FIRST GRADE

Welcome to the start of another school year. The adjustment to First Grade is a BIG step! This is going to be an exciting year full of academic and spiritual growth for your child. Throughout the year, your child will engage in many activities designed to stimulate and satisfy his or her spiritual, intellectual, social and emotional development. Feel free to contact me throughout the year if you have any questions or concerns. We are here to work together to meet the needs of your child. Together, we can make this a valuable and enjoyable year.
 

Overview of Curriculum
 
Religion - The children will develop a deeper understanding of their faith, as well as a sense of community. They will realize they are special and unique creations of God as well as being introduced to Jesus' life from birth to the Resurrection.
 
Math - Manipulatives are used whenever possible to introduce new concepts and to help bridge the gap from the concrete to the abstract. These include place value blocks, linking cubes, chips, coins, rulers, graphs, clocks and calendars. Students will work on time, money, geometry (always a favorite), graphing, place value, basic addition and subtraction facts, fractions and measurement.
 
Language Arts (Reading, English, Spelling) - Students are exposed to a wide variety of literature either through read alouds, reading groups or independently. Journals are used to write responses, predict outcomes and rewrite endings for stories. Our class word wall introduces and reviews vocabulary. Weekly spelling tests are also a new and exciting part of first grade. Students will learn to a friendly letter, poems, how to directions, a personal narrative and invitations. Students will also be introduced to nouns, verbs and proper punctuation and capitalization. They will be introduced to writing through the 6 + 1 Writing Traits Program.
 
Science - Our science units will relate to animals and plants, matter and magnets and energy and motion.
 
Phonics - Students will begin with a review of initial and final consonant sounds. We will continue with rhyming words and long and short vowels.
 
Handwriting - Students will develop proper writing position, spacing of words on paper and basic strokes utilizing the Zaner-Bloser method.
 
                                                                         Mrs. Mastrogiovanni