The Ontario Grade 1 math curriculum: what your child learns

Your child reads and writes numbers up to 50, breaks them apart (25 is 20 and 5, or 10, 10 and 5), and compares and orders them. They estimate how many objects are in a pile and count to check, and count by 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s. They learn the addition facts to 10 and the matching subtraction facts, and add and subtract with totals up to 50, using objects, drawings and number sentences. Fractions start with fair sharing between 2 or 4 people: one half is the same as two fourths, and the more people share one thing, the smaller each share gets.

Typical homework, with a hint

What your child learns in Number

• Reading numbers to 50B1.1

  Reads numbers up to 50, shows them in different ways, and talks about where numbers are used in daily life.

• Breaking apart numbers to 50B1.2

  Breaks numbers up to 50 into parts and puts them back together (like 23 as 20 and 3), with different tools and strategies, in different situations.

• Comparing numbers to 50B1.3

  Compares numbers up to 50 and puts them in order, in different situations.

• Estimating and counting objectsB1.4

  Estimates how many objects are in a group of up to 50, then counts to check the estimate.

• Skip counting to 50B1.5

  Counts up to 50 by ones, and skip counts by 2s, 5s and 10s, using different tools and strategies.

• Fair sharing with drawingsB1.6

  Uses drawings to solve fair-sharing problems with 2 or with 4 people sharing, where 1 or 2 are left over.

• Halves and fourthsB1.7

  Learns that, when a whole is shared fairly, two fourths of it is the same amount as one half.

• Comparing unit fractionsB1.8

  Uses drawings to compare and order the pieces you get when one whole is shared by different numbers of people (up to 10), such as one half, one third or one fourth.

• Adding and subtracting togetherB2.1

  Uses how adding and subtracting work, and how they undo each other, to solve problems and check answers.

• Adding facts to 10B2.2

  Knows the addition facts up to 10 by heart, and the subtraction facts that go with them.

• Mental math to 20B2.3

  Adds and subtracts in their head, including estimating, when the numbers add up to 20 or less, and explains how they did it.

• Adding and subtracting to 50B2.4

  Uses objects, drawings and number sentences to show and solve adding and subtracting situations where the numbers add up to 50 or less.

• Equal groupsB2.5

  Uses tools and drawings to solve equal-group problems with 10 items or fewer in total, including problems where each group is a half.

Patterns are a big part of Grade 1: spotting them in everyday life, making them with sounds, movements, objects, shapes and numbers, and using the rule to say what comes next or what’s missing. Kids notice what changes and what stays the same, decide whether two number sentences are equal (is 4 + 3 the same as 5 + 2?), and write, read and change simple code where the steps happen in order.

Typical homework, with a hint

What your child learns in Algebra

• Spotting patternsC1.1

  Finds and describes what repeats or stays regular in different patterns, including patterns in everyday life.

• Making patternsC1.2

  Makes patterns with movements, sounds, objects, shapes, letters and numbers, and shows the same pattern in a different form.

• Pattern rules and predictionsC1.3

  Works out the rule of a pattern and uses it to continue the pattern, predict what comes next (and explain why), and find missing pieces.

• Number patterns to 50C1.4

  Makes and describes patterns that show how numbers up to 50 are related.

• Things that changeC2.1

  Spots amounts in everyday life that can change and amounts that always stay the same.

• Equal or not equalC2.2

  Decides whether two adding or subtracting expressions are equal or not, such as 3 + 4 and 5 + 2.

• Equal relationshipsC2.3

  Finds and uses different ways of writing the same amount for numbers up to 50, in different situations.

• Writing codeC3.1

  Writes and runs simple code to solve problems and show math situations, including code where the steps happen one after another in order.

• Reading and changing codeC3.2

  Reads and changes existing code, including code with steps in order, and describes how the changes affect what happens.

Math modelling (C4): Turns a real-life situation into math (a model) to represent it, analyse it, make predictions and understand it better.

Kids sort things by one attribute (like colour, size or shape) and explain their sorting rule. They ask a simple question, like “what’s your favourite fruit?”, keep track of the answers with tally marks, and show the results in a concrete graph (made with real objects) or a pictograph with a title and labels. They put categories in order from most to least, and use the words impossible, possible and certain to talk about chance.

