The first grade reading program develops enthusiastic and competent early readers by explicitly teaching phonics and comprehension skills in small groups. Students enjoy using their growing skills to independently read books from a variety of genres. This balanced literacy approach builds skills while fostering a love of literature. Small-group instruction is a key feature of the program. In both the first and second grades, there are four reading teachers. The small student-to-teacher ratio (5-8 students per teacher) assures dedicated teacher time, which allows the adult to focus solely on the skills of the students in their group and provide immediate feedback. The first graders are effectively grouped according to the their current skills and the set of skills they need to acquire in order to become confident readers. Student progress is assessed regularly, and groups may be reconfigured in response to assessment data.

In addition to the books read in their reading groups, each child has a “ Practice Reading Bag” with a collection of appropriately chosen books for independent reading. Together with their reading teacher, each child selects books that support his or her current reading capabilities and interests.

Skills:

• phonics work with consonants, vowels, blend and vowel combinations (the Lively Letters program is used for phonics instruction)
• word structure
• oral reading fluency
• recalling important story events
• making inferences
• predicting outcomes, sequencing, recognizing cause and effect
• visualizing
• making connections - text to self, text to text, text to world
• vocabulary development

First Graders develop into confident, prolific writers through participation in a daily Writer’s Workshop. Units of study include, Launching (establishing year-long routines), Letter Writing, Small Moments (personal narratives), Nonfiction, Autobiographies, and Fiction. Throughout the writing process, children are actively participating in individual conferences with teachers. These conferences give students a chance to share their work and receive teacher feedback on topics such as logical sequencing and the use of descriptive language. Students use feedback from conferences to revise their work. They are encouraged to develop their voice as a writer while being taught specific skills. At the end of a unit of study, each child chooses a piece of writing to publish. Part of the publishing process involves final edits and revisions guided by the use of a checklist. In addition to their participation in the Writer’s Workshop, students have many opportunities to write across the curriculum. At the end of the year, students select one of their stories to share with their classmates and parents during Author Parties.

Skills:

• Conventions: spacing between words, capitalization, punctuation
• Using descriptive language
• Logical sequencing of events and ideas
• Writing in different genres

Spelling
First Graders use their growing phonetic knowledge to spell words in their daily writing. They practice building words through a spelling technique called scratch spelling, where they are given lines to represent the sounds within a word. High frequency words are posted on a classroom word wall and students work to acquire accurate spelling as they use these words in daily writing, games, and activities. Spelling resources, such as a word wall ring and a teacher-generated dictionary are available to students as they write. Students practice their spelling skills in homeroom and their small reading groups.

Handwriting
First Graders continue to practice proper letter formation using the Handwriting Without Tears Program, which begins in Pre- Kindergarten at Tenacre. In addition to group instruction, students practice their skills individually twice a week in a handwriting workbook.

In first grade, students use the Singapore Math Program to further develop number sense and problem-solving abilities. In each unit of study, students build their understanding through the use of concrete materials and then move on to working with pictorial representations and algorithms. Their knowledge of number bonds facilitates their ability to construct and solve addition and subtraction equations. Memorizing number facts up to 20 is stressed as a building block of mathematical proficiency when adding and subtracting numbers up to 100. Students practice both at school and at home to commit facts to memory. Mental math and problem solving are also key components of the program. Typical math lessons include a mental math warm-up and skill introduction, followed by additional instruction and practice using hands-on materials, games, and workbook pages. Math is taught daily for 40 minutes in three small groups.
 
Concepts/ Skills:

• Problem solving, reasoning and communication
• Understanding and memorizing addition and subtraction facts to 20
• Developing number sense to 100
• Adding and subtracting 2 digit numbers
• Understanding the concept of multiplication through skip counting by 2, 5, and 10
• Identifying pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters and representing their values 

The theme of community unifies the country study and social skills curriculum, which are the focal points of the first grade social studies program. These units of study provide students with an opportunity to learn about themselves and the larger world. Throughout the year, the social skills curriculum supports students as they continue to learn how to work cooperatively and to participate within the classroom and school community as responsible citizens. Together, students create rules, learn effective problem-solving techniques, and begin to understand and respect each person’s individuality. As they learn about one another, students develop an awareness of and appreciation for a variety of family structures and customs. A year-long unit on Mexico allows students to expand their understanding of people and cultures through the study of a neighboring country. As they learn about Mexico, the students focus on age-appropriate topics such as food, clothing, celebrations, school life, and topography. Throughout their study they are able to note both differences and similarities and recognize the common bonds and basic human needs of all people.

Skills:

• learning language and strategies to safeguard personal safety
• developing an interest in learning about cultural beliefs and traditions
• recording personal histories—recognizing past, present & future
• finding information in non-fiction texts and videos
• learning how to use and organize information from a variety of sources
• beginning note taking using pictures and words
• reading and creating basic maps and symbols, recognizing directionality

In first grade, students begin using Spanish to express their world more intentionally. They expand beyond recognition to production, speaking in short phrases and simple sentences about themselves, their families, and their surroundings. Vocabulary includes days of the week, school subjects, foods, animals, and common activities. Students practice listening comprehension through songs and stories, responding verbally or with movement to show understanding. Early literacy begins as they trace and copy Spanish words, connecting sound to symbol.

Cultural study introduces them to Spanish-speaking countries across Latin America and Europe, helping them see how geography, music, and tradition shape daily life. Students learn about holidays like Three Kings Day or Carnaval through art and storytelling, making comparisons to their own customs. Social-emotional learning continues through collaboration and creative expression. Students role-play greetings, express emotions (“Estoy feliz,” “Estoy cansado”), and build empathy by learning how children worldwide share universal feelings and experiences.

• Learning age-appropriate vocal technique
• Rhythm studies with Orff and percussion instruments
• Understanding beat versus rhythm
• Preparing for the class play and the December Nights, December Lights performance
• World music singing and dancing
• Introduction to reading rhythmic notation

Skills:

• to problem-solve using the elements and principles of design guidelines 
• to combine familiar and new techniques when painting, drawing, and creating sculptures 
• to collaborate with peers when creating the scenery for the class play
• to articulate the artistic process when presenting to a group 
• to find joy in creating and exploring new media and techniques

Grade 1 students begin the year exploring programming and robotics skills via storytelling and character development. Challenges allow for creativity and artistry in solutions.

• Basic movement skills: running, jumping, hopping, skipping, galloping
• Cooperative games and activities
• Space awareness: where the body moves
• How the body moves
• Relationships: of body parts; with objects, with people, with apparatus
• Creative movement and exploration
• Dance
• Gymnastics
• Hitting and striking skills, throwing
• Cardiovascular health unit
• Learning how to ride a bike
• Fitness
• Lead-up games to team sports
• Sportsmanship, fair play

First Grade: Broadening the enjoyment of literature and beginning to understand how to access literature and information within a library

• Discover how illustrators contribute to the telling of a story
• Recognize and choose picture books and easy reading
• Recognize how culture and geography effect fairy tale elements 

• Identify and alphabetizing of call numbers
• Compare and contrast story elements, especially with fairy tales of different cultural heritages
• Independently locate Non-Fiction, Easy Readers, Picture, and Fairy Tale sections in library
• Learn that Non-Fiction is organized by topic 

• Develop an awareness of what books can teach us 
• Use the library to discover and pursue personal interests