In first grade the emphasis is on strengthening and extending the development and review of concepts taught in Kindergarten.
Reading instruction is based on using a “balanced literacy approach,” and students continue to be immersed in a print-rich environment. Children are read to and practice their own reading on a daily basis and engage in shared, guided and independent reading and writing opportunities.
Activities include play with language and are structured to promote phonemic awareness, letter recognition, and comprehension and fluency. Direct, explicit phonics instruction is provided, and formal spelling instruction is introduced at the beginning of the third trimester.
A large collection of leveled reading and trade books by various publishers are used for instructional reading groups, for “take home” nightly reading practice, and to accompany the first grade core curriculum history, civics, geography, and science themes. Grade-appropriate grammar is introduced using the Shurley English program.
The Grade 1 math curriculum, guided by the Scott Foresman Addison Wesley Mathematics textbook and accompanying instructional and assessment resources, provides quality tools to insure students are appropriately challenged—diagnostic tests preceding and following each chapter and whole and small group instruction aligned to student needs via frequent use of manipulatives for hands-on experience, motivational games and learning centers, focus on problem-solving strategies, and connection of math to the real world. Frequent review and steady practice of fundamentals is insured through timed tests of basic addition and subtraction facts and daily review of prior knowledge, foundational concepts, and math vocabulary.
Grade 1 history incorporates studies in the areas of both world history and geography. In geography, the children learn spatial sense by working with maps, globes, and other geographic tools. The year begins with a study of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. From there, we move on to the early English and African settlers of the New World (focusing on Plymouth, Jamestown, and Williamsburg), the development of the 13 original colonies, the American Revolution, and culminate with the study of the early exploration of the American West, specifically examining the Westward pioneer movement and the expedition of Lewis and Clark.
History instructional activities focus on many hands-on, creative projects combined with total immersion in content-driven poetry, chants, raps, and songs. Since history is taught from a western civilization perspective, it very naturally integrates with the first grade Bible curriculum, which begins in Genesis and studies the Old Testament through the book of Daniel.
Science instruction delves into the mysteries of life as created by God and provides a systematic approach combining experience with book learning as well as a format for exploration, experimentation, and questioning. Science instruction includes the topics of “What are scientists and what do they do?”, rocks, sand and soil, bears, bubbles, shadows, and the life cycle of frogs and toads.
Drama is a part of the first grade reading curriculum primarily through the use of Readers Theater, an exercise in oral reading where students take the part of a character in a story and act it out verbally with expression, meaning, and fluency. This strengthens student comprehension and connection to stories. Role playing is used in the first grade math, history, science, and Bible curricula to bring the content to life. Each year, the first grade students practice and present a play in the late spring. Titles, which can change from year to year, have included The Three Piggy Opera, Beware of the Bears, The Stone Soup Opera, and The Three Billy Goats Gruff.
Penmanship in Grade 1, using the Handwriting Without Tears series, focuses on proper pencil grip and the correct formation of letters and numerals and the necessary mechanics of handwriting.