Ontario doesn’t teach sight words any more.

• Grades 1–6 report achievement as letter grades (A+ through D−), not percentages. Percentages begin in Grade 7.
• R indicates achievement below Level 1 and signals that remedial measures are needed.
• Three reports a year: a Progress Report in the fall (no grades — just Progressing Very Well / Well / With Difficulty), then Term 1 and Term 2 report cards with letter grades.

• Knowledge and Understanding — what the student knows and comprehends
• Thinking — planning, processing, critical and creative thinking
• Communication — expressing and organising ideas for different audiences and purposes
• Application — transferring knowledge and skills to familiar and unfamiliar contexts

The seven transferable skills

• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship
• Self-directed learning
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Global citizenship and sustainability
• Digital literacy

Social-emotional learning

Indigenous perspectives

Time and programme requirements

• 300 minutes of instructional time per school day
• 20 minutes of sustained moderate-to-vigorous Daily Physical Activity during instructional time
• All six subjects are mandatory in Grade 1. Core French begins in Grade 4.

What A2 covers at Grade 1

• Digital citizenship — understand that words and images shared online reach real people, and that kindness applies online as it does in person
• Online safety, well-being and etiquette — know not to share personal information (full name, address, school, phone number); know to tell a trusted adult if something online makes them uncomfortable; understand basic limits on screen time
• Research and information literacy — with support, find simple information using digital tools; begin to understand that not everything they see is true
• Forms, conventions and techniques — recognise different kinds of digital and media texts (a video, a photo, a website, an advertisement, a game) and identify who made them and why
• Media, audience and production — understand that a text’s form, its message and who it’s for are connected; a poster for children looks different from one for adults
• Innovation and design — use simple digital and media tools to work through a design process and make something
• Community and cultural awareness — communicate and collaborate using digital tools with awareness of different cultures and communities

Listening

• Listen attentively to an adult or peer for a sustained period without interrupting
• Follow multi-step oral directions (two to three steps) accurately
• Use active listening behaviours appropriate to their culture and context — facing the speaker, staying still, nodding, waiting for a pause
• Show they understood by responding on topic, retelling, or asking a relevant question

Speaking

• Speak clearly enough to be understood by an unfamiliar adult
• Use volume, pace and tone appropriate to the setting
• Contribute relevantly to whole-class and small-group discussions
• Take turns, build on what someone else said, and disagree politely
• Retell a story or personal experience in sequence with enough detail for a listener to follow
• Ask questions to get information or to clear up confusion
• Use new vocabulary learned in other subjects when talking
• Give a short oral presentation or “sharing” to the class

Non-verbal

• Use and read facial expression, gesture, posture and eye contact appropriately
• Recognise that non-verbal signals carry meaning and that norms vary across cultures

• Blend spoken sounds into words, including words with up to five phonemes — /sh/ /o/ /p/ → shop; /s/ /p/ /l/ /i/ /t/ → split
• Segment spoken words into individual sounds, up to five phonemes — CVC words (wish → /w/ /i/ /sh/); blends CCVC (stop) and CVCC (hand)
• Split a multisyllabic word into syllables, then segment each syllable into its sounds
• Work fluently with both continuous sounds (/m/, /s/, /f/ — can be held) and stop sounds (/p/, /t/, /k/ — cannot be held)

Consolidated from Kindergarten

• All single consonants, including s as /s/ (sat) and /z/ (has)
• Consonant digraphs: ch, ck, sh, th (as in thick), wh
• All five short vowels: /a/ /i/ /o/ /u/ /e/

New in Grade 1

• Phonograms with -ll: -all, -oll, -ull (ball, roll, full)
• Consonant patterns: ph, nk, soft c, soft g
• VCe (silent e) patterns — and the exceptions (have, give, come)
• Long vowels in VCC words: -ild, -old, -ind, -olt, -ost (mild, cold, find, colt, most)
• Single-letter long vowels: y = /ī/, i = /ī/, e = /ē/
• Consonant + -le words (bundle, table, little)
• R-controlled vowels: ar, or, ore, er, ir, ur
• Long vowel teams: ai, ay = /ā/ · ee, ea, ey = /ē/ · oa, ow, oe = /ō/ · ie, igh = /ī/ · oo, u = /o͞o/ · oo = /ū/ · ew, ui, ue = /ū/
• Broad o: au, aw, augh = /ô/
• Variable ea: = /ē/ (eat), /ā/ (great), /e/ (head)
• Air sounds: air, are, ear = /air/
• Diphthongs: oi, oy = /oi/ · ou, ow = /ow/
• Silent letter combinations: kn = /n/, wr = /r/, mb = /m/

