What Skills to Expect at Each Grade Level

At each grade level, you can expect changes from the previous year. While it may seem obvious that each year will gradually get more challenging, there is a reason for this. Each grade lays a foundation for more to be built upon it, and thus translates into the skills we need for adulthood.

Grade 1

• Reading/Writing: Read simple sentences, recognize sight words, write short sentences.

• Math: Understand numbers to 100, add/subtract within 20, tell time to the hour/half-hour.

• Social Skills: Follow routines, share, work in groups.

Grade 2

• Reading/Writing: Read short stories fluently, start paragraph writing, basic spelling/grammar.

• Math: Add/subtract within 100, intro to multiplication, measure length/weight, basic fractions.

• Science/Social Studies: Communities, simple habitats, weather.

Grade 3

• Reading/Writing: Read chapter books, summarize, and write multiple paragraphs.

• Math: Multiplication/division facts, fractions, area/perimeter, time to the minute.

• Social Skills: Independence, responsibility in group work.

Grade 4

• Reading/Writing: Identify main ideas, use evidence, write stories/essays with paragraphs.

• Math: Larger multiplication/division, decimals, intro to angles, and geometry.

• Science/Social Studies: Human body systems, simple machines, provinces/territories (Canada).

Grade 5

• Reading/Writing: Compare texts, persuasive writing, use research.

• Math: Fractions/decimals (add/subtract), long division, volume, coordinate grid.

• Science/Social Studies: Ecosystems, energy, early civilizations.

Grade 6

• Reading/Writing: Analyze themes, formal essays, summaries, strong grammar.

• Math: Ratios, percentages, fraction/decimal operations, integers, intro to algebra.

• Science/Social Studies: Flight, space, biodiversity, government structure.

Grade 7

• Reading/Writing: Interpret bias/perspective, write multi-paragraph essays, cite sources.

• Math: Equations, proportional reasoning, circles (area/circumference), probability.

• Science/Social Studies: Heat, ecosystems, history of New France/British North America.

Grade 8

• Reading/Writing: Critical thinking with texts, argumentative essays, formal presentations.

• Math: Linear equations, Pythagorean theorem, volume/surface area, graphing.

• Science/Social Studies: Cells/genetics, fluids, electricity, Confederation/World War I.