What your child learns in Grade 1 in Nova Scotia
Grade 1 is where reading, writing and number sense start to grow quickly. Children work with numbers to 20, patterns and shapes, and study the senses, materials, seasons and their community, including the Mi'kmaq.
Grade 1 subjects in the Nova Scotia Curriculum
Math
Big Ideas
- Number: Develop number sense.
- Patterns and Relations: Use patterns to describe the world and solve problems.
- Measurement: Use direct and indirect measurement to solve problems.
8 units, including numbers to 20, make 10, adding, take away.
English Language Arts
Big Ideas
- A1 Foundations of Language: Learners will apply listening, speaking, and non-verbal communication skills and strategies to understand and communicate meaning for various audiences, purposes, and contexts.
- A2 Foundations of Language: Learners will apply understanding of foundational language knowledge and skill when reading and writing.
- A3 Foundations of Language: Learners will apply knowledge of sentence structure, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation when reading and writing.
11 units, including blend it, short vowels, word families, sh, ch, th.
Science
Big Ideas
- Earth and Space Science: Daily and Seasonal Changes. Learners will analyse daily and seasonal change in the environment.
- Life Science: Needs of living things. Learners will analyse interconnectiveness of living things and the environment.
- Physical Science: Materials, objects, and devices. Learners will construct a device in response to a problem.
6 units, including sky & seasons, living things, animal survival, a healthy environment.
Social Studies
Big Ideas
- Investigate the diversity of cultural groups. Learners will investigate the diversity of cultural groups.
- Implement age-appropriate actions for responsible behaviour in caring for the environment. Learners will implement age-appropriate actions for responsible behaviour in caring for the environment.
- Investigate the locations of Mi’kmaq communities in Nova Scotia. Learners will investigate the locations of Mi’kmaq communities in Nova Scotia.
5 units, including different & alike, our land, needs & wants, maps.
French Immersion
Big Ideas
- French Immersion is first and foremost a language program: French is both the language students learn in and the language they learn.
- Early French Immersion begins in Primary and Late French Immersion in Grade 7, and both follow Français arts langagiers.
- Students listen, speak, read and write in French for real purposes and audiences.
7 units, including je me présente, majuscule et point, est-ce que…?, les verbes d'action.
What to look for on the report card
Look for comments on reading simple texts, writing a few sentences, counting and adding, and taking part in class.
Nova Scotia report cards describe learning with Needs development, Developing as expected, Well developed, Well developed and extending. See what each level means.
The Essential Graduation Competencies grow through every subject from Primary to Grade 12. Read about graduation competencies.
Ready for Grade 1?
Grade 1 builds on what your child practised in Kindergarten. If a skill feels shaky, a few short practice sessions before or early in the year can help:
- Math: count to 10, numbers to 20, see it fast, make 5 and 10, more, less, same
- English Language Arts: talk & listen, letter partners, first sounds, rhyme time, clap the beat
- Science: sand & water, my five senses, materials, push & pull, what living things need
- Social Studies: families, we belong, fair & kind, helpers & rules, celebrations in nova scotia
- French Immersion: bonjour et merci, mes premiers mots, les lettres, le son du début, les syllabes
Common questions
Grade 1 covers math, english language arts, science, social studies, french immersion in the Nova Scotia Curriculum. Grade 1 is where reading, writing and number sense start to grow quickly. Children work with numbers to 20, patterns and shapes, and study the senses, materials, seasons and their community, including the Mi'kmaq.
Nova Scotia report cards describe learning with Needs development, Developing as expected, Well developed, Well developed and extending.
Short, regular practice works better than long sessions: 10 to 15 minutes a few times a week, on the skills your child's teacher flags. Read together, use math in real life, and praise effort.
Practise Grade 1 skills with Gradelings
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