Applying phonics knowledge

• Read and spell CVC, CCVC, CVCC, CCVCC and CVCe words built from taught patterns — cat, stop, hand, stomp, cake
• When reading: identify each grapheme, produce its phoneme, and blend them
• When spelling: identify each phoneme heard, and represent it with a grapheme
• For multisyllabic words: find the vowels, split into syllables, blend each syllable, then blend the whole word

Applying orthographic knowledge

• Understand that one sound can be spelled multiple ways, and choose between them by position in the word
• -ck is the usual spelling for /k/ after a short vowel at the end of a one-syllable word (duck, back)
• Use k before e, i, y; c before other letters
• Final consonant sounds after a short vowel: -tch = /ch/ (match), -dge = /j/ (bridge), and the FLSZ (“Floss”) rule — double the f, l, s, z (off, bell, miss, buzz)
• The I-J-U-V rule — these letters don’t normally end an English word; words ending in /v/ end with e (have, love, give)
• Positional choices: ai vs. ay; oi vs. oy; ou vs. ow
• Plurals: -s vs. -es, plus irregular plurals (knife → knives, foot → feet, potato → potatoes; and unchanging: moose, deer, fish)
• Suffix spelling changes: doubling for -ed/-ing (hop → hopping) and -er/-est (big → bigger); drop the -e (bake → baking); change -y to -i (happy → happier)

Applying morphological knowledge

• Understand that words have a base that carries meaning, and that prefixes and suffixes change it
• Prefixes: un–, re–, in– (meaning “not”), dis–
• Suffixes: –ing, –er/–or, –est, –ly (plus –s, –es, –ed from earlier)
• Apply the three suffixing patterns: doubling, e-drop, y→i
• Know and apply the three sounds of -ed: /t/ (jumped), /d/ (played), /ĭd/ (wanted)
• Recognise that -s can sound like /s/ (cats) or /z/ (dogs)
• Build and break apart compound words (note + book = notebook)

Words with irregularities

• Understand that most “tricky” words are only partly irregular
• Decode and spell the regular parts using phonics, then memorise only the unexpected portion — in what, the wh and t are regular and the vowel is memorised; in put, /p/ and /t/ are regular and the u has an unexpected pronunciation
• Read high-frequency irregular words accurately and quickly

• Learn new words by linking them to words and concepts they already know
• Sort, categorise and classify words by meaning — then sort into subcategories (foods → fruits / vegetables / grains)
• Recognise that some words have multiple meanings, sometimes across parts of speech (rocks the noun vs. rocks the verb)
• Give a definition that includes a category and an example — “Happy is a feeling. You feel happy when you see your friend.”
• Understand antonyms for everyday attributes, position, size, age, time and quantity (yesterday–tomorrow, first–last, cool–warm, above–beneath)
• Begin to understand synonyms, and that near-synonyms differ in degree, sitting on a scale (jog / sprint / run; freezing / cold / cool / warm / hot / scalding)
• Figure out an unfamiliar word by looking outside it (context, examples, synonyms, antonyms) and looking inside it (word parts)
• Notice when they don’t understand a word — and say so, and ask
• Learn and use Tier 2 academic vocabulary explicitly taught across subjects (compare, describe, observe, predict, sort)

• Name letters and produce grapheme sounds accurately and automatically
• Read single words accurately and effortlessly, based on learned letter-sound patterns and learned irregular words
• Recognise high-frequency words instantly
• Read decodable text aloud with increasing accuracy and automaticity, at a pace that supports understanding
• Read with expression and appropriate phrasing (beginning prosody)

