First grade is a year of independence! Your child is developing the ability to work independently and in small groups to accomplish common goals. First grade can be a tremendous year of growth. The students begin to have a more fluent understanding of words and numbers. Our first grade teachers hold morning meetings daily and work to develop a cohesive community where children are encouraged to talk about their feelings and solve problems with their peers.

First grade works within the framework of the Daily Five. This is a daily schedule which allows for students to do the following activities every day – read to themselves, listen to reading, read with someone, write and work with words. Leading literacy research shows that the greatest gains are made by classrooms which emphasize doing these things daily.

Our goal is for students to become fluent readers with excellent comprehension of what they have read. Students read from a variety of text including poetry, songs, chants, non-fiction, picture books and chapter books. The teachers model fluent reading and work with students in small group and one-on-one to develop reading skills.

Writing takes place in many different forms in first grade. Students utilize the word wall to spell frequently used words correctly. They use invented spelling for unfamiliar words. Students may work independently during Daily 5 to write their own books while writing in a more structured writing process as well.

Students will spend most of first grade working with conceptual math activities and using manipulatives. They will develop a math vocabulary and be asked to explain their reasoning. In addition, we will explore graphing, place value, telling time and counting money. First graders will spend a great deal of time working with partners and in small groups to complete activities that furthers their understanding on numbers and real life concepts involving math

First graders are scientists! They learn to explore the world around them through the eyes of a scientist. We study the scientific process and complete investigations and experiments. We look at seasonal changes and how they affect plants and animals. The first grade science curriculum is designed to provide hands on opportunities for students to learn diverse concepts from the earth’s rotation to how things move.

The first grade curriculum for social studies has three main components. Students learn about our country’s symbols and what it means to be a citizen. They explore historical figures and look at their contributions to our society as a whole. Lastly, they explore economics through identifying needs and wants and looking at different forms of spending and saving money.