First Grade

Using fiction and nonfiction compositions, the first grade students explore text to develop letter/sound associations, learn sight words, and develop comprehension strategies to respond to literature through both oral responses and written responses.

Through author studies, we use literature to cook, sew, and sing. Phonological skills are introduced. These include identifying beginning, medial, and ending consonant sounds, short and long vowel sounds, blends, verb endings, and contractions.

Through daily writing, language mechanics are reinforced to write poems, stories, letters, informational writing, and journal entries. At the end of the year, the students publish an All About Me book using the writing process.

First graders use math manipulatives to provide a hands on experience to develop understanding of mathematical concepts. The students identify pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Sets of coins are counted up to $1.00.

Two and three dimensional shapes are explored to identify their attributes and individual clocks allow the students to tell time to the hour and half hour. Food is used to demonstrate understanding of fractions.

Each day students participate in Gator Math allowing them to practice their addition and subtraction skills to 20. Our calendar creates daily opportunities to count numbers, identify patterns, explore place value, and graph information. The 100th day is an opportunity to use our First Grade experience to complete activities involving the number 100.

Using nonfiction text, virtual tours, websites, and hands on activities, the First Grade explores geography, citizenship, cultures, and holidays. The students identify attributes of our community, explore rules and responsibilities, examine different cultures, and learn about special holidays celebrated during the year.

The First Graders share a Thanksgiving feast with the Second Graders. They also participate in a research project. The students research, organize, and present information about a President.

Using hands on activities, the First Graders discover information about fruits and vegetables, nutrition, animals in winter, dental health, and caring for our environment. They use the scientific method to make and test predictions, record observations, and draw conclusions. Our learning is also extended outside into the Nardin garden.

Grade 1 students have a half year each of Spanish and French. They are immersed in the language through songs, chants, rhymes and games twice a cycle using vocabulary they are already familiar with such as animals, the alphabet, numbers and family members.

At the end of grade 1 a recommendation is made as to the language the student should continue to study. Parents can of course choose the language they prefer for their child.

Students learn God created everything and made human beings in his image and likeness. Everything and everyone God created is good. We respond to God in friendship and prayer.