Canada · Ontario Curriculum Expectations
Grade 1 Language Arts
This course develops essential communication skills through phonological awareness, narrative exploration, and purposeful writing. Students engage with diverse texts to build comprehension strategies and express their own ideas through structured linguistic conventions.
The Magic of Narrative and Story Elements
Students explore the structure of stories by identifying characters, settings, and plot sequences in diverse picture books.
Analyzing how characters respond to challenges and how their traits influence the story's direction.
Investigating how the time and place of a story impact the mood and the events that occur.
Developing the ability to summarize a story by identifying the beginning, middle, and end.
Informing and Explaining Our World
Students transition to informational texts to learn how to extract facts and use text features to navigate non-fiction.
Identifying and using captions, headings, and diagrams to locate information quickly.
Distinguishing between statements that can be proven and statements that reflect personal feelings.
Learning to write clear, step by step instructions for a specific audience.
The Power of Language and Sound
This unit focuses on phonological awareness, vocabulary building, and the rhythmic qualities of poetry.
Exploring phonemes and syllables through poetry and song to build decoding fluency.
Using surrounding text and images to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary.
Mastering the mechanics of writing, including capitalization and ending marks.
Communicating Through Voice and Vision
Students develop oral communication skills and learn to present their ideas confidently to an audience.
Practicing the habits of a good listener and learning to ask clarifying questions.
Developing confidence in speaking loudly and clearly while maintaining eye contact.
Engaging in group conversations to build on the ideas of others and reach common goals.