Students in Grade 1 love to be busy and engaged. Reading and writing skills introduced in Kindergarten are extended with individual and small group work. Everyday Math, which begins in Prekindergarten, continues to be the primary program and is supplemented with work with manipulatives and practice of addition and subtraction fact families. Students learn basic research skills and complete a research report on an animal. Science focuses on the life cycle; a highlight of the year is eating vegetables the students grow in the schoolyard garden. The world becomes even more exciting with studies of the past and present, a look at comparative cultures, and an in-depth study of the far-away continent Antarctica.
Key programs and texts: Handwriting Without Tears; Everyday Math; Steck-Vaughn “Pair-It” Reading; Word a Day Vocabulary; DGP Grammar; Continent of geographic study – Antarctica; Second Step
Grade 1 Curriculum Benchmarks
By the end of first grade, your child will be able to–
Language Arts
- Decode words using first grade phonetic knowledge.
- Read selected high frequency and irregularly spelled words.
- Read books for pleasure and information.
- Determine main idea and supporting details, and fact from fiction.
- Identify character, setting, and plot.
- Write for a variety of purposes.
- Actively listen and participate in group discussions.
- Speak clearly for an audience.
- Compose sentences with main idea and supporting information.
- Revise written work to improve clarity.
- Use correct capitalization and punctuation appropriate to first grade.
- Name and identify parts of speech and sentences at first grade level.
Mathematics
- Count to 100 by 2s, 5s, and 10s.
- Add and subtract to 10 from memory.
- Identify odd and even numbers.
- Use strategies to compute whole numbers to 100.
- Solve equations with variables (2 + __ = 7).
- Create and summarize conclusions from graphs.
- Recognize, create, and identify geometric shapes.
- Estimate number of objects.
- Measure objects in a variety of ways and with various tools.
- Tell time to the half hour.
- Use symbols: =, +,-,<,>.
- Identify and model fractions: ¼, 1/3, ½.
- Solve problems with money.
Social Studies
- Summarize what it means to be a good citizen at school.
- Vote on classroom/school issues such as inside, outside rules.
- Name continents and oceans.
- Locate Antarctica on map and globe.
- Describe unique aspects of the geography of Antarctica.
- Relate noteworthy Antarctic expeditions.
- Name the purposes of travel to Antarctica; list what scientists need to survive, hardships they face, results of long-term dwelling.
- Describe important American and international holidays and traditions (i.e., Martin Luther King Day, Santa Lucia Day, Chinese New Year).
- Describe life as an American pioneer.
- Compare and contrast American pioneer life with native American/Indian life long ago.
- List reasons why people move.
- Describe how settlers create communities, and note what is necessary to thrive in new communities.
Research notable Americans and Antarctic explorers.
