First Grade

Toothless grins and unbridled curiosity are certainly characteristics of Trinity School First Graders. A year of tremendous growth and development, First Graders gain independence and develop increased confidence in themselves as learners. Formal cooperative learning groups are utilized by teachers to teach both content and group skills. By the end of the year, students enthusiastically participate in teams and desire to be leaders and valued group members.

As the oldest students in the Early Elementary Division, First Graders are role models for the younger students and delight in the opportunity to be the “big kids.” The highlight of the First-Grade year is the Zoo Animal research project, book creation, and presentation. During this unit of study, students demonstrate important skills in public speaking and self-confidence. Additionally, the First Grade 101st Day of School is a cross-curricular celebration that incorporates reading, math, writing, engineering, and art.

First Grade Learning Essentials

Language Arts

• Writes opinion, information, and narrative pieces using an introduction, details, sequence of events, and closure.

• Participates in short research projects to write in a sequence.

• Asks and answers questions about details in a text; retells and describes the elements of a story.

• Identifies sensory words and phrases, uses illustrations and text details to describe the elements of the story, compares and contrasts.

• Identifies parts of a sentence, syllables, long and short vowels, and consonant blends; isolates and segments phonemes and digraphs; decodes multisyllabic words.

• Reads with fluency and accuracy for comprehension.

• Uses appropriate grammar and punctuation when speaking, writing, and spelling.

• Participates in collaborative conversations and expresses ideas and feelings clearly.

• Follows classroom agreements and actively listens to follow directions.

Math

• Adds and subtracts within 20, demonstrates fluency within 10, extends the counting sequence, and understands the relationship between the operations.

• Understands place value as 10s and 1s, uses place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract within 100 fluently.

• Reasons with shapes and their attributes, composes and decomposes solid and plane shapes.

• Explores measurement with time, length, and money.

Science

• Makes observations, predictions, and conclusions.

• Understands how to remain healthy through food, personal hygiene, and exercise.

• Explores the attraction and repulsion of magnets.

• Identifies characteristics and needs of plants and animals.

Social Studies

• Explores how history, geography, and civics shape the state of Georgia.

• Reads about historical figures and their contributions through a diverse and balanced perspective.

• Learns about rights and responsibilities and important U.S. symbols.

• Uses map skills to locate major continents, oceans, and landforms around the world.