Our Curriculum in First Grade

Math     Language Arts    Science/Social Studies    Bible    Others

 

Math

Our school will be using Harcourt-Brace Math this year. 

First graders are expected to:

 

  • skip count by 1's, 2's, 5's, and 10's
  • compare and order numbers
  • identify place value to 100
  • identify ordinal position to tenth
  • identify a sorting rule
  • identify and extend patterns
  • solve routine and non-routine problems
  • master all basic addition facts and most of the basic subtraction facts
  • add and subtract two-digit numbers without regrouping
  • use comparison symbols
  • picture and name fractions
  • identify a fractional part of a set
  • measure using inches, feet, and centimeters
  • compare volume, mass, and area
  • tell time to the half hour
  • order events by time
  • count pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters
  • identify and draw polygons
  • identify geometric solids
  • tally
  • identify events as certain, likely, or impossible
  • create, read, and write observations from real graphs, pictographs, and bar graphs

See more about my guided math program here.

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Language Arts

I use the Four-Blocks ® framework for literacy. The components of this balanced literacy program include guided reading, writing, self-selected reading, and working with words (phonics). In addition to this model, I also do a combination of Chall-Popp and Saxon Phonics.

Grade 1 Phonics students will:

  • participate in daily phonemic awareness skill building activities

  • learn new letter, letter cluster, or spelling concepts weekly
  • participate in daily reviews of previously taught concepts to ensure sufficient exposure to, and mastery of, each concept
  • begin blending sounds to read and unblending sounds to spell after learning two letters
  • learn to spell by applying spelling rules rather than by relying only on memorization
  • learn common suffixes and selected prefixes
  • develop fluency by reading text (fluency readers) written with high-frequency words
  • receive explicit handwriting instruction (print)
  • be assessed regularly to monitor progress in phonics and spelling
  • participate in games and activities that motivate, reinforce, and remediate

(We will not begin formal spelling tests until second quarter)

We also use the Pathways theme books during our language arts block. For more info, see my Pathways page.

For more information about Four-Blocks, please visit our 4B page. For more information on Saxon Phonics, please visit their website.

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Science & Social Studies

All of our science and social studies units are integrated into our language arts program. Through our literature units and activities, we study the following themes:

Science:

  • Solar System

  • Apples/Farms

  • Habitats (ponds, forests, polar regions, savannahs)

  • Plants/Health

  • Weather

  • Magnets & Energy

  • Simple Machines

Social Studies

  • Community

  • Friendship

  • Family

  • Holidays (Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Traditions, ML King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Earth Day)

  • Famous Americans

  • Our Country, Our State, Our Town: A Study of Symbols

  • Our Neighbors: Canada & Mexico

  • Native Americans

Please see our units page for more information.

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Bible

We complete the 1st book in the 4-year SDA LIFE Bible series. 

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In addition to the curriculum taught inside the classroom, the following courses are taught by other highly-qualified teachers:

  • PE

  • Music

  • Computer

  • Library Skills

  • Art

We believe children learn best as they experience the world around them. Your first grader will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities within our own community, including the following:

  • Apple Orchard//Firehouse Field Trip in the fall

  • Chattanooga Nature Center visiting our school (if available)

  • Junior Achievement lessons

  • DARE lessons

  • Outdoor Education at Hidden Hills Stable

  • Various community guest speakers

    •

  • TN Aquarium/Discovery Museum Trip in spring

    • (if available)

  • Classroom Chaplains

  • SonRise Easter Pageant

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