Grade 1 Curriculum











Beginning in Grade 1, students have both a General Studies and a Judaic Studies teacher. Our first grade program captures the enthusiasm our students have as they embark on new adventures in the world of learning.

The eagerness with which first graders engage in activities presents both opportunities and challenges. We recognize that process is more important than product for most first graders and that constant encouragement and understanding are needed as our students try out many new roles. We seek to find the balance between choice and structure that will allow our first graders to develop their boundless curiosity and natural love of learning.

One of the most significant changes in the first grade social world view is that students extend their friendships through working with others in small cooperative groups. These activities help our students identify differences, begin to see another’s point of view, and consider rules with greater objectivity.

In addition to tefillot, each day begins with a Morning Meeting – a strong foundation for building community and for creating a positive climate for learning. In Morning Meeting, each child is greeted by other children. They participate in a special group activity to mark the break between home and school; some students share information about events in their lives, and the class learns the news and announcements that often reinforce academic skills or preview part of the day.

We love the energy and astonishing growth of first graders, and we delight in watching their transformations.

Language Arts

Our primary goal in first grade is to foster a love of literature in an environment which values the importance of reading, writing, self-expression, and respectful discussion. Teachers model literate behaviors and share their own excitement about books.

Each reading class begins with a lesson that focuses on a particular reading skill. Students then take books to their favorite reading spots in the classroom, where they can apply what they have just learned. Teachers confer with students individually and in small groups. The lesson concludes with the students coming back together and sharing in a large group setting.

We integrate reading, and writing; our balanced literacy program includes phonics, guided reading, independent reading, and shared reading. The reading strategies which are the focus of first grade include sight word recognition, prediction, phonics, contextual and picture cues, and comprehension.

Teachers help students see writing as a powerful means of communicating their ideas and feelings. First graders write on a daily basis in a variety of forms, including journal writing, stories, letters, poems, and factual reports. Inventive spelling enables first graders to express their ideas. Conventional phonetic spelling and common non-phonetic sight words are taught with the help of the word wall and environmental print. Using the Zaner-Bloser method of handwriting instruction, first graders practice correct number and letter formation, directionality, and spacing of words.

Mathematics

The TERC Investigations curriculum, which forms the core of our math program, recognizes the developmental differences in learning styles as well as in variations in readiness to think about mathematical ideas. Students are most often introduced to new concepts through experiences with concrete materials (manipulatives such as unifix cubes, pattern blocks, counting chips, and geoblocks) and games. Helping children see connections between their work in mathematics and real-life situations is an essential component of our program.

The curriculum includes experiences in number sense, problem solving, computation, pattern classification, comparison, geometry, calendar work, estimation, graphing, and conducting surveys. Children engage in pair and cooperative group discovery, individual tasks, and whole group discussions in which they share their thinking about mathematical ideas and strategies for solving problems. Through these discussions, first graders come to understand that there are many ways to approach mathematical ideas, and they learn from their peers.

Thematic Studies

Around the first grade year, children begin to organize ideas into categories. They have a widened view of cause and effect, of how the past is tied to the present, and of understandable systems. Several units of thematic studies capitalize on these areas of cognitive growth. In each unit, students develop and practice the skills of categorizing, finding relationships, exploring multiple sources of information, and expressing their understanding through math, writing, and oral presentation.

Through the study of American holidays, for example, children identify historical figures, learn about leadership and good citizenship, and make connections to both Jewish values and to ways in which first graders can emulate the examples of these famous people.

A unit about bears focuses on what living things need for survival. As students understand the ways in which bears adapt to their habitats, they practice the skills of research, categorization, and expressing their ideas. The human habitat provides the frame for a study of homes in which students extend these skills as they explore why we need homes. A final unit on the human body helps students understand who they are and how they can best take care of themselves.

Science

First graders learn to make observations using the tools of scientists: quantifying information whenever possible and citing data as support for observations. First graders’ natural curiosity and their interest in figuring out how things work are the foundations for science. Students learn to ask questions as well as to answer these questions on the basis of experimentation and observation. Often this is done orally; in the spring, some writing assignments are based on these processing activities.

