In first grade, children begin to feel more independent. First-graders now have to use the social skills they developed in kindergarten to work independently and in small groups with peers. We help your child do this by encouraging them to talk about their feelings, work in groups with other children, and figure out creative ways to solve differences. The most amazing part of first grade happens as children develop the ability to understand what letters and numbers really mean. When they’re ready, they’ll be able to fluently read words and understand their meaning. They will also understand the meaning of numbers and relate the numbers to daily concepts such as money and telling time.
First grade is the year of reading. Our goal is to have all students reading fluently and comprehending what they are reading. We read a variety of materials from simple rhymes, to Scholastic News, to patterned stories and beginner non-fiction books. By the end of the year, most are reading grade-level chapter books and some are reading at even more advanced levels.We will spend time reading out loud to the class to model fluent reading. We will also work in small groups to give your child plenty of practice making consonant and vowel sounds. During reading periods we will ask open-ended questions about the stories and have your child retell the story to help him/her to develop strong comprehension skills.
Writing takes many different forms in first grade. Children “create” their spellings as they learn the understandings of written language. Writing activities include writing complete sentences, journal writing and writing creative stories.
Students begin to notice that numbers and math have real-world use. We will use graphs and charts to gather and understand information. Children will learn about the place and value of a number, counting coins, telling time, fractions and basic number facts with addition and subtraction. These concepts are introduced and practiced through conceptual math activities which are hands on with tangible applications.
The natural world around us in daily life is the foundation for the first grade science curriculum. The elementary science program is designed to provide a classroom learning experience that enables a child to learn about science through a variety of hands-on activities. Students will learn how the weather, animals, plants and people change as the seasons of the year change. Animals and plants will be studied more in depth by themselves also. Students are expected to know the basic relationships between the sun and Earth and will begin to develop an understanding of moving objects, simple solutions, and important natural resources.