FIRST GRADE CURRICULUM

The First Grader: Socially, Intellectually, Emotionally

Children at this age are competitive, yet they exhibit a sense of fairness. They are quick to imitate others' behaviors, thus adults around them should be careful to model appropriate behaviors. They form social groups which change often, though "best friends" becomes a prevalent idea. Egocentric by nature, they often need help learning to solve social conflicts. A sense of respect for others' property and privacy begins to develop.

Students in first grade are able to read for the main idea and predict outcomes. Time, distance and number sense emerge. Well-developed vocabulary skills and confidence in oral skills enhance the children's curiosity and inquisitiveness. Inventive spelling promotes more complex writing and will be strengthened by regular spelling tests. Family travel and other experiences provide enrichment for these children. Learning and thinking remain at a concrete level of functioning, therefore, activities must be varied, changed frequently and largely kinesthetic.

First graders progress toward peer-centered behavior rather than self-centered behavior. Nevertheless, their confidence is easily destroyed and they can become quite discouraged in the face of criticism. These children still have a need to be nurtured, and adults at the school take on a "parenting role". Empathy emerges, though children still gain a feeling of self-importance by tattling. First graders fear their parents' illnesses and extended absences.

A. Reading

1. Print and Phonemic Awareness

a. Big Books
b. Decodables

2. Phonics

a. Phonemic Coding
b. Decodable Books
c. Phonemic Listening Exercises

3. Comprehension Strategies

a. Student Anthologies 1 and 2
b. Big Books
c. Listening Audio Cassettes

4. Composition

a. Response Journals
b. Sentence structure
c. Writing Process

B. Spelling

1. Phonics

a. Sounds and Spelling Patterns
b. Blending and Decoding
c. Dictation

C. Grammar

1. Mechanics: Capitals and Punctuation
2. Nouns
3. Adjectives
4. Verbs
5. Antonyms and Synonyms

D. Penmanship (Zaner-Bloser, 2008)

E. Literature

1. Stories read to students by teacher during the year

a. Stanley Flat Again by Jeff Brown
b. Toothless Wonder by Junie B. Jones
c. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
d. Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson
e. Socks by Beverly Cleary

A. Math 2, (Saxon Publishers 3rd edition, 2008)

1. Skip count by 1's, 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's, 10's, 25's, and 100's
2. Word problems
3. Basic addition and subtraction facts
4. Add and subtract two digit numbers (grouping and regrouping)
5. Picture and name fractions
6. Measure using inches, feet, and centimeters
7. Tell time to the hour, half hour and quarter hour, minutes
8. Count pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters
9. Identify geometric solids and angles
10. Create, read, write observations from real graphs, pictographs, bar graphs, Venn diagrams, and line graphs
11. Multiplication Facts: 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 100

A. Life Science: Plant and Animal Kingdom (Living and Non-Living)

1. Plants (FOSS)
2. Animals (MacMillan)

B. Earth Science

1. Rocks and Minerals (FOSS)
2. Weather (FOSS)
3. Dinosaurs (MacMillan)

C. Physical Science

1. Senses (MacMillan)
2. Solids, Liquids and Gases (FOSS)

A. Biographies: Lincoln, Washington, Martin Luther King, Jr., Harriet Tubman, William Bradford

B. Time and Place (Scott Foresman, Copyright 2008)

. Citizenship
2. People and Places
3. Our Country
4. Changes Over Time
5. Celebrate Cultures
6. Goods and Services

A. Project Wisdom