1st Grade Curriculum Highlights

1st grade teachers: Mrs. Michelle Leonard and Mrs. Kathy Boyd
Reading
  • Associate sounds to consonants, vowels, blends, consonant digraphs, r-controlled vowels
  • Apply decoding strategies for new words in reading
  • Recognize small chunks and words in longer words
  • Read grade-appropriate sight words
  • Apply reading strategies for comprehension (context clues, pictures, re-reading, background knowledge)
  • Identify characters, settings and main events of a story
  • Recall elements and details of a story to answer oral and written questions
  • Read and comprehend at 1st grade level
  • Read with appropriate grade-level fluency
Writing
  • Apply decoding strategies for new words in writing
  • Write simple sentences, including statements, questions and imperatives
  • Find information in provided resources
  • Provide closure to writing
  • Write a story with a beginning, middle and end, including story elements
  • Write opinion, informative and narrative text
Math
  • Solve word problems: addition (2-3 addends) and subtraction (2 numbers) within 20 including unknowns in all positions
  • Achieve fluency for addition and subtraction facts within 10
  • Identify and use equations with symbols for addition, subtraction and equal to
  • Recognize the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction (fact families)
  • Count by 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s to 120+
  • Read, write and recognize 3-digit numbers up to 120+
  • Understand place value for ones and tens place
  • Compare two-digit numbers and record results with symbols <, > and =
  • Add and subtract 2-digit numbers without regrouping
  • Mentally add and subtract tens to 100
  • Compare, measure and order length of at least three objects to the nearest inch and centimeter
  • Tell and write time to the nearest half hour using both analog and digital clocks
  • Identify pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters and associate value, count combinations of pennies and nickels
  • Identify attributes of shapes
  • Create a new shape from 2D or 3D shapes
  • Understand and create equal shares and identify the appropriate fraction for each equal share
  • Represent, organize and interpret data with up to three categories
Content Subjects
Social Studies, Science and Health
Curriculum objectives in the content subjects may be taught as integrated themes. Themes allow children to more easily make connections with real-life activities. Several first grade themes include: Weather, Health, Plant Life Cycle, Animals, Neighbors and Neighborhoods, and Natural Resources
Social Development
Students are expected to: 
  • Respect the rights, diversity and feelings of others
  • Listen to and follow directions
  • Demonstrate self-control in the classroom and throughout the school
  • Accept responsibility for behavior
  • Practice good manners, kindness and compassion
Work Habits
Students are expected to:
  • Always do their best
  • Have good attendance
  • Participate in classroom discussions and activities
  • Play well with others
  • Return school materials and homework on time
  • Use time productively
Special Classes:
Art
Students will be able to: 
  • Identify a variety of lines, shapes and colors and use them to create patterns, drawings, paintings and mixed media projects
  • Demonstrate skills in use of drawing and painting tools, scissors and glue
  • Create textural details in paintings, collages and clay projects
  • Craft clay pinch pots and add handles using slip and score techniques
  • Describe their artwork
  • Use a variety of art materials to make images and objects such as drawings, painting, and mobiles that are related to themes in the 1st grade curriculum
Library
  • ​Students learn to find books in the most popular sections for this age
  • Students learn to check out, be responsible for and return up to three books at a time; at least once of which is at an appropriate reading level
  • Students learn strategies for determining reading level
  • Students experience storytime centered around popular authors, seasons, events and classroom themes 
  • Students are introduced to a variety of literary genres, lifelong reading habits and technology resources
  • Time allotted for independent reading makerspace activities, games and puzzles
Music
  • Students perform with 5K in the winter and spring concerts
  • Students learn concepts such as melody, harmony and rhythm
  • Students begin note-reading on the staff
  • Students begin to learn how to play the keyboard
Physical Education
  • Explore and develop locomotor and non-locomotor movement patterns used to travel, balance, transfer weight and manipulate objects
  • Identify various body parts and understand the healthy benefits of exercise and movement
  • Develop an enjoyment of being physically active and learn the importance of exercise for being healthy
  • Develop an understanding of self-space, following directions, social etiquette and safety procedures used in an active environment with others. 
  • Students are introduced to concepts such as: sharing, taking turns, cooperation and responding to signals
Tips to Help Your Child Succeed
Family support for student learning is vital to student success. Listed below you will find several ways in which you can help your child have a more positive school experience. 
  • Promote good health habits (provide well-balanced meals, healthy snacks, opportunities for physical activity, and plenty of rest)
  • Have your child read every day
  • Encourage your child to play outdoors
  • Model the use of good manners and expect your child to use good manners
  • Praise your child's efforts and accomplishments
  • Be responsible for reading classroom and school communications
  • Provide encouragement when your child expresses frustration
  • Provide an opportunity for your child to write simple stories
  • Help your child count the change your receive at the store
  • Expose your child to a variety of art, music and community activities
  • Monitor your family's screen time (TV, video games, computer, etc.)
  • Share your talents with the school
  • Talk with your child about their friends and how to be a good friend
  • Make sure homework, attendance and student effort are priorities
  • Talk with your child about school