• Forms and genres — stories and narrative fiction; information texts; procedural texts (recipes, instructions); letters and notes; reports; poems, songs and rhymes; lists and labels; digital and media texts; oral storytelling, including Indigenous oral traditions
• Text features — title, author, illustrator; cover and title page; table of contents; headings; illustrations, photographs, diagrams, labels and captions; page numbers
• Text patterns — sequence, description, simple compare-and-contrast, question-and-answer, repetition and refrain
• Elements of style — rhyme, rhythm, alliteration; repeated phrases; descriptive words that create pictures; how illustrations add meaning beyond the words
• Story elements — characters, setting, problem, events, and solution or ending

• Before — activate prior knowledge; preview the cover, title and pictures; set a purpose; make predictions based on evidence
• During — ask questions; make inferences using clues plus what they know; visualise; make text-to-self, text-to-text and text-to-world connections; monitor comprehension and notice when meaning breaks down; use fix-up strategies (reread, slow down, look at the picture, sound the word out again, ask)
• After — retell a story in sequence with characters, setting, problem and solution; summarise the main idea and a few supporting details of an information text; answer literal and simple inferential questions; respond personally

• Distinguish fiction from non-fiction, and real from make-believe
• Recognise that a text was made by a person who had a purpose — to inform, entertain, persuade or instruct
• Identify whose point of view a story is told from, and notice that a different character might tell it differently
• Notice when someone or something is missing from a story or picture
• Begin to notice stereotypes and unfairness at an age-appropriate level — “all the doctors in this book are men”
• Form and express an opinion about a text, and give a reason for it
• Engage with texts by First Nations, Métis and Inuit creators and by creators from a range of backgrounds, and talk about what they learned

• Personal narrative or recount · Simple story · Description
• Procedural / how-to text with sequenced steps · Simple report or “all about” text
• Letter, note or card · Label and caption · Poem or list poem
• Opinion statement with one reason

Within those texts, the student can

• Write complete sentences with a subject and a verb
• Use a capital letter to start and correct punctuation to end every sentence
• Include a beginning, middle and end
• Use descriptive words that help the reader picture things, and vary sentence beginnings at least occasionally
• Apply Grade 1 grammar (nouns, plurals, verb tenses, adjectives, conjunctions, “I”)
• Apply Grade 1 spelling patterns to unfamiliar words, producing readable phonetically plausible spellings where the pattern hasn’t been taught
• Spell taught high-frequency words correctly
• Print legibly, with correct letter formation, consistent size and clear spaces between words
• Combine words with drawings, labels and diagrams; use simple digital tools to compose or illustrate

Unpacked

• Read and write numerals 0–50 and matching number words (at least to twenty)
• Count forward and backward within 50 from any starting point
• Skip count by 2s, 5s and 10s
• Recognise small quantities instantly without counting (subitising) to about 6, and use grouped patterns — ten frames, dice, dominoes
• Understand one-to-one correspondence and cardinality (the last number counted tells how many)
• Use ordinal language (first through tenth)
• Understand the tens/ones structure of a two-digit number
• Compare using more than, less than, equal to, and order a set of numbers
• Estimate sensibly, then check
• Share a set fairly between 2 or 4 people, and represent what happens to the leftovers

Unpacked

• Knows addition facts to 10 and matching subtraction facts from memory — not by counting on fingers
• Understands that addition is commutative (3 + 5 = 5 + 3) and that subtraction is not
• Understands the inverse relationship: if 4 + 3 = 7, then 7 − 3 = 4
• Understands and applies the identity property (n + 0 = n)
• Uses mental strategies: counting on, making ten, doubles, near-doubles, decomposing
• Writes and reads equations using +, − and =
• Understands = as “the same as,” not “the answer comes next”
• Solves word problems in all major structures: join, separate, part-part-whole, compare
• Solves missing-addend problems (5 + ? = 9)
• Estimates before calculating and judges whether an answer is reasonable
• Handles simple grouping problems, including groups of one half

