Grade 1 Program

We believe we are here to provide a positive and safe environment in order to:

• *promote self-confidence and a love of learning.
• *nurture relationships that support each other.
• *facilitate independent and critical thinking.
• *motivate and inspire children.

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1st Grade Math

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Our goal is to help your child develop an understanding of mathematical concepts which will enable him/her to become good problem-solvers.

Our math program is carefully sequenced, promotes visual thinking and discussion, and integrates ongoing reinforcement. Our daily math lessons incorporate thinking strategies that will help your child develop the skill. This type of learning will help your child develop a concrete understanding of the skill, rather than rote learning.

Language development is an important part of math. We try to engage students in activities that build on their everyday experiences and expose them to discussion and writing about math on a regular basis. Stories, graphs, and children's own experiences with manipulative materials all stimulate the use of language. As children gain confidence in a math concept, they will begin describing it using a language that is more mathematical and includes symbols.

When a new concept or skill is introduced we try to show them visually in a hands-on way to help them gain an understanding of the concept. Their ability to find solutions to problems is increased when they know how to use concrete materials to model the problem. Students gain an understanding through the use of discussion, working with concrete and pictorial models and writing about what they have discovered. This understanding will help the learner transition into a more abstract, pencil-paper type of activity that uses symbols to describe a mathematical idea.

We are constantly assessing children everyday. We observe children as they are working, watch what they are doing, and listen to what they are saying. Through our assessments, we are able to see who has gained an understanding of a concept or pinpoint children who may need some reinforcement on a particular skill.

The math program is built around Teaching for Understanding. We want your child to understand the concept, learn the basic skills, and be able to apply the knowledge. This will help your child become a life-long learner and a problem-solver.

The Developmental Stages of Writing

Scribbling. Scribbling looks like random assortment of marks on a child's paper. Sometimes the marks are large, circular, and random, and resemble drawing. Although the marks do not resemble print, they are significant because the young writer uses them to show ideas.

Letter-like Symbols. Letter-like forms emerge, sometimes randomly placed, and are interspersed with numbers. The children can tell about their own drawings or writings. In this stage, spacing is rarely present.

Strings of Letters. In the strings-of-letters phase, students write some legible letters that tell us they know more about writing. Students are developing awareness of the sound-to-symbol relationship, although they are not matching most sounds. Students usually write in capital letters and have not yet begun spacing.

Beginning Sounds Emerge. At this stage, students begin to see the differences between a letter and a word, but they may not use spacing between words. Their message makes sense and matches the picture, especially when they choose the topic.

Consonants Represent Words. Students begin to leave spaces between their words and may often mix upper- and lowercase letters in their writing. They begin using punctuation and usually write sentences that tell ideas.

Initial, Middle, and Final Sounds. Students in this phase may spell correctly some sight words, siblings' names, and environmental print, but other words are spelled the way they sounds. Children easily hear sounds in words, and their writing is very readable.

Transitional Phases. This writing is readable and approaches conventional spelling. The students' writing is interspersed with words that are in standard form and have standard letter patterns.

Standard Spelling. Students in this phase can spell most words correctly and are developing an understanding of root words, compound words, and contractions. This understanding helps students spell similar words.

Writing is a process that flows gradually. As you give your children time to explore and experiment with writing, you will begin to see evidence of growth. Since writing is a process and stages are connected, your child may show evidence of more than one stage in a single piece of writing.

These Developmental Stages of Writing are based on the work of Richard Gentry.

Reading

Reading at home should be a vital part of your child's day. Here are a few helpful tips to help you get started:

When you are Reading to your Child:

• make sure the child can see the pictures easily
• use plenty of expression, reading in a natural speaking voice
• encourage the child to predict what might happen next as the story develops
• as you read, point to each word, sliding your finder along the text

When you are Reading with your Child:

Begin reading the story to your child at a speed your child is comfortable with as you read, your child will begin to pick up the pattern of the story and read with you encourage your child to point to each word, sliding a finger from word to word when your child comes to a difficult word, ask:

• "Look at the picture. What word would make sense?"
• "Look at the beginning letter of the word. What word would make sense that begins with that sound?"
• "Try reading that whole sentence again. See if you can think of a word that makes sense."

When Your Child is Reading:

Your child may need you to introduce the pattern of the story by reading aloud initially once your child feels comfortable reading, enjoy listening to the story being read

After Reading:

Talk about the story and ask questions like:

• "Were there surprises?"
• "What did you like best about the character?"
• "What did you like about the ending?"
• "Did the story remind you of any other story or of things that have happened to you?"

Ask your child to retell the story in his/her own words.

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