1st Grade

Mathematics

This year K-5 will be using the My Math program, supplementing other math materials to the program when needed. This text is published by McGraw-Hill and correlates with the Common Core State Standards. This program lays the foundation for students to become familiar with additive reasoning skills, time & money concepts, geometry, data analysis, fractions, and weights and measurement.  There will be homework on Mondays through Thursdays. Math homework will be about 10 minutes.

Supplemental math work will include problem solving and extended skill building where needed.   Math games will be incorporated into the morning math work block.

Science

Students will use the scientific method to explore the world around them by learning about weather, sound, light, where food comes from, relationships with babies and their mothers/fathers, magnets, life cycles of plants and animals. Students will learn to care for our earth by understanding recycling, reducing, and reusing.

English Language Arts & Literacy

This series incorporates all areas of Language Arts: Phonics, Reading, English, Writing, and Spelling.  Weekly spelling lists will be given on Fridays using Words Their Way as a resource.  The list will also include first grade sight words each week as well as pertinent theme related words. Phonics skills and phonemic awareness are reinforced with lessons from the Fundations program. Strategies for reading comprehension and fluency will occur during reading groups.

During daily journal writing, students will practice sentence structure and grammar. Students will use the writing process; pre-write, write, edit, re-vise, and share.  This process will be used throughout all areas of the curriculum.

Handwriting

Proper printing formation of uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers will be taught using the Fundations program and process, in addition to work in their Zaner/Blozer workbooks.  Students will be taught cursive in second grade.

Social Studies

Students will be provided the opportunity to become more aware of themselves and the communities in which they work and play.  Family members are invited to come and share all about their occupations as students learn about “Community Helpers.” First graders will acquire map skills throughout the year and will learn about the continents and oceans.

Religion

Students will be learning about God, Jesus, and the Catholic religion using the book “We Believe” as a resource. Students will attend Catholic Mass in the school gym. They will learn parts of the Catholic Mass and prayers.  Students will learn about saints and their feast day. The first graders will be paired with an older grade as “Mass Buddies.” They will attend mass with their buddies. Throughout the year they will have other opportunities to meet with their buddies.  The first grade class will also be in charge of organizing and participating in a prayer service or mass during the year.