Unpacked

• Names and describes 2-D shapes: circle, triangle, square, rectangle, and typically also rhombus, trapezoid, hexagon, oval
• Names and describes 3-D objects: cube, sphere, cone, cylinder, prism, pyramid
• Recognises shapes regardless of size, colour or orientation — a triangle balanced on a point is still a triangle
• Uses attribute language: number of sides, number of corners or vertices, curved vs. straight, flat vs. solid, faces, edges
• Sees that a cereal box has rectangles in it and a can has circles
• Builds structures with blocks and describes what they used
• Finds and creates lines of symmetry; folds a shape so the halves match
• Uses positional vocabulary: above, below, beside, in front of, behind, between, left, right, near, far, inside, outside, over, under
• Gives a clear set of directions from the door to the reading corner — and follows someone else’s

Unpacked

• Recognises and names the penny (historical), nickel, dime, quarter and 50-cent piece; the loonie and toonie; and the $5, $10, $20 and $50 bills
• States the value of each
• Understands that a physically smaller coin can be worth more — a dime is worth more than a nickel
• Orders coins and bills by value
• Recognises that money is exchanged for goods and services

The three processes at Grade 1

• Research — ask a question they genuinely want answered; find information from books, images, video, an adult or a simple digital source; organise what they found; share what they learned
• Experimentation — make a prediction (“I think the paper towel will soak up more”); plan a fair, simple test; observe carefully using more than one sense; record with drawings, tally marks, photos or simple charts; compare the result to the prediction
• Engineering design — understand the problem and who it’s for; plan and sketch; build a prototype from available materials; test it; say what worked, what didn’t and what they’d change; try again
• Safety — wash hands, don’t taste materials, carry scissors properly, tell an adult about spills or breakages, use tools as demonstrated
• Communication — use correct science and technology vocabulary; present findings through talk, drawing, labelling, charts or simple digital tools

Living vs. non-living, and basic needs

• Sort things into living and non-living, and explain the sorting rule
• Know the signs of life: grows, needs food or energy, needs water, needs air, reproduces, responds to its surroundings, moves in some way
• Name the basic needs shared by all living things: air, water, food, and a suitable place to live, plus appropriate warmth and light
• Explain what happens when a need isn’t met, and compare the needs of a plant, an animal and a human

Characteristics of animals

• Describe physical characteristics: body covering (fur, feathers, scales, skin, shell), number of legs, wings, size, colour, shape, presence of a tail
• Sort and classify animals by observable characteristics
• Describe behavioural characteristics that help animals meet their needs — building nests, hunting, hiding, migrating, storing food, sleeping through winter
• Identify how specific features help specific animals survive where they live — webbed feet, thick fur, sharp claws, camouflage
• Recognise the major animal groups informally: mammals, birds, fish, insects, reptiles, amphibians

Characteristics of plants

• Name and locate plant parts: roots, stem, leaves, flower, seed, fruit
• State what each part does at a simple level — roots take in water and hold the plant, leaves catch light, the stem carries water and holds the plant up, flowers make seeds
• Describe what plants need: light, water, air, soil and nutrients, space, warmth
• Observe and describe how a plant changes as it grows; recognise that different plants live in different places

Humans and the senses, and interdependence

• Identify the five senses — sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch — and name the sense organ for each: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin
• Describe how each sense helps humans learn about the world, meet their needs and stay safe
• Use their senses deliberately to make scientific observations
• Explain that living things depend on their environment, and give examples of how plants, animals and humans depend on each other

• Identify the Sun as the principal source of heat and light energy for Earth
• Explain that the Sun’s energy makes plants grow, warms the land, air and water, and makes daytime
• Identify food as the energy source for humans and animals, and understand that food energy originally comes from the Sun
• Name common sources of energy: the Sun, food, electricity from an outlet, batteries, wind, moving water, burning fuel, muscles
• Identify common forms and uses of energy: light, heat, sound, movement, electricity
• Match everyday devices to the energy they use and what they do with it — a lamp uses electricity to make light; a wind-up toy stores energy and makes movement
• Explain the difference between things that plug in, things that use batteries, and things powered by a person
• Describe how energy use changes with the time of day and the season