Hebrew

Our Hebrew program, Tal Am, is based on the notion that the best learning environment for children is one in which knowledge is acquired through a variety of activities, using each of the five senses. In addition to studying from textbooks, students use music, games, and visual aids to acquire Hebrew proficiency. By the end of first grade, students should be able to:

  • identify letters and vowels in print and script, and decode words of multiple syllables
  • read and comprehend sentences of up to three words using vocabulary learned in class
  • write sentences of three to four words using various parts of speech
  • begin to follow basic classroom instructions and stories in Hebrew
  • participate orally in classroom conversations with structure and guidance

Torah

Each week the parashah (Torah portion) is discussed in English, focusing on major themes and making them relevant to first graders. Students are exposed to one verse from each parashah in Biblical Hebrew, and take home family activities connected to one idea from each parashah. Particular attention is given to learning Parashat Noah in simple Hebrew.



Tefillot (Prayers)

Tefillot addresses children’s natural curiosity about God and the world. Through activities and discussions, we strive to communicate the meaning of the prayers on a first grade level. Students are given the opportunity to create their own prayers. They begin the year by following tefillot orally, and by the end of the year they are able to read prayers from the siddur. Prayers learned in first grade include Birkot HaShahar, Barechu, blessings surrounding the Shema, and the beginning of the Amidah. A highlight of first grade is the Siddur Ceremony, a milestone event during which students receive their first prayer book.

Holidays and Shabbat

Our study of Jewish holidays fosters Jewish identity by allowing children to explore Jewish traditions using stories, dances, creative arts, and songs. Students become familiar with the meaning and observances of each holiday. Teachers introduce specific Hebrew vocabulary related to the symbols and customs of the holidays. Holiday activities include eating in the sukkah, lighting the hanukkiah, dressing up for Purim and enjoying the carnival, and searching for hametz before Pesah. The children learn about Shabbat in Hebrew, with vocabulary related to the Friday night rituals and the concepts of work and rest. We welcome Shabbat each week with a hachanah l’Shabbat celebration which includes singing, dancing, story-telling, and a special Shabbat treat.

Arts

Visual Arts

The Lower School art program is dedicated to enhancing students’ observation skills, imagination, and visual perception. Students learn to look more carefully at their world, to internalize what they see, to trust their own experiences, and to represent their unique expressions creatively.

Students are exposed to a wide variety of art materials. Elements of form, color, line, and texture are explored through many modalities and techniques, and are often given historical context as students learn about the art of the great masters and from different cultures. Each grade has an opportunity to discover the joy of different artistic genres: children sculpt, paint, draw, print, create collages, and make prints. Students apply authentic art techniques in dry brush, wet on wet, Asian brush work, or pallet knife to materials including watercolor paper, rice paper, clay, canvas board, and papier mache. Grade 1 projects include Bisqued and glazed tiles, potato head portraits, and clay creature sculptures.

Music

The music curriculum in first grade builds on the listening skills introduced in kindergarten. First graders learn to identify particular musical elements (such as character and tempo) and several instruments. Students are introduced to musical notation, and they create their own melodic patterns based on familiar material. They learn songs in both Hebrew and English from the text, and they share songs during their Hanukkah breakfasts, at the Siddur celebrations, and on Grandparents’ and Special Visitors’ Day.

Performing Arts

Dance and drama are an integral part of the program, interwoven into the daily lives of our students. Students perform skits, prepare for milestone events, use creative movement to interpret tefillot, and learn Israeli folk dances. The Israeli dance program begun in kindergarten continues, often as part of Shabbat celebrations.

Physical Education

Activities provide a vast arena for assessing and improving physical skills as well as opportunities for students to increase their confidence in their ability to perform and to set realistic goals for themselves. First graders work on large motor skills (running, hopping, skipping, and galloping) at appropriate developmental levels, both as exercises and during game situations. Games provide a forum for enhancing interpersonal skills; students share space and equipment, and learn to support each other as part of a team effort. First graders are ready to manage their own time and space. Practicing skills at a variety of “stations,” they organize themselves, keep track of what they have already done, wait for turns, and support each other, habits that they may apply to many other arenas.

Library

First graders increase their explorations of the bounties that the library has to offer. Read-alouds support the reading comprehension skills they are acquiring in the classrooms. Through sharing and discussing books, first graders construct meaning that connects them to books and to each other. Students learn and practice the strategy of actively creating mental images as they listen to texts in order to make reading a more personal and richer activity.

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