Welcome to Grade 1 with Ms. Gibson
Learning in Grade 1
Each student brings a unique background of knowledge, skills, abilities, and life experiences to help make our classroom a special place.
First grade students will continue to learn and build upon their skills and abilities through direct instruction, inquiry, discussion, projects, and problem based approaches. Students will be encouraged to develop innovative and critical thinking skills through active learning.
Building independence and reflecting on learning and behavior will promote a stronger student identity. Grade level expectations are based on the Grade One Oregon Common Core State Standards. Individual needs of students are met through differentiation including support for struggling students and enrichment for students who have met learning outcomes. Teaching and learning is based on a student centered approach.
Children’s
Social and Emotional Development
As children enter first grade, they are more mature, independent, and adventurous. Their physical skills are improving and they have better hand-eye coordination, and stronger gross and fine motor skills. They are curious about the world around them and begin to look for logical answers to their questions. Students develop reasoning and thinking skills. They use what they hear and read to learn. They are enthusiastic and want to do it all! They have a better sense of time and start demonstrating individual strengths in how they learn best. Students are more independent, yet like security. They like rules and are starting to be aware of other people’s feelings. They are figuring out how to make and keep friends.
Our day begins with a morning meeting to build our classroom community, work cooperatively, and learn about and build upon the values and beliefs of our school. Throughout the year, students will explore ideas to develop personal, social and collaborative skills and dispositions along with a stronger sense of community in our classroom and school. Students will learn to resolve minor conflicts on their own. Mindfulness will help students build self-awareness, empathy, and become more resilient to stress.
First grade students make great strides in learning how to read and write. Students continue building foundational skills further developing concepts about print, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and increase reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Students understand the relationship between letters and sounds and are building
a bank of words. Students develop reading and writing stamina and learn
about a variety of genres. Students begin to understand that reading gives them knowledge and pleasure, while writing is a tool for recording, remembering and communicating. Students show an understanding of the value of speaking and listening in social situations and to initiate, explore, question, inquire, explain, and share.
Literacy learning is integrated within all content areas. Teaching and learning includes shared reading and writing, guided reading and writing, independent reading and writing, read alouds, interactive writing and word work in phonemic awareness and phonics. Instruction includes teacher conferencing with students, discussion about reading and writing development, independent work, partnerships and peer coaching, speaking and listening, technology integration, and a system for checking growth and fostering students’ independence.
Students are expected to read at home nightly.
English
Language
Arts
Math
Mathematics is woven throughout the curriculum. Grade One math is based on guided discovery and exploration through and stresses conceptual understanding and connections to real life problems.
Key areas of focus in first grade mathematics are addition and subtraction concepts, skills and problem solving, explaining mathematical thinking, and fluency. First-grade students will extend their knowledge of mathematics as they learn to add and subtract within 20, develop an understanding of whole numbers and place value within 100, measure and order objects by length, interpret data, learn to tell and write time to the hour and half hour, work with shapes to compose new shapes, partition shapes to create “equal shares,” and represent and interpret data.
Students will learn different strategies and are encouraged to share and explain their mathematical reasoning with evidence.
First grade students will have the opportunity to learn about the world and their place in it through the year. Critical thinking and discussion will be encouraged as students make connections, study and share their thoughts and ideas about what they learn.
Our units are:
Social Studies is alternated with Science/Health
during our content period.
Social Studies
Students will explore our world through hands on experiments, scientific inquiry, and exploration using scientific methods. We will study Earth, Physical and Life Sciences.
Our units are:
Science/Health is alternated with Social Studies
during our content period.
Social Studies
Science
Specials are Art, P.E., Music, and Library
P.E.: Students will go to PE with their original grade 1 class.
Music: Students will go to Music with their original grade 2 class.
Art: Once per month with our Art Literacy volunteers!
Library: Once per week, children will select and check out 2 books
