|
1st Grade: Mrs. Gentile
Children entering 1st grade will face new responsibilities in school. Your child will learn to adjust to extended academic instruction periods, take more ownership of his/her homework/schoolwork, and learn to be more independent.
Skills Acquired During 1st Grade
The emphasis in first grade is on developing your child’s reading, writing and math skills. Lessons in social studies, science, and religion are also important. Although some skills will resemble those your child learned in Kindergarten, keep in mind that 1st grade is about mastering lessons previously taught while learning new concepts as well. In 1st grade your child will be expected to:
Reading
- Expand sight word vocabulary
- Recall the sequence of events in oral and written stories
- Discuss story elements such as plot, character, events, setting, and theme
- Understand basic punctuation (capitalize first letter of a sentence, use periods and question marks, etc.)
- Identify the main idea and details in a story
- Print legibly
- Recognize single and plural forms of nouns
- Recognize and differentiate between nouns, verbs, and adjectives
- Write in complete sentences
- Differentiate between fiction and nonfiction stories
- Memorize and correctly spell between 250-350 words
Math
- Understand greater than, less than, lighter than, heavier than, the same as, etc.
- Recognize and write numbers up to 100
- Count by 2s, 5s, and 10s to 100
- Mentally add and subtract numbers to 10
- Add and subtract to 20
- Add and subtract with pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters
- Tell time to the hour and half hour
- Recognize shapes
- Identify, describe, and reproduce patterns with number, shapes, colors, or words
- Uses simple graphs to record information
- Recognize simple mathematical symbols (e.g. “+”, “=”, “>”,”<”)
- Read thermometers and use measuring tools
- Understand place value to 100
Social Studies
- Locate the United States, the seven continents, and the four oceans on a map and a globe
- Construct and interpret simple maps with cardinal directions and a map key
- Demonstrate awareness of current events
- Participate in group decision making
- Understand traditions that reflect American ideals and influences from diverse cultures within the nation
- Create charts and timelines demonstrating an understanding of past and present
- Recognize shared values and goals as students in the same community, despite differences in backgrounds
- Understand how a community operates
Science
- Use tools such as a magnifying glass, ruler, and balancing scale
- Learn the basic needs of living things
- Conduct simple, hands-on experiments
- Explore the senses — hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste
- Explore the life cycle of living things, such as frogs and plants
- Explore different types weather
Other Subjects
- Learn basic skills for word processing and playing educational games
- Develop healthy habits in Well-Being and Fitness
- Create artwork and experiment with sounds and instruments in music
- Participate in religious activities which include weekly prayer services and monthly masses
Homework
Homework assignments will be challenging, but only enough to encourage your child to do the most he/she can on his/her own. Homework for first graders will generally take 15-20 minutes. Homework time does not include 15 minutes of independent reading, nor does it include time necessary to study for tests.
Homework may include:
- Worksheets with math problems or phonics drills
- Daily reading — the most important homework — whether assigned or not
Set a regular time for your child to complete homework, whether immediately after school, after a snack, after playtime, or after dinner — what matters most is that they establish a routine. Make sure distractions from the television and computer are kept to a minimum. Ask your child if they understand the assignment, then encourage them to work on their own and to consult you if they have any questions. When finished, review your child’s work and point out any mistakes, but don’t supply the right answer. If your child errors a second time, work it out with them. Have your child put the completed assignment into their backpack in preparation for school the next morning.
Helpful Websites:
www.spellingcity.com
www.highlightskids.com
www.pbskids.org/lions
www.playkidsgames.com
www.sadlier-oxford.com
|
