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First Grade Curriculum

First Grade Curriculum

Welcome to First Grade! We will learn so many new concepts while your child grows both academically and socially throughout the course of this year. Here is a snap shot of what we will be working on:

Reading Phonics Math Writing & Language Arts
Science Social Studies

First grade focuses on reading and the skills necessary for becoming a great reader. Not only are we committed to helping each student become readers, but also to help them develop a positive attitude towards reading. We strive to help each student view reading for both pleasure and as a means to acquire new knowledge. Throughout our busy day, your child will have several opportunities to sharpen their reading skills whether it be whole group activities, small guided reading groups, sustained silent reading time, or library time. Flexible small guided reading groups will meet each day to help students practice skills at their individual level for both vocabulary and comprehension activities. We will also help each student build fluency across different genres of books. This provides each student with the opportunity to practice strategies all good readers use to progress in their ability. In addition to the small group time, we will have a whole group guided reading time where students will build their comprehension skills through teacher read alouds.

Not only will we work on reading instruction, but we will also focus on phonics skills through daily phonics instruction. Students will work on their phonics skills using a program called Saxon Phonics. This program builds and strengthens reading and spelling skills through daily lessons which focus on specific rules that child needs to practice. We will build upon those skills to lead to an overall understanding of all phonics rules.

This year we are using the Georgia Standards of Excellence to guide our math instruction. The program in Pearson EnVision 2.0. This program divides the curriculum into units and focuses on a concept while reviewing and using multiple skills and concepts that have been previously taught. The program offers time and a guide for ways to extend and increase the rigor of our math lessons to meet the needs of all learners. We will also supplement with differentiated lessons and do calendar everyday to maintain and improve the needed skills to be successful in first grade.

This year your child will work on skills such as number sense to 120 (counting, completing blank number lines, ordering numbers greatest to least and least to greatest, etc.), even and odd, place value, fractions, graphing, telling time to the hour and half hour, fluency in addition and subtraction, estimation and measurement, shapes, solving and creating word problems, and 2-digit addition and subtraction without regrouping.

Writing and Language Arts:

In addition to creating complete, descriptive sentences with correct capitalization and punctuation, students will also learn about parts of speech- including nouns, pronouns, proper nouns, adjectives, and verbs. Also, students will learn to compose three genres of writing including narrative, expository or informational, and opinion writing. Each genre will be introduced and then continually practiced throughout the year. We are teaching writing this year using Lucy Calkins writing program.

Social Studies:

Each month we will focus on a different historical figure. Some of these people include Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Johnny Appleseed, Ruby Bridges, Lewis and Clark, and George Washington Carver. Along with the historical figures we will explore the world of economics by teaching students about needs and wants, goods and services, spending and saving, and scarcity.

Students will also learn about map skills such as reading a simple map, using cardinal directions, and identifying the continents and oceans on the world map or globe. Students will also be able to name and describe different landforms such as mountains, valleys, plateaus, plains and the seashore.

In first grade we spend a lot of time investigating the basic needs of different animals and plants. The students will practice their research skills using these topics and learn about different animals throughout the year. Students will also learn about the weather, the water cycle, light and sound, and magnetism.

As you can see, first grade is full of information and knowledge that your child will gain over the course of the year. This is a year when children grow and learn so much, making it one of the most exciting times for your child!