First Grade

"This is the year the world starts to spell itself out. A first grader collects words and facts the way they collect stones and stickers, and we give them a lot to gather."

Victoria Elias

First Grade Teacher

  • First grade is the year the world begins to spell itself out, and I build a classroom where that discovery feels like an adventure. My students are natural collectors, of words, of facts, of the small delights they find in a good book, and I give them plenty to gather. We read every day, from picture books and poetry to non-fiction that opens up the world around us, and we write both the technical way and the creative way, building the foundations of spelling, phonics, and grammar one steady week at a time. My students learn to recognize a complete sentence, to name the nouns and verbs that make it work, and to take real pride in the writing they produce. Our year builds toward an end-of-year Animal Report that each child researches and presents aloud to the class, and watching a first grader stand up and share what they have learned is the highlight of my year. Through it all, I keep the room full of joy and respect, because I want my students to leave first grade certain that learning is theirs to love.

  • READING

    My main goal is to create a space in which students enjoy listening to  stories and get inspired by the written word. Love for reading is  fostered by selecting and exposing students to different genres they naturally gravitate towards on their own. 

    When stories captivate them, the motivation to read for pleasure gets reinforced. By sharing and discussing themes and ideas from stories they relate to and enjoy, they naturally level up and explore a variety of authors recommended by me or their friends. 

    I use a literature-based curriculum, non-fiction books, as well as poetry and magazines, in order for my students to explore the world around  them. Oh, the places we can go! 

    Other goals: 

    ★ Development in fluency 

    ★ Reading aloud in a group with expression  

    ★ Paired reading 

    ★ Recognition of sight words  

    ★ Expanding vocabulary 

    ★ Retelling stories and refining retelling with details 

    ★ Predicting outcomes 

    ★ Understanding cause and effect 

    ★ Drawing conclusions 

    ★ Working towards solid comprehension skills 

    ★ Sustained silent reading 

    ★ Partner read with another grade


    WRITING

    We learn both technical and creative writing. I expose students to both types of writing by modeling. With respect to technical writing, I teach new spelling and phonetic concepts each week. I reinforce these concepts through homework assignments. The cycle runs from Wednesday through Wednesday and the students complete the cycle with a weekly test. I also teach grammar, in which I focus on complete sentence writing. I teach students about nouns and verbs and learn how to identify them.

    Our expository writing skills culminate in an end of the year “Animal Report,” which each student presents to the rest of the class. Oral Presentation of this report is the highlight of the year for each individual student. They have a chance to be experts and teachers. It is an opportunity to truly shine!

    I also teach creative writing, where the goal is for students to express their ideas. We spend time developing the structure of a story, including its beginning, middle, and end. We learn to expand by adding more details to each of these three parts. Eventually, students are able to share their stories with peers and learn to give and receive feedback.

  • In first grade we solidify and build upon concepts that the students were exposed to in kindergarten. Students will practice and memorize addition and subtraction facts. They will also learn proper mathematical vocabulary so they can accurately express math problems and solutions. I often use manipulatives when I introduce new concepts. I teach students various ways to approach math problems. I foster my students’ critical thinking skills through modeling, questioning, and peer discussions. My students learn the following mathematical concepts:

    • Calendar and time

    • Numbers and patterns to 100

    • Place value

    • Data and graphing

    • Money

    • Addition and subtraction up to 3 digit numbers with regrouping

    • Multiplication and division using counting patterns

    • Geometry and measurement

    • Fractions of a whole and of a group

    My main goals with respect to math are for students to: 1) See math as a way to identify patterns; 2) Understand mathematical concepts as they relate to daily life (being on time, shopping, sharing, cooking, traveling etc.); and 3) Appreciate different paths to solving the same problem.

  • I teach social studies through study units that involve holidays or significant figures in history. Examples include: Thanksgiving (Immigration, Native Americans), Rosa Parks (Black History), and Helen Keller (Women’s History). Students will also be exposed to map skills and geography. My main goal with respect to Social Studies is that my students gain an appreciation for our personal history as well as that of important individuals and different cultures. I teach my students to understand that we are part of a bigger world and community and have the capacity and responsibility to contribute in positive ways.

Sign up for a tour today
Next

Second Grade