First Grade Curriculum
In First Grade, the children are transformed from little buds with the prospect of great beauty to blossoming flowers with each child blooming at his/her own speed. The individuality of the child is appreciated and respected. It is a time of transformation and confidence-building as the children learn to read thereby expanding the world expedientially. Throughout all of this is the Catholic faith with its strong Franciscan roots.
The Religion curriculum focuses on God’s love and the gift of His Son Jesus to us. Honoring Mary and the Saints allows the children the chance to celebrate the Church’s yearly calendar. Learning prayers and learning how to create personal prayers is a central component of the faith experience.
The Grade One Mathematics Program introduces the children to the process of addition and subtraction, place value, geometry, graphing, time, measurement, and the value of money. The Manipulatives are provided to ensure that the children learn these concepts in a concrete manner. The children are also given opportunities to use these skills in solving word problems.
The Reading curriculum in First Grade stresses the importance of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The children are grouped according to their ability, which provides an opportunity for whole group and differentiated small group instruction. The children are exposed to different genres, including poetry, plays, fiction, and non-fiction.
First Grade Language Arts supports and enhances the lessons taught in our Reading Program. This includes weekly grammar and writing lessons focusing on capitalization, punctuation, spelling, word order, and sentences, as well as providing opportunities to grow as a creative writer. Social Studies introduces the children to the concept of family and community. Basic economic skills are explored as children discover the difference between needs and wants and how families procure each. Geography is introduced as children learn about the earth's physical features and land forms and practice map reading skills. American History and citizenship are studied through reading biographies of our country's leaders. The program is supplemented by the magazine, Weekly Reader, which explores current topics of interest for our Grade One students.
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