Grade 1 in BC: what your child learns and what's open to them
18 contests and programs open to grade 1 students in British Columbia. You don't need to do all of them. Pick the ones that match what your child enjoys.
What your child learns in Grade 1
A plain-language summary of the official BC curriculum for grade 1 math and English language arts.
Math
- Counting to 20, counting on and counting back, and skip-counting by 2s and 5s.
- Understanding numbers to 20 as a ten and some more (14 is 10 and 4), and finding all the ways to make 10.
- Adding and subtracting within 20 using strategies like counting on, making 10 and doubles (6 + 6), and seeing that adding and subtracting are connected.
- Understanding what the equal sign means, and recording when two amounts are equal or not equal.
- Measuring length and area with everyday objects, like how many paper clips long a pencil is.
- Sorting and comparing 2D shapes and 3D objects, making simple graphs with real objects, and using words like never, sometimes and always.
- Knowing the values of nickels, dimes, quarters, loonies and toonies, and counting groups of the same coin.
Reading, writing and speaking
- Talking about the setting, characters and events in a story, and using words like author, illustrator, title and chapter.
- Using pictures and what they already know to predict, then rereading and retelling in their own words.
- Sounding out words with phonics, recognizing common sight words, and checking: does it look right, sound right and make sense?
- Hearing and working with the individual sounds in words, and understanding how letters and sounds connect.
- Printing neatly with spaces between words, writing simple sentences, and starting to use capitals and periods or question marks.
- Listening to others, taking turns, asking questions on topic and sharing personal connections.
Easy ways to help at home
- Take turns reading: you read a page, your child reads a word or a line.
- Play board games with dice and let your child move the pieces and count the spaces.
- Ask "how many more to make 10?" with fingers, toys or snacks.
- Measure things around the house with spoons, shoes or blocks, just for fun.
- Let your child sort a handful of coins and count the toonies or the dimes.
little and often beats long and hard
What do Emerging, Developing, Proficient and Extending mean on the report card?
- Emerging
- Your child is beginning to understand something in an area of learning. They are still learning but may need more support to move ahead. Emerging doesn't mean your child is unsuccessful in this area.
- Developing
- Your child understands some things in an area of learning but still has other areas to work on. Like Emerging, it doesn't mean your child is unsuccessful in this area.
- Proficient
- Proficient is the goal for your child, and for all students. It means they fully understand the required learning. It doesn't mean their learning stops.
- Extending
- Your child shows a deeper understanding and can apply their learning in new and different ways. Extending is not the goal for all students in every area of learning.
Sources: BC Curriculum: Mathematics Grade 1 · BC Curriculum: English Language Arts Grade 1
Math
Coding
Science
Language & reading
Spelling Bee of Canada
A national spelling bee for ages 6 to 14 with a British Columbia & Vancouver chapter. Registration for the 2027 program opens October 16, 2026.
Grades 1–9Fee for 2027 not posted yetLanguage & readingBC Summer Reading Club
A free summer reading program at BC public libraries. Kids track their reading, collect stickers and earn a medal. Runs from about mid-June to August.
K–Grade 8FreeArts, music & chess
Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program Exams
Graded music and theory exams used across Canada. For the January 2027 practical exams, register by November 3, 2026.
K–Grade 12Fees depend on the subject and…Arts, music & chessVancouver Kiwanis Music Festival
Metro Vancouver's large music competition festival, with feedback from adjudicators. Solo registration runs November 2, 2026 to January 18, 2027.
K–Grade 12Entry fees vary by classArts, music & chessBC Youth Chess Championship and Canadian Youth Chess Championship
Rated chess tournaments for players under 18. Score 50% at a qualifier, such as the BC Youth Chess Championship, to play at the national CYCC each July.
K–Grade 12Varies by tournamentCamps & enrichment
UBC Geering Up summer STEM camps
Week-long science, engineering and coding day camps run by UBC for kids entering Grades 1–12. Registration opened on February 18 in 2026.
K–Grade 11$410–$490 a week for elementary…Camps & enrichmentScience World spring and summer science camps
Hands-on science day camps at Science World for spring break and summer. Members can book first, and spots sell out quickly.
K–Grade 8About $550 for a 5-day camp in…Camps & enrichmentVancouver community centre summer day camps
Recreation day camps at Vancouver community centres. Since 2026, summer camps open on one city-wide registration day in April.
K–Grade 7Varies by community centre and…Camps & enrichmentCity of Burnaby summer camps
City-run summer camps in Burnaby. Residents get early registration in March, a few days before everyone else.
K–Grade 7Varies by campSchool programs
Independent (private) school admissions in Metro Vancouver
Most Metro Vancouver independent schools take applications in the fall for the next September. For 2027 entry, many deadlines fall between October 29 and December 3, 2026.
K–Grade 11Application fees were $50–$350…School programsBurnaby French Immersion (Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 6)
Early French Immersion starts in Kindergarten or Grade 1; Late French Immersion starts in Grade 6. Applications are in February, with a lottery in early March.
K–Grade 5Free to applySchool programsRichmond kindergarten registration and French Immersion
Kindergarten registration and the French Immersion and Montessori application open November 1. Last year both closed in mid-January, with results in early February.
K–Grade 5Free to register and applySchool programsNorth Vancouver kindergarten registration and French Immersion
Priority kindergarten registration for September 2027 runs October 15 to December 15, 2026. You choose English or French Immersion in the same online form.
K–Grade 5Free to registerSchool programsSurrey kindergarten registration and French Immersion lottery
Kindergarten registration opens in January. Early French Immersion and other choice programs use an online lottery in February, with results before Spring Break.
K–Grade 5Free to register and applySchool programsCoquitlam kindergarten registration and French Immersion
Apply for French Immersion, Montessori or Mandarin Bilingual from January 7 to 13, 2027. Kindergarten registration at your catchment school is February 1–4, 2027.
K–Grade 5Free to applyPlan ahead: what starts in later grades
Nothing to do yet. It just helps to know these are coming.
- Grade 3DELF Prim and DELF Junior French Diplomas (Alliance Française Vancouver)
- Grade 3Surrey gifted programs, IB and Inter-A
- Grade 3CEMC Problem of the Week
- Grade 4Canada Jay Mathematical Competition
- Grade 4Vancouver MACC gifted classes (Grades 5–7)
- Grade 5Beaver Computing Challenge
- Grade 5ELMACON Elementary Mathematics Competition
- Grade 5Vancouver Writers Fest Youth Writing Contest
- Grade 5Vancouver Late French Immersion (Grades 6–7)
- Grade 5AMC 8 (American Mathematics Competitions)
- Grade 5UBC and PIMS Math Circles for Grades 5–7
- Grade 6BC Debate and Public Speaking Tournaments (DSABC)
Guides for grade 1 parents
Put every deadline in your calendar
One step, no account. Each deadline comes with a reminder a week before, and the calendar updates itself when dates change.