If you want to truly understand the world of a first grader read the book June B Jones First Grader (at last). In this book June B. talks about changing. First graders undergo many physical changes that improve hand-eye coordination, although they can still be awkward with a pencil and scissors. Many varied activities are necessary to hold their attention during the long school day.

Six-year olds show an increasing sense of self. They learn by participation and exploration. First graders are easily excited and have a wide range of emotions. They need many successful experiences and thrive on praise and approval. First graders love to be first and are concerned with themselves. They do not like to lose and can be very bossy. They are sensitive to criticism but thrive on encouragement, love and attention.

Much emphasis in first grade language arts is put on learning to read and write. Many students begin first grade with knowledge of letters and sounds and know some words by sight. This knowledge is built upon throughout the year as students acquire many more sight words and learn to decode more complicated words. They learn to comprehend their reading. They clarify, visualize, predict, infer, summarize, make connections, and form questions about what they are reading. In writing, students learn basic conventions of writing, such as capitalization and ending punctuation. They learn to add spark to their writing using describing words. They grow from writing single sentence compositions to crafting longer stories that include a beginning, middle, and end. First graders study word features as they learn about using short and long vowels in their spelling.

In first grade mathematics, students build upon and broaden their mathematical understanding and appreciation.  Emphasis is placed upon developing number sense, addition and subtraction, units of measure and time, spatial geometry, money, and estimation.  Increased opportunities are provided for students to experience varied problem solving, communicate mathematically, and see the connections between mathematical topics.  Hands on activities are used to internalize number concepts fostering a deeper understanding of mathematics.  Students construct a solid foundation in mathematics that will be built upon in the later grades.

The first grade science program provides several hands-on activities that are engaging for all students. Students will begin to conduct experiments, learn how to classify, and understand relationships and interactions among objects. The first grade curriculum covers the relationship between the sun and Earth, the cycle of the four seasons, and plants and animals. The students will also be exposed to moving objects and natural resources.

Students in the first grade will learn about the lives of American leaders and their contributions to the United States.  They will construct simple maps and recognize basic map symbols.  Students will study economic concepts and making economic choices.  Student diversity is also incorporated throughout the first grade social studies curriculum. Students will learn about what makes a good citizen in the class room and in their community.