Typical homework, with a hint

What your child learns in Data

• Sorting by one attributeD1.1

  Sorts data about people or things by one feature, and explains the sorting rule.

• Collecting data in talliesD1.2

  Collects data by watching, trying things out and asking people, to answer a question about one piece of information; records it their own way; and organizes it in a tally table.

• Concrete graphs and pictographsD1.3

  Shows data in concrete graphs (with real objects) and pictographs, one object or picture for each item, with a title, labels and where the data came from.

• Ordering data categoriesD1.4

  Puts data categories in order from most to least, using tally tables, concrete graphs and pictographs.

• Analysing dataD1.5

  Asks and answers questions about data shown in tally tables, concrete graphs and pictographs, draws conclusions, and uses them to back up arguments and make good decisions.

• Impossible, possible, certainD2.1

  Uses the words “impossible”, “possible” and “certain” to describe how likely something is to happen, and uses that to make predictions and decisions.

• Predicting with dataD2.2

  Predicts, then tests, whether data from one group of people will come out the same as data from another group of the same size.

Your child sorts 2D shapes and 3D objects (like cubes, cones and cylinders) by one attribute at a time, builds with blocks, spots flat shapes inside buildings and objects, and finds shapes with matching halves. They use position words (above, below, beside, behind) and give and follow directions from one place to another. In measurement, they compare everyday objects by length, area, mass and capacity (which is longer, heavier, or holds more), and read the date on a calendar to talk about days, weeks, months and seasons.

Typical homework, with a hint

What your child learns in Spatial Sense

• Sorting shapesE1.1

  Sorts 3D objects and 2D shapes by one feature at a time, and names the sorting rule being used.

• Building 3D objectsE1.2

  Builds 3D objects, and finds the 2D shapes that make up buildings and other objects.

• Matching halvesE1.3

  Builds and describes 2D shapes and 3D objects whose two halves match.

• Position wordsE1.4

  Uses position words (like above, beside and behind) to describe where objects or people are.

• Giving directionsE1.5

  Gives and follows directions to move from one place to another.

• Things we can measureE2.1

  Names what can be measured about 2D shapes and 3D objects: length, area, mass, capacity and angle.

• Comparing objects by sizeE2.2

  Compares several everyday objects and puts them in order by length, area, mass and capacity.

• Reading a calendarE2.3

  Reads the date on a calendar, and uses a calendar to find days, weeks, months, holidays and seasons.

In Grade 1, money is about knowing Canadian coins and bills: naming the coins up to 50¢ and the coins and bills up to $50, and comparing what they’re worth. A fun surprise for many kids: a dime is smaller than a nickel but worth more.

Typical homework, with a hint

What your child learns in Financial Literacy

• Canadian coins and billsF1.1

  Recognizes Canadian coins worth up to 50¢ and bills and coins worth up to $50, and tells which is worth more.

The Ontario curriculum also has a strand A that runs through all the others. It’s about how kids approach math: managing frustration, keeping at a hard problem, and using the mathematical processes (such as problem solving, reasoning, connecting, representing and communicating). It has no homework of its own, but it’s exactly what a patient, hint-based tutor helps build.

How to help with Grade 1 math at home

• Count everything together: stairs, grapes, cars on a walk. Then try counting by 2s, 5s and 10s.
• Keep fingers, buttons or blocks handy for adding and subtracting. Grade 1 kids learn by touching and moving things.
• Make the facts to 10 a game: “I’m holding up 6 fingers. How many more make 10?”
• Share snacks fairly and talk about halves and fourths when there’s one left over.
• Sort a handful of coins by kind and talk about which coin is worth the most.
• Point out patterns in clothes, songs and the days of the week.

More ideas: how to help with math homework without giving the answer.

How Astuzo helps with Grade 1 math

Grade 1 homework is mostly hands-on, so Spark keeps it short and friendly. It reads each question aloud, asks one small question at a time, and suggests counting on fingers or with things you have at home. A whole page of addition facts can be checked from one photo.

You set your child’s grade once, and Spark pitches every hint at that level. You get a short email each evening they use it, showing what they worked on. See how Astuzo works.