The primary focus in first grade is to build a solid foundation of basic skills. These skills are essential for future success in school and in life. We strive to help children realize their full potential in all areas of development.

Reading is taught in small groups and reinforced through a home/school reading program. Writing is incorporated into all subject areas with an emphasis on handwriting, spelling of core words, sentence structure, and mechanics. In math, strategies are developed for addition and subtraction and these operations are applied in problem-solving activities. Graphing, estimating, patterning and problem solving are emphasized throughout the year. Other units include place value, time, money, geometry, fractions and measurement.

Literacy

Our literacy program combines reading skills and strategies using the Superkids Reading Program to expose kids to decodable text. Direct instruction is provided in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. It uses collaborative learning and higher-level thinking skills and builds on students’ interests and experiences. We also use the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness curriculum to strengthen students' phonemic awareness skills such as rhyming and onset fluency, blending and segmenting sounds, and isolating final or middle sounds.

The following skills will be taught in first grade:

• Recognition of consonant letters and their sounds

• Learning the vowel sounds

• Blending individual sounds into sound spelling patterns

• Matching of printed to spoken word

• Seeing and hearing rhyming words

• Recognition of a basic first grade vocabulary

• Reading aloud with expression and understanding

• Developing independent reading

Math

The concepts we will be working with this year will include the following:

• Number formation to 120

• Time

• Money

• Sums and differences

• Skip counting by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s

• Geometry and graphing

• Problem solving activities

• Measurement

• Place value

• Fractions

• Ordinal numbers - estimating

Science

The areas to be studied are:

• Classifying living and non-living things

• Exploring light, shadows, transparency, and reflection

• Analyzing similarities and differences between parents and offspring in a variety of organisms including plants and animals.

• Exploring the way the Sun and Moon appear to move across the sky

Homework

• We are not providing homework this year but do encourage students to read for 20 minutes each day!

Special Events

Birthdays are celebrated on or near the child’s birthday. We ask that you do not send treats to school to celebrate birthdays due to allergies and other dietary restrictions. Students can bring a party favor for each classmate on their birthday if you would like to send one in. Students will be invited to eat lunch in the classroom with the teacher during their birthday month. Each teacher also has a special way to celebrate that child with a hat and/or trinkets.

Student of the Week

This is an opportunity to recognize one special child each week. The student will share about themselves and special events and people in their lives. They may bring in photographs of family, pets, vacations, and hobbies. Your child may wish to include photos of favorite books, foods, awards, etc.

Planned Field Trips

Fieldtrips may include:

• Roxborough State Park

• Denver Botanic Gardens

• Denver Museum of Nature and Science Planetarium