs.

Benefits include clearer expectations for students and teachers, curriculum coherence, and better targeted differentiation and intervention. They support progression tracking and smoother transitions between grade levels. Challenges involve maintaining flexibility to address diverse learning pathways, avoiding overly rigid sequencing, and keeping leerlijnen updated in response to evolving standards and new evidence about learning.

Example: a leerlijn for reading might start with recognizing letters and sounds, then move to decoding and fluency, followed by comprehension strategies, vocabulary development, and critical reading, with explicit assessment checkpoints at each stage.

See also: curriculum, learning outcomes, assessment, didactics.