More on the unique learning style of Aboriginal students....

This principle requires action by fostering and supporting the Aboriginal student in their learning environment. It requires a change and commitment to the pedagogical transformation of the classroom. The learning styles of the Aboriginal student are unique and their school success is dependent upon educators teaching differently. Hilberg and Tharp (2002) have identified that Aboriginal students lean towards a) a holistic style of education (learning from whole to part), b) the use of a variety of visual organizers (multitude of hands on manipulatives – agenda maps), c) a reflective mode of learning (have adequate time to complete tasks & answer questions) and d) a preference for collaborative tasks (group and pair work in safe classroom environments that ‘honour who they are’). These unique aspects of the Aboriginal student and their preferences for learning need to be present in their day to day activities. This is ‘how’ Aboriginal student success can be achieved. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/research/toulouse.pdf
My question is, does the curriculum allow for this type of adaptions in all the disciplines when teachers have to teach to the objectives from the curriculum guides? When and how will they learn to read if teachers' hands are tied with time contraints and unit objectives that does not allow for any type of modifications to suit students' needs? I teach in an Aboriginal setting, where the majority of the students are First Nations. I am experiencing difficulties getting my English 20 students to read a novel from front cover to back cover. Did these same students pass grade 10 English without having finished a complete novel? When did the "motivation" to read end for these students? In what grade?