First Grade Curriculum

Reading - Guided Reading groups, big books, small decodable readers, leveled stories, reading centers, vocabulary words (word wall words included), main idea, details of a story, sequencing, making predictions, cause/effect, realism/fantasy, exploration of poetry and folk tale, following directions and listening skills.  Phonics: decoding beginning and ending consonant sounds, short and long vowels, word families, blends, digraphs, contractions, compound words and synonyms/antonyms.  

http://www.sfreading.com 

 This is the website that allows each child to read at their reading level, listen to books read to them, take quizzes, and record their reading. http://www.raz-kids.com/ 

How to Log In:

Go to the Robert Crown Website  ^{http://www.cusd118.lake.k12.il.us/crown}                                                    

Click on Library resources at the top of the page.

Go to First Grade Resources at the left side of the page.

Click on Raz-Kids (It is in Yellow).  

When you get to the Raz-Kids website go to the Log In at the top of the page.  

The log in is: jheld1

Zaner-Bloser Handwriting - Printing: Upper and lower case letters formation, using  appropriate spaces, letter/line relationships, left to right progression, number formations

Words Their Way - This program is a developmentally driven instructional approach to teach phonics, vocabulary and spelling which we hope will improve literacy skills.  Words Their Way provides the students with the opportunity to work with developmentally appropriate words everyday during class with various word study activities.  

Expressive Writing - Capitalization, punctuation, handwriting, spelling and creative story writing (including journal entries)

Math- Use of manipulatives to develop concepts in solving addition and subtraction number sentences, basic facts, basic and skip counting, telling time, coin value and combinations, measurement, basic

Science - Plants and Animals are Living Things, The Sky and Weather, Caring for the Earth, Force and Motion, Magnets and Sound and Dental Health 

 http://www.mhschool.com 

Social Studies - Home and School, Communities and Neighborhoods, Map Skills, Needs and Wants, Our Earth and its Resources, Our Country and World, Social Skills, Current Events and Personal Safety  

http://www.sfsocialstudies.com

Weekly Schedule

12:20-12:50

Library

3:00-3:30

Computers

12:35-1:00

3:10

Physical Education

Mystery Readers

Homework:

The most important homework your child can do this year is read.  Your child should try to read for twenty minutes every night, practice spelling words and practice math facts between 10-15 minutes.   A weekly homework assignment (handwriting practice, math facts, writing, etc.) will be on the back of your child’s spelling list.  This homework assignment should be completed and returned to school on the following Monday.  Occasionally, I will send other homework home either as a follow-up activity (review) to what was done in class or something your child should individually practice.  

Field Trips:

Each field trip we take during the year pertains to our curriculum focus at that specific time of the year.  Our first field trip will be to Royal Oak Apple Orchard on October 20th.  We will also have a spring field trip in April. 

Volunteers:

I am interested in utilizing parents in the classroom, small groups, reading and math centers or being a mystery reader.  If you are interested in volunteering somehow in the classroom, please fill out the volunteer sheet.  I will contact the parents that are interested to begin a schedule.

Newsletters:

I send home weekly newsletters summarizing activities and skills the first graders are learning.  Also, I will add extra information regarding any special events, dates and reminders.  Please make sure you take a few minutes to read through it.  I also provide suggestions on ways to help your child practice at home.  Please make sure I have your email address so you can receive it via email.  

Snack:
The class has snack every afternoon.  Students are encouraged to bring a healthy snack.  Snack is not a time for students to be eating another whole meal and, therefore, should have something that will only take them about 10 to 15 minutes to eat.  Sharing of snacks are not allowed in the classroom due to possible allergic reactions. Please be aware that we do have  children with a peanut allergy in our classroom.  We are a PEANUT FREE classroom!

Classroom Management:

We follow The Bulldog B's!  The Bulldog B's are BE Responsible, BE Respectful and BE Safe! To keep you informed on your child’s weekly behavior and progress, I send home a “Weekly Report” every Friday.  This should be read over and signed by a parent/guardian.  Please return them back to school on Monday.  

Pennies for Kindness:

Complements are contagious.  If at anytime our first grade class receives a complement outside of our classroom (lunchroom, playground, specials or the hallway) by any other staff member on how we are following the Bulldog B’s, our class will receive a penny in our complement jar.  Once our jar is filled up we will earn a special surprise.

Bulldog B Ticket

We are always working on positive reinforcement in first grade.  I always like the first graders to feel confident about making first class choices and to be proud of themselves.  Therefore, when a first grader is caught following our three Bulldog B’s, making a good choice or acting appropriately he/she may earn a Bulldog B ticket.  He/she will then put his/her ticket in our ticket jar.  At the end of the week, three or four names will be pulled and as a “well done”, those students whose tickets are pulled will get to choose a prize from the prize jar.   These tickets will also be used in our Friday whole school drawings and used in our school store. 

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Questions? Email me at jheld@d118.org

Last Updated on September 23, 2011