Curriculum

**__ First Grade Reading Pacing Chart __** ** 6 ** ||     ** 8 **  ||     ** 12 **  ||     ** 16 **  ||
 * __ READING: __**** Students are expected to know the alphabet in and out of order. Phonics, picture clues, sight words and context clues will be taught during the reading block. Students will be reading with a buddy, independently, and with me during this time. **
 * Your child will be taking home a book-in- a- bag. Please encourage your child to read with you each day for 10-15 minutes. Your child will receive a new book or reading selection on Mondays. **
 * It is crucial that you practice our sight/spelling words with your child. In order for your child to become an automatic and fluent reader, he/she must be able to read sight words within a couple of seconds. The sight words should not be decoded or sounded out. Refer to my weekly newsletter for weekly spelling words. I will also provide you with a copy of the all words for the first nine weeks. **
 * || ** End of 1st Nine Weeks **  ||  ** End of 2nd Nine Weeks **  ||  ** End of 3rd Nine Weeks **  ||  ** End of 4th Nine Weeks **  ||
 * ** DRA Reading Level ** ||


 * *At the end of the 3rd quarter, any first grader not reading at a level 12 will be considered for retention or placement. **


 * __ WRITING: __**** We will be writing every day in first grade. Students will be expected to write complete sentences. We will be developing ideas for writing, editing, and reading our own writing. In first grade, we learn how to make upper and lowercase letters using the D’Nealian Handwriting Program to help your child transition from manuscript to cursive (refer to attached sheet). **
 * __ PHONICS/SPELLING __**** : Students will learn and recognize a letter or letter patterns that stand for a sound. **
 * __ MATH: __**** Our school uses a program called Everyday Mathematics. The program emphasizes the application of mathematics to real world situations. Numbers, skills and mathematical concepts are not presented in isolation, but are linked to situations and contexts that are relevant to everyday lives. The curriculum also provides numerous suggestions for incorporating mathematics into daily classroom routines and other subject areas. The program also encourages students to use manipulatives, the number line, and the number grid to add and subtract. __There will be a strong focus on memorizing addition and subtraction facts to 10.__ In addition, I will be utilizing the Smart board to reinforce math skills such as counting forward/backward, time, money and graphing. **
 * __ SCIENCE: __****__ : __**** Some of the science topics we will be studying are: resources, living/nonliving things, basic needs, liquids/solids, magnets, energy, and basic scientific inquiry. **
 * __ SOCIAL STUDIES __**** : Social studies topics include: elements of the past/present, cultural differences, map skills, goods/services, symbols of democracy, and citizenship. Many of these topics are covered in __Scholastic News.__ **
 * __ REPORT CARDS: __**** The Standards Based Report Card’s purpose is to communicate the achievement status of your child. You will know how your child is doing on each Common Core Strand for language arts, math, science and social studies. You will also be informed of which indicators or content statements in math and language arts that your child is struggling with. In addition, the standards-based report card separates academic achievement from work ethic and behavior. **
 * Report cards will be sent home at the end of each quarter (four per school year). Interims will be sent home midway through each quarter. You may keep the report card, but please __sign and return the envelope.__ The report card symbols are explained below. **


 * ** Achievement Level ** || ** Proficiency Level Descriptors ** ||
 * ** *E ** || ** Consistently demonstrates __exceptional mastery and higher level thinking__ of grade level concepts and skills. ** ||
 * ** M ** || ** Consistently meets and applies grade lvel concepts and skills independently. ** ||
 * ** P ** || ** Progressing toward expected understanding of grade level concepts and skills with assistance. ** ||
 * ** L ** || ** Shows limited/inconsistent application of grade level concepts. ** ||

**// * Denotes indicators in which student __can__ earn an E //**