• Distinguish an object (a single item made for a purpose — a pencil, a spoon) from a structure (something built to support a load or hold a shape — a bridge, a chair, a house, a nest); identify the purpose of a structure and its parts
• Name common materials: wood, plastic, metal, glass, paper, cardboard, fabric, clay, rubber, stone
• Describe material properties: hard/soft, rough/smooth, flexible/rigid, strong/weak, heavy/light, transparent/opaque, waterproof/absorbent, magnetic/non-magnetic
• Test materials for a property and record what they find
• Explain why a particular material was chosen for a particular job — windows are glass because you can see through it; raincoats are waterproof
• Explain that the shape of a structure affects how strong and stable it is; recognise that a wide base makes a structure more stable and a triangle is a strong shape
• Build a structure to meet a stated requirement — stand on its own, hold a weight, span a gap, reach a height
• Identify structures in the natural world (nests, webs, honeycombs, shells, trees) and in the built world
• Name common ways of joining materials — tape, glue, staples, string, clips, interlocking, nails, screws — and choose an appropriate fastener; use simple tools safely

The daily cycle

• Describe the pattern of day and night and know it repeats
• Sequence the parts of a day: sunrise, morning, midday, afternoon, sunset, evening, night
• Describe how the amount of daylight and the temperature change over the course of a day
• Observe that the Sun appears in different positions in the sky at different times
• Describe how their own activities change through the day, and that some animals are active in daytime and some at night

The seasonal cycle

• Name the four seasons in order and know the cycle repeats every year
• Describe the characteristic weather, temperature and daylight of each season in their own region
• Describe changes in plants: budding, leafing, flowering, fruiting, leaf colour change, leaf fall, dormancy
• Describe changes in animals: migration, hibernation, growing thicker coats, raising young, storing food
• Describe changes in human activity, clothing and food across the seasons
• Observe, record and compare weather over time using simple charts and pictographs
• Use vocabulary: sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy, windy, foggy, stormy; hot, warm, cool, cold, freezing
• Connect all of it back to the Sun as the source of heat and light

• Explain that a person’s roles, relationships and responsibilities are connected to who they are and to their situation
• Describe how they have different roles in different places — child, sibling, student, teammate, friend, neighbour, group member
• Explain how their responsibilities change with the setting — at home vs. at school vs. in the community
• Describe how changes in circumstances change roles and responsibilities — a new baby, moving house, starting school, a new pet, a family member’s illness, joining a team, getting older
• Explain that changed roles can change how a person feels about themselves
• Describe ways to show respect for others regardless of role, background, ability, appearance, family structure, language or beliefs, and recognise that all people are worthy of respect
• Identify how their own actions affect other people, and describe ways of contributing positively at home, at school and in the community

• Identify the groups they belong to — family, class, school, team, club, faith community, cultural community, neighbourhood — and describe their role and responsibilities in each
• Identify the rules and expectations that apply in different settings, and explain why rules exist
• Distinguish a right from a responsibility at a simple level
• Identify significant people, places, objects and traditions in their life, and explain what makes each significant
• Describe some of the ways families differ and are the same
• Recognise that First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples have long-standing relationships with the land where they live, and demonstrate age-appropriate awareness of the concept of a land acknowledgement
• Describe how people’s daily lives and responsibilities have changed over time — their own babyhood to now; a grandparent’s childhood to their own

Natural and built features

• Distinguish natural features (hills, rivers, lakes, trees, forests, wetlands, rocks, fields, shorelines) from built features (houses, apartments, roads, sidewalks, bridges, schools, stores, parks with equipment)
• Identify examples of each in their own neighbourhood, and explain how the two are connected

Land use, services and the people who provide them

• Identify types of land use: residential, commercial, industrial, recreational, institutional, agricultural, natural or green space; describe how land in their community is used; explain why access to green space matters
• Identify key community places and what happens there: school, library, hospital or clinic, fire station, police station, grocery store, bank, post office, community centre, place of worship, park, transit stop
• Identify community helpers and describe their work: teacher, librarian, doctor, nurse, firefighter, police officer, paramedic, bus driver, mail carrier, store worker, crossing guard, sanitation worker, construction worker, farmer
• Explain how these services meet people’s needs, and how to get help in an emergency

