2010-11 Supply List
Welcome to our Fantastic, Friendly, Fair, Fun First Grade Classroom Community
Students’ excitement of learning fills the air as first graders explore science, literature, social studies, reading, computers, numbers, art, music, healthful living and the natural world. Creativity constantly zooms through our day, as we make up silly rhymes or think of unusual ways to change things. Music magically thrills us and helps us learn about letters and sounds, as we sing about Ignatius the Inchworm, Xavier the extraterrestrial or Mrs. Price’s mice.
All of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study goals for first grade are woven into our in-depth studies, which include communities, the rainforest, and Egypt. We practice critical thinking skills, exploring why things happen, brainstorming many different possibilities, relating ideas in new and different ways. For example, we not only study human communities, but throughout the year think about animal and plant communities in our units of study, and communities of different cultures. Even in first grade, we are doing interdisciplinary studies!
For many students, first grade is the time when reading magic happens. Most first graders begin the year not really reading, but by the end of the year, most are reading 40 – 60 words a minute! You as parents begin the magic of reading when you read aloud to your babies and toddlers. In first grade, we use many different strategies to unlock the key to written language.
First grade scientists learn to observe, record data, make predictions and hypotheses, and perform experiments as we delve into the topics of study that the North Carolina Standard Course of Study outlines for first grade: plants and animals, rocks and soil, solids and liquids, balance, motion, weighing and forces of energy.
First grade mathematicians use the Everyday Mathematics program, which was developed at the University of Chicago. This program uses a lot of games and math manipulatives to help children not only learn basic math skills, but also a develop a higher level conceptual understanding of the skills.
Our first grade community is an exciting place, and also a place where caring for others and for our planet earth is emphasized. Welcome to first grade!