Language Arts: Grade 1 students learn by listening and speaking, reading and writing, and viewing and representing ideas in different ways. Your child will see and use patterns, like rhyme and sounds, to learn new words, categorize ideas and understand basic story writing. In turn, they will be encouraged to share and interact with others in their own words.
Math: Grade 1 students:
count to 100 in different ways (e.g., skip-counting by 5s and 10s)
show, describe and compare quantities to 20
recognize groups of 1–10 objects at a glance
understand and apply strategies for addition facts up to and including 9 + 9 and related subtraction facts
recall addition facts to a sum of 5 and related subtraction facts
solve a problem and talk about how they did it and why
connect numbers to everyday life, such as while reading a story or solving problems that involve the number of people in their family
recognize and create repeating patterns
sort objects, using one characteristic, and explain the sorting rule
compare, sort and reproduce 2-D shapes and 3-D objects
use measurements to order and compare objects
Science: Students learn by watching and doing. Through inquiry and problem solving, they discover the environment in which they live and play, and their role in it. In Grade 1 Science, your child will explore colours, how they can be mixed and how they can be transferred to different materials, and they’ll explore the pattern of seasons, how the five senses are used to gather information and what plants and animals need in order to live and grow. Your child will recognize the components that make up objects, and they’ll problem solve, using common materials, to build their own objects.
Social Studies: Your Grade 1 child will discover the importance of strong communities. They’ll consider their own growth and how they are affected by community members. They’ll see the many aspects of communities, including community history, and explore your family history. Your child will accept and identify with those around them, while growing to understand their own responsibilities as an individual.
Art: In the Grade 1 Art program, your child will draw and paint and explore printmaking, sculpture, fabric arts, photography and computer graphics. They will interpret and communicate with visual symbols, appreciate the cultural aspects of art, and relate art to their life. Through reflection, depiction, composition and expression, they will notice that objects have form and function and they will develop unique decorative styles for their creations.
Health: Your child will understand why it is important to have good health habits, such as taking care of their teeth, washing their hands and eating healthy snacks. They’ll learn how some things around the house can be dangerous to them. Through their interactions, they’ll see that they can express their feelings in ways that sometimes can be good and that sometimes hurt others. Your child will also discover their own skills and interests, seeing that not everyone is the same.
Physical Education: Your child will participate in dance, games, gymnastics, individual physical activities and activities outside of school, such as aquatics and outdoor pursuits. Through active and safe participation, they will understand what an active lifestyle involves and how their physical and emotional health will benefit from physical activity. Your child will also discover how positive interactions, through fair play, leadership and teamwork, make physical activity more fun and productive.
Music: Your Grade 1 child will listen to, make and move to music. They will describe the sounds around them and explore beats and rhythms. Through simple action songs and singing games (where students might sing alone or in a group), by following stories told by music, and by using rhythm instruments, they will begin to understand how music can express feelings. Your child will also add their own sounds and rhythms to poems, stories and songs.