First Grade

Language Arts continues to emphasize phonics, sight reading, writing, grammar, and reading readiness and comprehension. Students distinguish and identify vowel, consonant and beginning, middle and ending sounds. They identify and write compound words and contractions, and recognize and memorize antonyms, synonyms, prefixes and homonyms. Spelling words are memorized and reinforced with spelling bees and tests. Students use nouns, verbs, articles, adjectives, pronouns and punctuation in sentences and learn the correct sequencing of sentences. They learn to alphabetize.

Reading progresses with fluency and expression and students begin to make inferences and predictions and to find the correct meaning of a word using context clues. Book reports are introduced, both oral and written, and students plan, research and write an animal book report and complete a rainforest project. Neat handwriting is encouraged in all assignments. Students begin to distinguish sentences from fragments, speak and write in complete sentences, and learn to write imperative and interrogative sentences. Poems are memorized and recited clearly, with expression.

Mathematics is an integrated program that introduces and reinforces concepts in counting, addition and subtraction to 18, using number and story sentences, and odd/even numbers. Other concepts include time, calendar, money, graphing, geometry, fractions, and measurement. Hands-on manipulative materials include unifix cubes, money, tangrams, pattern blocks, clocks, dice, geoboards, and learning links.

Social Studies continues the study of family, community and holidays and customs from around the world and begins the study of geography and maps. Students recognize the classroom as a community of people helping each other, discuss what makes a neighborhood and the different types of neighborhoods, and learn the similarities and differences between themselves and children of other cultures. They learn about maps, why we use them, and are able to locate Pasadena and other places around the world from stories read aloud. Native American art, black history, and immigration are also covered.

Science includes the study of plant and animal needs, photosynthesis, states of matter, sound, movement, weather and temperature. Students continue to learn scientific terminology and procedures as they conduct experiments turning solids into liquids and gasses, forecast and predict the weather and create and read weather and temperature charts with columns and rows.

Foreign Language classes, taught twice a week, are devoted to Spanish. The study of basic greeting vocabulary, colors, numbers, foods, clothing, songs, famous people and holidays is expanded upon.

Technology increases the students’ knowledge of computer use and typing. In addition to Adobe Photoshop Elements and Microsoft Word, students begin to learn Microsoft PowerPoint and how to use the Internet for research.

Physical Education reinforces and expands on proper movements while throwing, catching, kicking, running, jumping, dribbling and swinging. Students play basketball, soccer, t-ball, badminton and hockey. They also participate in track, gymnastics, juggling and jump rope.

Art includes distinguishing and using different pattern forms, mural as a work of art, art work reproductions, and sculpture of basic forms. Students learn to tell a personal story through drawing and to “read” the artwork of others.

Music continues to focus on simple songs and movement. It encompasses an Americana unit, nursery rhymes, Mozart and music from Spain, South Africa and Jamaica.