First Grade

First grade is an exciting time when children learn many new things and begin to lay the foundation for all future learning. Most critical during first grade is the development of reading, writing, and math skills. Children, who enter first grade not knowing how to read, will learn to do so over the first few months. Those who enter first grade already reading continue to build on that knowledge and usually become semi-independent reader’s part way through the year.

Learning to write is given a priority in first grade. Children learn how to put their thoughts down on paper in such a way that others can read them. First graders learn how to write correctly and neatly, practicing their penmanship each day. Math is also a very important part of first grade. Students begin committing to memory important math facts and counting patterns, enabling them to work with more complicated math procedures in the future without being hindered by a lack of basic knowledge.

Just as important as the academic work accomplished in first grade are other classroom and learning skills that are practiced. Students learn how to: work independently at a desk; read directions off the board or an assignment; complete homework and bring it back the next day; work quietly without disrupting others in the class; work in a group; and take responsibility for their actions and learning in the classroom.

Skills taught and in First Grade include:
In writing, your child should be able to write thoughtful, complete sentences with correct capitalization and punctuation. Unknown spellings should be approximated in a way that others can understand what your child is attempting to communicate.

In mathematics, your student will learn the basic addition and subtraction facts from first grade. Other areas that should be mastered before entering second grade include: counting by ones, twos, fives and tens to 100; identifying odd and even numbers; telling time to the hour and half-hour; identifying and counting pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters; measuring with centimeters and inches; counting tally marks; reading a graph; and completing two-digit addition and subtraction problems (both without regrouping).

First Grade Assessments:
All first graders take the M.A.P. test in the beginning of the year and at the end. This computer adaptive test helps the teacher evaluate the progress a student has made during the year, and provides objective norm referenced data to inform classroom instruction.