The Ontario Grade 8 math curriculum: what your child learns

Your child represents very large and very small numbers, including in scientific notation, and compares and orders rational and irrational numbers. They estimate and calculate square roots and recall common squares, multiply and divide by powers of ten in their head, and use fractions, decimals and percents flexibly, including percents above 100% and below 1%. Operations now include multiplying and dividing integers, multiplying and dividing fractions by fractions, whole numbers and mixed numbers, and finding unknown values in proportional situations.

Typical homework, with a hint

What your child learns in Number

• Scientific notationB1.1

  Shows and compares very large and very small numbers, including with scientific notation (like 3.2 × 10⁶), and talks about where such numbers are used in daily life.

• Rational and irrational numbersB1.2

  Describes, compares and orders real numbers, both rational (can be written as a fraction) and irrational (like √2 or π), on their own and mixed together, in different situations.

• Estimating square rootsB1.3

  Estimates and works out square roots, in different situations.

• Using percents flexiblyB1.4

  Switches freely between fractions, decimals and percents, including percents over 100% or under 1%, to solve different kinds of problems.

• Order of operationsB2.1

  Uses how the operations work, the order of operations and how operations relate to solve problems with rational numbers, ratios, rates and percents, including problems with several steps or operations.

• Squares and square rootsB2.2

  Understands and remembers common square numbers and their square roots (like 144 and 12).

• Multiplying by powers of tenB2.3

  Multiplies and divides whole numbers and decimals to thousandths by powers of ten (10, 100, 1000…) in their head, and explains the strategies.

• Adding and subtracting integersB2.4

  Adds and subtracts integers (positive and negative numbers) with suitable strategies, in different situations.

• Adding and subtracting fractionsB2.5

  Adds and subtracts fractions with suitable strategies, in different situations.

• Multiplying and dividing fractionsB2.6

  Multiplies and divides fractions by other fractions, by whole numbers and by mixed numbers, in different situations.

• Multiplying and dividing integersB2.7

  Multiplies and divides integers with suitable strategies, in different situations.

• Proportional reasoningB2.8

  Compares proportional situations, finds missing values in them, and uses proportional reasoning to solve problems in different situations.

Kids compare linear patterns that grow or shrink by their constant rate and starting value, and write them with algebraic expressions and equations involving rational numbers. They add and subtract like terms, add binomials (like (2x + 3) + (x − 5)), evaluate expressions with fractions, decimals and integers, solve equations with several terms, integers and decimals, and solve and graph inequalities with integers. In coding, they write and change code that analyses data to help make decisions.

Typical homework, with a hint

What your child learns in Algebra

• Comparing linear patternsC1.1

  Finds and compares repeating, growing and shrinking patterns, including patterns in everyday life, and compares linear growing and shrinking patterns by their starting value and how much they change each step.

• Patterns as expressionsC1.2

  Makes repeating, growing and shrinking patterns with rational numbers, shows them in different ways, and writes linear growing and shrinking patterns as algebraic expressions and equations.

• Pattern rules and unknownsC1.3

  Works out pattern rules for growing and shrinking patterns with rational numbers to continue them, predict what comes next (and explain why) and find missing pieces, and uses an algebraic rule to find unknown values in linear patterns.

• Rational number patternsC1.4

  Makes and describes patterns that show how rational numbers are related.

• Adding monomials and binomialsC2.1

  Uses tools to add and subtract simple algebra terms with one variable, and to add two-term expressions with integers (like (2x + 3) + (x − 5)).

• Evaluating expressionsC2.2

  Works out the value of algebraic expressions with rational numbers (fractions, decimals and integers).

• Solving equationsC2.3

  Solves equations with several terms, integers and decimals (like 3x − 4 = x + 2.6) in different situations, and checks the answer.

• Solving inequalitiesC2.4

  Solves inequalities with integers, checks the answers, and shows them on a number line.

• Coding with dataC3.1

  Writes and runs code to solve problems and show math situations, including code that analyses data to help make and explain decisions.

• Reading and changing codeC3.2

  Reads and changes existing code that analyses data to help make and explain decisions, and describes how the changes affect what happens and how efficiently the code runs.

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

Kids learn when a question needs one variable (like everyone’s height) or two (like height and arm span), collect two-variable data in tables of values, and display it in scatter plots. They describe the relationship as strong, weak or none, and positive or negative, with and without outliers, make infographics, and question misleading graphs. Probability problems use Venn and tree diagrams, and kids compare theoretical and experimental results for several independent or dependent events.

Typical homework, with a hint

What your child learns in Data

• One- and two-variable dataD1.1

  Tells apart situations that need data about one variable (like height) from ones that need data about two (like height and arm span), and explains when each is needed.