Mapping

• Understand that a map is a picture of a place from above
• Read and create a simple map of a familiar place — the classroom, the school, the route home
• Use and create a legend or key with symbols, and use a title
• Use the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) at a beginning level
• Locate their community on a map of Ontario or Canada at a very simple level
• Use positional and directional language to describe where things are

• Identify and manage emotions — name basic feelings (happy, sad, angry, scared, excited, frustrated, worried) in themselves and others; use a simple strategy to calm down — deep breaths, counting, taking space
• Recognise sources of stress and cope with challenges — say what makes them nervous or upset; try something hard anyway
• Maintain positive motivation and perseverance — keep trying after failing; recognise that getting better takes practice
• Build relationships and communicate effectively — take turns, share, include others, use words to solve a conflict, apologise and repair
• Develop self-awareness and sense of identity — name things they’re good at and things they find hard; describe what makes them them
• Think critically and creatively — make a simple decision, set a small goal, solve a simple social problem

Stability skills

• Static balance — hold a balance on one foot, on different body bases, in different shapes
• Dynamic balance — stay balanced while moving, stopping and changing direction
• Transfer weight from one body part to another; curl, stretch, twist and bend with control; land safely from a small jump

Locomotor and travelling skills

• Walk, run, hop, jump (two feet to two feet), leap, skip, gallop, slide, dodge and roll
• Travel in different directions (forward, backward, sideways), on different pathways (straight, curved, zigzag), at different levels (low, medium, high) and at different speeds
• Start, stop and change direction on a signal
• Move safely through general space without colliding, and understand and stay within personal space

Manipulation skills

• Sending — throw underhand and overhand, roll, kick, strike, bounce
• Receiving — catch a large ball with two hands, trap, stop a rolled ball
• Retaining — carry an object while moving; dribble a ball with hands and with feet at a beginning level
• Send an object toward a target with some accuracy

Movement concepts

• Body awareness — which body parts are doing what
• Space awareness — personal space, general space, directions, levels, pathways
• Effort — fast/slow (time), strong/light (force), smooth/jerky (flow)
• Relationship — moving with and around objects, partners and groups; over, under, around, through, in front of, behind

1 · Healthy eating

• Identify foods that support health and growth, drawing on Canada’s food guide
• Understand that vegetables and fruit, whole grains and protein foods are the basis of healthy eating, and that water is the drink of choice
• Explain that food gives the body energy and helps it grow, repair and stay well
• Describe foods eaten in their family, and recognise that healthy foods look different in different cultures
• Understand the idea of eating a variety of foods; recognise and respond to their own hunger and fullness cues
• Understand basic food safety and hygiene: wash hands before eating; don’t share utensils or food when someone is unwell
• Be aware that some classmates have food allergies and that this is serious

2 · Personal safety and injury prevention

• Know essential personal information: full name, home address, a caregiver’s phone number
• Know how and when to call 9-1-1 and what to say
• Identify safe and unsafe situations at home, at school, outdoors, on the road, near water and online
• Apply safety rules: road and pedestrian safety, bus safety, playground safety, water safety, sun safety, fire safety and exit routes, bike helmet use
• Know not to open the door to strangers and to stay with a trusted adult in public
• Identify people who can help — parents and guardians, teachers, the principal, older students, crossing guards, police, firefighters, paramedics, neighbours, Elders, coaches — and supportive services including Kids Help Phone and 9-1-1
• Distinguish caring behaviours (listening, encouraging, helping, comforting) from hurtful and exploitive behaviours (unwanted touching, name-calling, hitting, excluding, bullying), and describe the feelings that go with each
• Understand that they have the right to say no to unwanted touch and to tell a trusted adult
• Understand the difference between a secret that is unsafe and a surprise, and that unsafe secrets should always be told to a trusted adult
• Understand basic online safety: don’t share personal information; tell an adult about anything uncomfortable

3 · Substance use, addictions and related behaviours

• Understand that medicine can help people who are sick or hurt
• Know that medicine should be taken only when given by a parent, guardian, other trusted adult, or health professional
• Know never to take medicine or an unknown substance on their own, and never to take someone else’s
• Recognise that some household products are harmful and should not be touched or tasted
• Understand basic hygiene practices that prevent illness: handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes

