Reading/Language Arts
Schoolwide Reading Fundamentals is our new reading series this year. This series promotes a balanced literacy framework. Within this framework, there are opportunities to read to students (mentor texts), to read with students (shared texts), and to have students read independently (books and other texts at their independent reading levels).
Starting in September, your child will be required to complete a monthly reading log. These logs are found in the beginning of your child's Agenda. They will be given a goal of how many minutes they must read each month. This will be written at the top of your child's reading log for each month. Your child must read for at least 20 minutes every day to you or with you. More information about reading logs will be sent home later this year.
Guided Reading
In addition to the whole group and small group instruction that students receive during reading, I will meet with guided reading groups weekly. Guided reading focuses more on the individual reading needs of each child. During guided reading, I work with students at their instructional level to guide them in using context, visual, and structure cues in stories to generate meaning. By using instructional level texts that gradually increase in difficulty, students are better able to apply strategies within context. Through guided instruction, students feel more successful! The end goal, as with any literacy component in First grade, is for students to become confident, proficient readers. The Scholastic guided reading series helps us reach these goals. Students are assessed regularly on their reading levels and grouped accordingly to their skills and needs.
Handwriting
Handwriting is taught using Handwriting Without Tears resource. Handwriting Without Tears uses a step-by-step approach for teaching and learning handwriting. The four keys to legibility that are explored include shape, size, spacing, and slant. This systematic program builds automaticity in reproduction of the alphabet, so students are free to focus on meaning and expression as they write.
Math
First grade will be implementing Eureka Math again this year. We will be using this series to focus on the Illinois Common Core State Standards: Operations and Algebraic Thinking, Number and Operations in Base Ten, Measurement and Data, and Geometry. Your child will be exposed to different strategies for solving problems in basic addition and subtraction, geometry, fractions, time, place value, measurement, and probability. Your student will be completing various hands-on activities with different manipulatives while learning these new math concepts. They will be using comprehensive workbooks that include daily practice of concepts taught. In order for your child to understand and remember these new concepts, additional practice or guidance may be necessary.
Science
First grade will be using the Mystery Science program to teach the Next Generation Science Standards. There are three main units of study: "Spinning Sky," "Animal Superpowers," and "Lights & Sound." The program provides inquiry-rich activities, lab experiments/activities, and cross-curricular connections that link reading, math, and science skills throughout.
Social Studies
First grade uses the Scott Foresman Social Studies resource to help supplement the implementation of the new Illinois State Social Science standards. The students will explore the following units: Time for School, In My Community, Work, Work, Work; Our Earth/Our Resources, This Is Our Country, and Our Country/Our World. With rich content that captures students' imaginations and built-in reading and vocabulary instruction, this series teaches students about respect, caring, responsibility, fairness, courage, and honesty. Plus, a few exciting lessons about some aspects of United States history. Students will engage in a hands-on and cooperative culminating activity or project at the end of every unit to display how much they have learned about the content taught.
Schoolwide Reading Fundamentals is our new reading series this year. This series promotes a balanced literacy framework. Within this framework, there are opportunities to read to students (mentor texts), to read with students (shared texts), and to have students read independently (books and other texts at their independent reading levels).
Starting in September, your child will be required to complete a monthly reading log. These logs are found in the beginning of your child's Agenda. They will be given a goal of how many minutes they must read each month. This will be written at the top of your child's reading log for each month. Your child must read for at least 20 minutes every day to you or with you. More information about reading logs will be sent home later this year.
Guided Reading
In addition to the whole group and small group instruction that students receive during reading, I will meet with guided reading groups weekly. Guided reading focuses more on the individual reading needs of each child. During guided reading, I work with students at their instructional level to guide them in using context, visual, and structure cues in stories to generate meaning. By using instructional level texts that gradually increase in difficulty, students are better able to apply strategies within context. Through guided instruction, students feel more successful! The end goal, as with any literacy component in First grade, is for students to become confident, proficient readers. The Scholastic guided reading series helps us reach these goals. Students are assessed regularly on their reading levels and grouped accordingly to their skills and needs.
Handwriting
Handwriting is taught using Handwriting Without Tears resource. Handwriting Without Tears uses a step-by-step approach for teaching and learning handwriting. The four keys to legibility that are explored include shape, size, spacing, and slant. This systematic program builds automaticity in reproduction of the alphabet, so students are free to focus on meaning and expression as they write.
Math
First grade will be implementing Eureka Math again this year. We will be using this series to focus on the Illinois Common Core State Standards: Operations and Algebraic Thinking, Number and Operations in Base Ten, Measurement and Data, and Geometry. Your child will be exposed to different strategies for solving problems in basic addition and subtraction, geometry, fractions, time, place value, measurement, and probability. Your student will be completing various hands-on activities with different manipulatives while learning these new math concepts. They will be using comprehensive workbooks that include daily practice of concepts taught. In order for your child to understand and remember these new concepts, additional practice or guidance may be necessary.
Science
First grade will be using the Mystery Science program to teach the Next Generation Science Standards. There are three main units of study: "Spinning Sky," "Animal Superpowers," and "Lights & Sound." The program provides inquiry-rich activities, lab experiments/activities, and cross-curricular connections that link reading, math, and science skills throughout.
Social Studies
First grade uses the Scott Foresman Social Studies resource to help supplement the implementation of the new Illinois State Social Science standards. The students will explore the following units: Time for School, In My Community, Work, Work, Work; Our Earth/Our Resources, This Is Our Country, and Our Country/Our World. With rich content that captures students' imaginations and built-in reading and vocabulary instruction, this series teaches students about respect, caring, responsibility, fairness, courage, and honesty. Plus, a few exciting lessons about some aspects of United States history. Students will engage in a hands-on and cooperative culminating activity or project at the end of every unit to display how much they have learned about the content taught.