First grade is a positive step for students because they become independent learners and thinkers on so many levels. This grade is a bridge entering elementary school, leaving Kindergarten filled with academics and individual growth emotionally becoming a more faithful Catholic. Through field trips, all school activities and parental involvement, students flourish in First Grade as Eagles!
Religion: Through daily outdoor assembly and weekly Mass, children in First Grade truly start to believe in God, His many miracles and find him in times of trouble through Prayer. In First Grade, students learn about the Holy Trinity, Mary and other Saints. Students understand the importance of the Last Supper, Jesus dying to save us, rising again and the Seven Sacraments. Through living the “Golden Rule: treat others the way you want to be treated,” students understand positive choices to make and being able to forgive others as well. Through weekly all school Mass, students learn appropriate behavior demonstrating the sign of the cross, genuflecting and saying prayers.
Language Arts: The most exciting thing for a child is becoming an independent reader, especially in first grade where it all happens! Through word studies, students are able to decode sounds and identify sight words, rhyming words, word families and differentiate between short/long vowels and blending the word together. Students gain the skills to comprehend and read fluently with expression being able to understand the different types of punctuation. Skills are also reinforced from Kindergarten forming uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as writing multiple sentences to tell students’ thoughts and stories.
Math: Many of First Grade’s math skills are introduced in Kindergarten but extending and mastered by using hands-on manipulatives and partner/group work. Many of the concepts are as follows:
- Identifying and extending patterns
- Identifying and writing numbers 0-100
- Comparing numbers 0-100 (less than, greater than, between)
- Knowing place value to the hundreds place
- Counting by 2’s, 5’s and 10’s
- Sorting objects into different classifications
- Identifying different shapes and geometric figures
- Knowing the days of the week and months of the year
- Estimation
- Comparing objects by length, capacity and weight
- Identifying and reading various types of graphs; students being able create their own graph
- Addition and Subtraction facts to 20
- Solving story problems (with hands-on manipulatives)
- Introduction to telling time and counting money
Science: First grade Science is so much fun to learn about and explore new concepts! Students are able to identify their five senses, seasons of the year and different types of weather. First graders also get to grow their own plant and journal about its’ growth when learning about seeds and plants! Exploring the solar system: planets, stars, moon and sun is so much fun! Above all, first graders absolutely love learning about animals (mammals, reptiles, insects and amphibians), their habitats, food chain but best yet- creating their own animal diorama for the school Academic EXPO!
Social Studies: First grade is a critical year where students learn where they live in relation to their world within their community: school, neighborhood, state, country, and continent. First grade takes a deep look at the history of the United States including its founding’s: Native Americans, the Pilgrims, and the thirteen colonies. Through picture books students learn about previous Presidents and current national symbols and landmarks. Learning about maps and the United States, First graders are prepared for Second Grade!
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