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I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to First Grade. The following First Grade Program has been implemented since school began.
THE FIRST GRADE PROGRAM
READING: The children will be reading books from a literature-based program. This program is designed for the children to read, write, listen, talk, and think about literature and life. It involves them in active conversations with books, authors, and most importantly, ideas, images, and each other. It is a social activity to be enjoyed as well. We have been currently making and reading alphabet books. We have also been reading Eric Carle books, and books from the Vermont Center for the Book, to become aware of the reading process.One initial step in the reading process is for the children to have their own spelling workbooks. These workbooks help them to recognize and identify the sounds of letters in each word they see and to understand how words are put together. Decoding skills will develop throughout the year and are reinforced in the children’s reading and writing.
MATH: Our class environment is a place where the children engage in collaborative interactions with each other. With the use of math journals, the emphasis will be on the learning process rather than a quick right answer. The children will gain insight into numbers and link that understanding to specific skills and strategies through the use of concrete materials. It is important to surround the children with a variety of challenging math experiences. These experiences will allow them to analyze graphs, understand number operations and solve word problems by constructing a personal understanding of how mathematics is used in their world.
WRITING: The children have their own journals. Daily writing incorporates reading, writing, and spelling. They are expected to write one complete sentence about their picture during Writing Workshop. The sentence starters are modeled on a chart for them to copy. Soon the children will be introduced to interesting and creative ways to begin their sentences.
The children will eventually have their own alphabetized wordbooks for their vocabulary words. These books can be used for journal writing and writing projects throughout the year.
Several computer programs will be used this year. The children will be using the computers to enhance their reading, writing, spelling and math skills. Some of the programs include Pixie and Kidspiration.
Finally, the children have been practicing letter writing formation for upper and lower case letters. The method used for letter writing is called Slingerland. Slingerland is a multisensory approach to reading, writing, and spelling.
SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES: Our science units are simple, inquiry-based monthly topics covering observations, experiments, hypotheses, and conclusions. Our social studies topics include holidays, family heritage, and community history. All of these topics will include an introduction to the World map and the United States map. Science units and social studies topics are aligned with the Vermont Framework of Standards.
Melissa Knipes, K/1 Teacher
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(802) 422-3366
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