The children make a great leap from Kindergarten to First Grade. The First Grader is ready to dive into the rich world of words and numbers. Academic exploration happens through the use of poetry, language rich stories, movement and joyful imaginations. The forming and use of upper and lowercase letters are perfected. Long and short vowel sounds are explored, as are word families, phonics, and consonant blends. Students begin writing simple sentences.
In math, the four processes are introduced along with odd and even numbers. The 2, 3, 5, and 10 times tables are explored, as are simple multi-step problems. Daily mental math provides practice of newly developing skills. The chance to enliven the world of number through both story and a variety of math games is ideal.
As their worldview expands, the students begin to investigate geography by exploring their local community. Local, state and world maps are presented. The phases of the moon, the life cycle of a seed, pond and forest life are among the topics explored in the realm of the sciences. Daily and monthly cycles, as well as the yearly calendar, are studied.
Civics delves into the important topics of fair play and rules, examining the values of respect and diversity.