Welcome to First Grade Curriculum Night

1. Welcome to First Grade Curriculum Night

2. Rally Robin Purpose: To move information from our working memory into our short term memory, is content centered, engages many of the multiple intelligences Rally Robin is for brainstorming.

3. Math: Investigations Investigations is a hands on program that allows for student exploration and open-ended discovery of mathematical concepts. *5 Goals* • Numeration and Operations: making sets and matching numerals, counting by 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, representing numbers in a variety of ways, addition and subtraction • Measurement: telling time to the half-hour, estimation, measuring attributes like length, capacity, and mass • Geometry: identify and name parallelograms, squares, trapeziods, and hexagons. Identify and name cylinders, cones, and rectangular prisms • Data and Probability: make predictions, create and organize data on charts and graphs • Algebra: Sort objects by attributes, use Venn Diagrams to show similarities and differences in two sets, create and extend patterns and identify the pattern unit

4. Math (cont’d) We will use common assessments across the grade level to direct our instructional practices. This will result in some small group instruction for acceleration and for remediation.

5. Writing Writing instruction takes place five days a week. We utilize the Lucy Caulkins’ Writing Program: Units of Study for Primary Writing During Writer’s Workshop, students choose their own stories ideas, plan, draft, revise and edit their own stories. The teacher conferences daily with students, supporting their ideas, but not necessarily correcting their conventions. Putting ideas into written form is the most important thing at this time. The Writing Process requires a lot of time, thinking, creativity, and hard work!

6. Science Our science curriculum is inquiry-based and provides hands-on opportunities for students to learn about the wonderful world around them. The five main concepts we will study this year are: • Ecosystems • Molecular Biology • Earth Systems, Structures and Process • Earth in the Universe • Forces and Motion

7. Social Studies In 1st grade, children learn about neighborhoods, communities, and begin extending their knowledge of people and their cultures throughout the world. They compare past and present changes to a variety of different neighborhoods and communities. Showing good character is also a focus during 1st grade. Units of Study: History, Geography and Environmental Literacy, Economics and Financial Literacy, Civics and Governance, and Culture

8. Literacy Instruction Our all access program for reading instruction is Imagine It! Through Imagine It! we teach all areas of reading instruction: Phonemic awareness Explicit, systematic phonics instruction Comprehension Fluency Vocabulary Development Imagine It! Themes for the year: Back to School; Where Animals Live; I am Responsible!; Our Neighborhood at Work; What’s the Weather?; North, South, East, West; I Think I Can; Away We Grow!; Home, Sweet, Home; I Am Brave

9. DWT: Differentiated Work Time This is the time for small group instruction based on students’ strengths, reading levels and instructional needs. DWT requires students to work independently at literacy stations while the teacher works with small groups of students.

10. Celebrations

11. Accelerated Reader: AR Accelerated Reader is a computer-based reading comprehension program which allows students to read books appropriate for their individual level and quizzes them on their comprehension of the story. First quarter –Students learn how to use the computer program by teacher modeling reading a story and logging on to take the AR quiz. Second quarter – Students are given the STAR test to find their individual range, they are trained in how to select appropriate books, individual goals are set, and they begin the AR program. Third & Fourth Quarters – Students set individual goals and strive to reach their goal independently.

12. Keys to Success • READ WITH YOUR CHILD DAILY. • Show your child where the skills they are learning are used in real life: WRITE a shopping list, MEASURE when cooking, etc. • GET A GOOD START TO EACH DAY. Your child needs a good night’s sleep, breakfast, and to arrive at school on time every day. • CHECK EACH SYLLABUS SCORE. Please read the assessment scores and initial next to each score. If you have concerns, please let us know. • REINFORCE BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS AT HOME. We need your support. • CHECK AGENDAS NIGHTLY. Please look at your child’s agenda every evening for reminders, sign for reading, and sign for Active Eagles.