First graders will begin the year focusing on the mathematical practices. These practices will guide students to become mathematicians as they move through the units and skills taught. Units taught in first grade include counting, reading and writing to 120, representing numbers using tens and ones, greater than, less than and equal to, adding and subtracting within 10, fact families, word problems, fractions and adding and subtracting ten more/ten less within 100. Students are encouraged to share their thinking during daily number talk routines.
Fountas and Pinnell is the curriculum used for reading and writing. The curriculum includes shared reading / writing, guided reading, interactive read alouds, word study and phonics. UFLI is the phonics curriclum we follow and we utilize Heggerty for phonemic awareness. Reading A to Z provides additional decodable resources for our students to access. These pieces of the curriculum are used within the whole group, small group and independent settings. Key reading skills covered in first grade include decoding, reading first grade high frequency words, comprehending texts at grade level and reading orally with fluency.
1st Grade Reading Reporting Skills
1st Grade Writing Reporting Skills
First graders start off the year learning how to be a scientist, discussing science tools and how to use them safely. The light and sound unit allows students to make observations about sounds and vibrations, using lights and sound to communicate over a distance and light and illumination. Students will be able to answer the question “What happens when there is no light?” For the sun and moon unit, students will make and use observations of the sun, moon and start to describe daily and seasonal patterns. Students will be able to answer the question “What objects are in the sky and how do they seem to move?” The last unit focuses on answering questions such as “What are some ways plants and animals meet their needs so they can survive and grow?” and “How are parents and their children similar and different?” Mystery Science lessons are used to help facilitate conversations within the classroom surrounding these 3 units.
The social studies curriculum we use is Inquiry Journeys and Junior Achievement. The units or modules for our first grade students include Civic Engagment, Families Near and Far, and Our Special Location. The year begins with students learning about rules and laws and how citizens can work together for the good of the community. The second module focuses on how we can bring families together to form stronger communites. The year ends with students understanding how we can help others appreciate our special locations. Students will also learn about all kinds of families, money for needs and wants, businesses all around the neighborhood, jobs all around the neighborhood, and a new business through junior achievement.