4 · Human development and sexual health

• Identify the major parts of the body, including genitalia, using correct anatomical terminology — penis, testicles, vagina, vulva — alongside other body parts
• Understand that correct names help them communicate clearly, especially about health and safety
• Identify the five senses and describe how each functions and helps them learn about and move safely through the world
• Understand basic personal hygiene and self-care

5 · Mental health literacy

• Understand that mental health matters just as much as physical health
• Name a range of feelings and recognise them in themselves and others
• Understand that all feelings are okay, and that what matters is what we do with them
• Identify things that help them feel calm, happy and safe
• Identify trusted adults they can talk to when they feel worried, sad or scared
• Understand that asking for help is a strength

The two processes

• The creative process — challenging and inspiring · imagining and generating · planning and focusing · exploring and experimenting · producing preliminary work · revising and refining · presenting or performing · reflecting and evaluating
• The critical analysis process — initial reaction · description · analysis and interpretation · expression of an informed point of view · consideration of cultural context

Grade 1 work includes

• Use line expressively: straight, curved, thick, thin, zigzag, wavy, broken, spiral
• Use shape and form: geometric and organic shapes; 3-D forms
• Use colour: name and mix primary colours (red, yellow, blue) to make secondary colours (orange, green, violet); recognise warm and cool colours
• Use texture: real texture in collage and clay; implied texture in drawing
• Use space: fill the page; place things in the foreground and background; recognise overlapping
• Use value: light and dark
• Apply contrast deliberately in a composition
• Use a range of materials, tools and techniques: pencil, crayon, marker, oil and chalk pastel, tempera and watercolour, brushes of different sizes, scissors, glue, clay or plasticine, printmaking, collage, weaving, construction
• Use tools and materials safely and clean up responsibly
• Recognise that signs and symbols carry meaning

Grade 1 work includes

• Keep a steady beat — clap, tap, step, play
• Distinguish beat from rhythm
• Echo, clap and play simple rhythm patterns
• Sing in unison with reasonable pitch accuracy, in a comfortable range
• Distinguish high and low pitch; follow melodic direction — going up, going down, staying the same
• Distinguish loud and soft and use dynamics expressively
• Identify timbre — singing voice, speaking voice, whispering, body percussion, classroom instruments, environmental sounds
• Play classroom percussion correctly: rhythm sticks, triangle, tambourine, drum, shaker, xylophone
• Recognise simple form: repetition, call and response, verse and chorus, AB
• Create a short composition or sound story
• Use standard and invented (non-standard) symbols to record sound — icons, pictures, or lines for long and short sounds
• Move expressively to music

• Use voice (volume, pitch, pace, expression), gesture, facial expression and movement to communicate
• Work from a range of sources: stories, poems, pictures, personal experience and objects

• Body — move individual body parts and the whole body; use different body bases and make different body shapes
• Space — move at low, medium and high levels; travel along straight, curved and zigzag pathways; move in different directions; use large and small movements
• Time — move to a steady beat; move fast and slow; hold a still shape
• Energy — move with different qualities: strong/light, smooth/sharp, heavy/floaty
• Relationship — dance beside, in front of, behind, over, under, around a partner or object; mirror a partner
• Imitate movements observed in the natural world — a tree in wind, an animal, falling snow — and build them into a short dance phrase
• Solve simple movement problems: “show me three ways to travel across the floor without walking”
• Move safely in shared space

1 · Decoding

2 · Addition and subtraction facts to 10 from memory

3 · Number sense to 50

4 · Writing complete, punctuated sentences independently

5 · Self-regulation

6 · Comprehension

• Telling the time. Reading a calendar is Grade 2; reading a clock in hours, minutes and seconds is Grade 3.
• Standard measurement units. Centimetres and metres arrive in Grade 2. Grade 1 compares and orders using non-standard units.
• Multiplication and division. Grade 2 introduces them as equal groups and equal sharing.
• Even and odd. Grade 2.
• Sight-word memorisation. Explicitly rejected by the 2023 curriculum — words are decoded, with only the irregular part learned.
• Core French. Compulsory from Grade 4. In Grade 1 it applies only in French Immersion and Extended French programmes.
• EQAO. The first provincial assessment is Grade 3.