How to read this page
Nova Scotia publishes its curriculum as long official documents written for teachers. This page is the same content, translated for the fridge door: each subject below shows this year's units and the skills inside them. If a skill sounds unfamiliar, that's the point — now you know what to ask about at dinner.
Mathematics this year
Numbers stop being abstract this year — they become things your child can count, compare, build, and explain. In Nova Scotia, that's Mathematics, Grade 1 — 4 units, 26 skills.
Number
- Counting forward and backward by 1s
- Seeing how many at a glance
- Showing numbers to 20
Patterns and Relations
- Describing and extending repeating patterns
- Balance and imbalance
See the full Mathematics, Grade 1 curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →
English Language Arts this year
Reading and writing grow fast at this age — this is the year the letters turn into stories. In Nova Scotia, that's English Language Arts, Grade 1 — 3 units, 41 skills.
Language
- Using listening strategies (Grade 1)
- Phonics: blending and segmenting to read and spell (Grade 1)
- Composing sentences (Grade 1)
Comprehension
- Narrative and informational text forms (Grade 1)
- Purpose for reading / background knowledge (Grade 1)
- Making inferences from information and visuals (Grade 1)
Composition
- Topic, audience and purpose / writing goals (Grade 1)
- Drafting texts / handwriting (Grade 1)
- Producing and presenting final texts (Grade 1)
See the full English Language Arts, Grade 1 curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →
Science this year
Science at this age is guided curiosity — observing, sorting, asking why, and testing ideas hands-on. In Nova Scotia, that's Science, Grade 1 — 3 units, 13 skills.
Earth and Space Science: Daily and Seasonal Changes
- How weather changes the world
- Getting ready for weather and seasons
Life Science: Needs of living things
- What living things need to live
- Living things in their environment
Physical Science: Materials, objects, and devices
- Materials and what they are like
- Choosing good materials to build with
See the full Science, Grade 1 curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →
Three ways parents use this list
Common questions
What does my child learn in Grade 1 in Nova Scotia?
Nova Scotia's official curriculum sets out Mathematics, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies for Grade 1 — 88 specific skills in total. The big themes: Mathematics covers number and patterns and relations; English Language Arts covers language and comprehension; Science covers earth and space science: daily and seasonal changes and life science: needs of living things. The full list is on this page.
Is this the official Nova Scotia curriculum?
It's built from Nova Scotia's official program of studies, reorganized into plain language — and each subject links to a course page that quotes the ministry's own wording and links to the government source, so you can check our work. One honest caveat: we're not the ministry, curricula do change, and we can't guarantee this reflects the very latest revision, so confirm anything important against the live provincial curriculum data.
My child is finding one of these skills hard. What can I do?
That's normal — every skill on this page is one most kids wobble on at first. MapleMind teaches any of them one-on-one: a short lesson in plain words, a worked example, then solving together. It's free to start, on any device, in 14 languages.
Keep exploring
Knowing the list is half the job
The other half is the teaching — and that's what MapleMind does. Pick any skill on this page and see it taught properly, free, in under a minute.
MapleMind isn't affiliated with any ministry of education. We build these guides from each province's official program of studies and refresh them from time to time — but curricula change, and we can't guarantee this page reflects the very latest revision. Always confirm against the live provincial curriculum data. Last updated 2026-08-15.
Social Studies this year
Social studies starts close to home — family, community, and how people live together. In Nova Scotia, that's Social Studies, Grade 1 — 4 units, 8 skills.
Cultural Diversity
- Asking questions about cultural groups
+ 1 more skill in this unit →Caring for the Environment
- Asking why we protect the environment
+ 1 more skill in this unit →Mi'kmaq Communities in Nova Scotia
- Asking where Mi'kmaq communities are
+ 1 more skill in this unit →Needs and Wants
- Telling needs from wants
+ 1 more skill in this unit →See the full Social Studies, Grade 1 curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →