First Grade, typically for students aged 6-7 years old, is the first required year of school for students. First graders build on and refine the skills that are taught in kindergarten. Students in this grade will develop more independence academically and socially but still require emotional support and approval. First graders enjoy being a part of decision making, whether at home or school.
Social and emotional strategies/skills include:
- Follows directions with two steps
- Enjoys routines, rules, organized schedules with time frames
- Gets along with others at school and home
- Begins to understand that friendships are not controlled completely by them
- Uses age appropriate strategies to regulate behavior and resolve conflict
- Enjoys encouragement for positive behavior
- Begins to see other points of view
Foundational English Language Acquisition(ELA) Skills include:
- Identification of high frequency words Fry's First 100 Words List, CVC List, and Consonant Digraph Words
- Read 60 words per minute
- Discuss story elements such as plot, character, events, and setting as well as main idea and details
- Differentiate between fiction and non-fiction stories
- Write 3 sentences with capitalization, phonetic spelling, periods.
- Beginning comprehension of character, setting, problem, events, solution
Foundational Math Skills include:
- Count and write to 100 by 1’s and 10’s
- Add and subtract double digit numbers
- Compare place values through 100
- Find missing addends through 20
- Solve simple word problems
Tips for Parents of 1st Grade Students:
- Talk with your child daily about the school day (friendship, activities, books, etc)
- Read together everyday and encourage your child to point to the words
- Practice listening and following directions for 2-3 step tasks
- Encourage responsibility and independence
- Create a list of rhyming words
- Use a family calendar to organize the week and include your child in planning
- Ensure 9-12 hours of sleep per day by instituting regular bedtime routines.
