First Grade Curriculum

Our curriculum is based around the first grade program of inquiry.  We will use Sadlier's From Phonics to Reading to teach students phonemic and phonological awareness and the phonics components of reading, and writers workshop is the structure we use to teach students the writing process.  During reading and writing, our current planner is always evident.  The books and writing prompts correlate with our central idea and/or lines of inquiry.  We integrate reading, writing, science, social studies, and social skills in each planner. 

 

Connections to Math in Focus and word work will be integrated into our units of inquiry whenever possible and applicable.

 

Differentiation to meet the needs of each learner is an integral part of first grade at Meridian. We start off by assessing each child, then we use small groups to focus on specific skills and needs.  Students will participate in small group instruction with the teacher, as well as in various stations to gain independence.  Students will also meet with their teacher for writing conferences.  

 

 

Who We Are (ongoing connections throughout the year)

Central idea:  Our understanding grows through learning and reflection.

Lines of Inquiry:

• Building self-knowledge
• Our role in the community
• Global awareness

Lines of Inquiry:

• Symbols of the world
• How representations convey meaning
• Tools we use to explore our world

• Using available resources
•  
• Technology in our daily lives

Central idea:  Living things depend on each other and the environment.

Lines of inquiry:

• What living things need to survive
• Characteristics that promote survival
• Relationships within the natural world

 

Literacy Stations  Students will participate in literacy stations to practice skills learned and make meaningful literacy connections. Stations will include:

Read to Self

Work on Writing

Word Work

Listen to Reading

Read to Someone

 

Reading instruction and literacy stations will focus on comprehension, accuracy, fluency and expanding vocabulary.

Students will learn reading strategies within each category. These strategies will become tools for the children to use to help themselves become better readers and writers. Students will also participate in guided reading small groups with the teacher. 

 

Word Work

Word study teaches students how to look closely at words to discover the regularities and conventions of English orthography, or spelling. It takes the place of traditional spelling and vocabulary approaches, such as skill instruction, scope and sequence, or repeated practice.

Our word work will include phonemic and phonological awareness, as well as work with high frequency words.

 

Math 

Math in Focus is our curriculum for teaching mathematics. The primary focal areas in Grade 1 are understanding and applying place value to 120, solving problems involving addition and subtraction to 120 without regrouping, knowing addition and subtraction facts through 20, time to the hour and half hour, measuring length, organizing and using data, and composing and decomposing two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional solids. We also have daily calendar connections and routines.