Grade 1

List of 4 items.

• Language Arts

  Grade 1 students learn how language develops through reading, writing and word study. They become more confident spellers of high frequency and core vocabulary words through dictation, repetition and breaking down complex words into syllables.
  
  Young writers learn to compose complete sentences using capital letters, punctuation, subjects and predicates. They enjoy learning to add details and personality to their writing, as reflected in their weekly journals. 

   

  Students read stories together and in small, fluid groups that match their abilities. This differentiation allows teachers time to observe and work individually with each child. Reading aloud at school and at home promotes fluency, accuracy, comprehension and expression. 

• Mathematics

  Instruction begins with basic addition and subtraction, then applies those skills to higher level concepts including place and monetary values, telling and writing time, weights and measurements, fractions, graphing and geomoetry.
  
  Hands-on activities compliment pencil-and-paper lessons to keep first graders actively engaged in learning. To master math facts, they move through a progression of "hot pencil" timed tests at their own rate. To learn graphing, they flip coins and track results. To understand three-dimensional shapes, they take the iPads on a scavenger hunt through the school.  
  
  Each week, students enjoy math investigations. Rotating through enrichment activities, they deepen their understanding of math strategies and concepts using manipulatives, games and other tools.

• Science

  The three main areas of science study in grade 1 are plants, weather and matter.
  First graders learn how seeds travel, germinate and grow. They see that growth cycle in the Barstow garden, where they work with middle school mentors to plant and harvest vegetables. The unit culminates in a field trip to Powell Gardens.  
  
  Students learn to identify the three primary types of matter: solids, liquids and gases. They conduct experiments and observe and describe what they see. They also use observation and description as they learn about weather—how it affects our daily lives, how to collect and measure weather data and it relates to changing seasons.
  
  Students attend STEAM classes twice a week, where they engage in hands on coding, gaming and other science and technology-related activities that enrhance the classroom curriculum. 

• Social Studies

  First grade students learn what it means to be part of a community: in their school, neighborhood, city and beyond. They learn about the roles of different community helpers, including police officers, firefighters and doctors, and develop an understanding of the roles of rule and law in society. 
  
  During a unit on national symbols, students use apps on their iPads and skills learned in language arts to research, write and share reports. They include an introduction, expository information and a summary about their chosen symbol. 

   
  Geography study includes the culture, history and languages of Canada and Mexico. The study of Mexico is enriched through Spanish lessons twice a week.