• Tables of valuesD1.2

  Collects measured data about two variables to answer questions, and organizes it in a suitable way in a table of values.

• Scatter plotsD1.3

  Picks the best type of graph for a set of data, including scatter plots, gives it a title, labels, a suitable scale and the data source, and explains why that graph fits.

• Making infographicsD1.4

  Makes an infographic that tells the story of a data set, using tables, scatter plots and any other useful information.

• Describing relationships in dataD1.5

  Describes how two variables are related as “strong”, “weak”, “none”, “positive” or “negative”, for data sets with and without outliers (values far from the rest).

• Analysing dataD1.6

  Questions data shown in scatter plots and other ways, spots graphs that mislead, challenges assumptions, draws conclusions, and uses them to back up arguments and make good decisions.

• Venn and tree diagramsD2.1

  Solves different probability problems with suitable tools and strategies, including Venn diagrams and tree diagrams.

• Theoretical and experimental probabilityD2.2

  Works out and compares what should happen (theoretical probability) and what does happen in experiments (experimental probability) for several independent events and for several dependent events.

Geometry covers tessellations, building models from top, front, side and perspective views, scale drawings, and translations, reflections, rotations and dilations on a coordinate grid. Measurement includes very large and very small metric units (mega, giga and tera; micro, nano and pico), angle properties of intersecting and parallel lines and of polygons, the perimeter, area, volume and surface area of composite shapes and objects, and the Pythagorean theorem.

Typical homework, with a hint

What your child learns in Spatial Sense

• TessellationsE1.1

  Describes the properties of shapes that tile a surface with no gaps or overlaps (tessellate), and names the slides, flips and turns that happen in the tiling.

• Building from viewsE1.2

  Builds objects and models to a suitable scale from their top, front and side views, or from perspective views.

• Scale drawingsE1.3

  Uses scale drawings to work out real lengths and areas, and redraws scale drawings at different ratios.

• Transformations on a gridE1.4

  Describes and carries out slides, flips, turns and enlargements or reductions (dilations) on a coordinate grid, and predicts where a shape will end up.

• Very large, small unitsE2.1

  Shows very large metric units (mega, giga, tera) and very small ones (micro, nano, pico) with models, powers of ten and exponents.

• Angle propertiesE2.2

  Solves problems with angle properties, including angles formed by intersecting lines and by parallel lines, and angles in polygons.

• Composite shapes and objectsE2.3

  Solves problems about combined 2D shapes and 3D objects, finding their perimeter, circumference, area, volume or surface area with suitable formulas.

• Pythagorean theoremE2.4

  Uses geometric models to describe the Pythagorean relationship (a² + b² = c²), and uses the theorem to find a missing side of a right triangle.

Financial literacy in Grade 8 covers paying in other currencies, making a financial plan for a long-term goal (including income, expenses and taxes), keeping a balanced budget, how simple and compound interest grow, getting more value for money with sales and loyalty programs, and comparing credit cards by interest rate, annual fee and rewards.

Typical homework, with a hint

What your child learns in Financial Literacy

• Paying with other currenciesF1.1

  Describes some pros and cons of different ways to pay when more than one currency and exchange rates are involved.

• Financial plansF1.2

  Plans how to reach a long-term money goal, taking income, expenses and taxes into account.

• Balanced budgetsF1.3

  Names ways to keep a budget balanced, and uses suitable tools to track all money coming in and going out, in several situations.

• Simple and compound interestF1.4

  Uses digital tools to work out how money grows with simple and compound interest at different rates, and explains why interest matters for long-term planning.

• Getting value for moneyF1.5

  Compares ways shoppers can get more for their money, such as sales, loyalty programs and other rewards, and picks the best choice for different situations.

• Comparing credit cardsF1.6

  Compares credit cards and consumer contracts by their interest rates, yearly fees and rewards, to find the best value and best choice for different situations.

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 8 math at home

• Ask for an estimate first: is √50 closer to 7 or to 8? Will the answer be positive or negative?
• Neat, one-step-per-line work matters more than ever. It makes a sign error easy to spot and fix.
• Look at real data together, like sports stats or a phone bill. Is there a relationship? Is the graph fair?
• Talk about real money decisions: a phone plan, a credit card offer, a savings goal with interest.
• Use a calculator or spreadsheet for interest and big data sets, then ask whether the result makes sense.
• Integers, equations and proportional reasoning are the base for high school math, so they’re worth getting solid this year.

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

How Astuzo helps with Grade 8 math

Grade 8 problems are long and layered, and one sign error early on can spoil the whole answer. Spark goes step by step, asks your child to check each line, and points them back to where things went off track without solving it for them. It’s good practice for working independently in high school.

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.