First Grade
Curriculum Overview:
Reading: Harcourt and Read Well
Whole group: Daily work with the current reading curriculum Harcourt, which is a program well balanced with phonics and whole language skills.
Small group: We will work with Read Well, which is a research-based reading program that combines systematic phonics, mastery-based learning, and rich content. The first graders will develop strong decoding skills, comprehension strategies, and sophisticated content knowledge.
Individual practice: During small group work the first graders who are not in small group self manage themselves doing station work in the classroom. Some of these stations include:
Phonics station
Sentence maker
Computer
Read around the room
Poetry project
Listening center
Writing: Four Square writing
Four Square writing is a method of teaching basic writing skills that is applicable across grade levels and curriculum areas. It can be applied for the narrative, descriptive, expository and persuasive forms of writing. This visual and kinesthetic aid is employed to focus and organize writing to provide detail and enhance word choice.
The first grader's will also learn the following skills:
Basic sentence structure
Correct punctuation
Nouns and verbs
Letters
Short stories
Whole group instruction with basic math skills
Station work focusing on specific math skills
Individual help as needed.
Skills to be covered: (remember this is a working list…things can and will be added and taken out as dictated by your first graders skills).
o Addition and subtraction skills (using various methods and techniques)
o Problem solving skills
o Skip counting 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, 5’s, 10’s, 11’s
o Calendar skills
o Time
o Money
o Shapes
o Graphing
o Patterning
o Doubles
o Fact families
o Fractions
o Graphs
o Measurement
Science: Harcourt and Foss kits
Whole group instruction
Exploring in small groups
Exploring individually
The first graders will be experiencing science in the classroom and with Mrs. Schneider (the 6th/ 7th/8th science teacher). This is a wonderful treat!
Harcourt Science:
The first graders will be exploring areas of Life Science, Earth Science and Physical Science.
Life Science:
o Plants and animals all around
o Living together: environments
Earth Science:
o About Our Earth
o Weather, Seasons and Sky
Physical Science:
o Investigating Matter
o Energy in Our World
Some of the other topics we will be covering include:
o Seeds
o Whales
o Balance and motion
o The human body
o Spiders
o Bats
o Penguins
Exploring Where and Why
Weekly reader
Continent study with grades 1-3.
Neighborhoods near and far
A Developmental program based on scripture and rooted in the teachings of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Check the website out www.faithfirst.com