Grade 1 Math Curriculum

The Grade 1 curriculum lays the early-years foundation in mathematics and the weekly 1.5-hour class is fast-paced. By the end of Grade 1, students gain a solid conceptual understanding in addition, multiplication, division, as well as integers. Through drills, they develop automaticity and fluency with their basic number facts, and they use this within the numeracy unit building their skills with numbers. Grade one students learn how to move numbers around, to represent fractions, add fractions, and find equivalent fractions with and without manipulates. Students at this grade do a research project on famous mathematicians and their mathematical ideas such as Pascal triangle, Venn diagram and others. Students also learn skip counting, the Cartesian coordinate system, data analysis, exponents, and more. Grade 1 students all write the Spirit of Math International Contest during class time, and they write tests and an exam at the end of the year. The overall curriculum engages our Grade 1 students and instills in them a strong interest in mathematics.

Here’s what we cover in Grade One:

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Drills

  • Regrouping: Making Tens (pairs of one-digit numbers)
  • Addition (1×1 and 2×1)
  • Super Speed Addition (1×1)
  • Integer Addition (1×1)
  • Multiplication (1×1)
  • Division (1×1)

 

Core Curriculum

  • Regrouping: Making groups of ten (adding 4 to 8 one- and two-digit numbers)
  • Integers (adding positives and negatives)
  • One-digit multiplication
  • Fractions (labelling, adding/subtracting with like denominators)

 

Problem Solving

  • Tangrams (geometric puzzles)
  • Counting Shapes (e.g. How many triangles of all sizes are in this diagram?)
  • Cuts and Pieces (finding the number of pieces based on parallel cuts of an object, and vice versa)
  • “All but” problems (e.g. If there are 5 cats and all but 3 fell asleep, how many are asleep?)
  • Date problems (e.g. What is today if 3 days after yesterday was Tuesday?)
  • Venn Diagrams (introduction to sets)
  • Alphametrics  (introductory code-breaking)
  • Pathways (finding the number of “paths” on a grid)
  • Magic Squares (solving arrays of numbers where each row and column sum to the same number)
  • Spirit of Math Contest (annual nation-wide contest)

Assessment

Grades are available online and parents receive three report cards each year. Our students will demonstrate their understanding through:

  • Three Unit Tests (at Lessons 9, 13 and 33)
  • Final Comprehensive Exam
  • Independent Assignments
  • Assignment of the Year (25 equations)
  • Wee Wizards problem set
  • Problem Poster Project
  • Mighty Mathematicians research project

Cooperative Group Work

  • Working in groups of 3 to 4 students to solve the POW (Problem of the Week)
  • Comparing and discussing homework solutions
  • Strengthening communication and social skills
  • Learning how to share ideas on how to collaboratively solve problems
  • Developing critical thinking and decision-making skills