- What is the suggested reading list for incoming first graders?
- Whats supplies does my first grader need?
- What are summer activities recommended for incoming first graders?
- What faith-based activities are recommended for the summer?
- What can I do to help my kindergartner get ready for first grade math?
- What other resources are available to help incoming first graders?
- What high frequency words will first graders work with during the year?
- Are there any books to help reduce my child's anxiety about school?
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What is the suggested reading list for incoming first graders?
See the "Summer Reading" link on my homepage.
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Whats supplies does my first grader need?
See the "Supply List" link on my homepage.
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What are summer activities recommended for incoming first graders?
If you will be traveling this summer or just keeping busy around Newtown,
here are a few activities students will enjoy.
Have your child take pictures of their favorite vacation spots, friends and
family that they visit or might come to visit them. When the pictures get
developed let your child create their own vacation picture book complete
with
captions.
Have your child keep a travel log. Using a journal or notebook, let your
child create a page for each letter of the alphabet. As they enjoy summer
activites, let them keep a list of things they do and see. See if they can
come up with at least one item for each letter of the alphabet by the first
day of school.
Even a trip to the mall can provide learning fun this summer. Why not go
shopping for words? Before going to the mall, make a list of five easy-to-
find words for your child to look for while shopping. Words can include:
entrance, push, pull, exit, shoes, parking, etc. Read the list out loud and
give it to your child as you enter the mall. Challenge your child to find
each word before you leave. Cross off or highlight each word as they find it.
Can't visit a favorite relative or friend? Have your child create a phone
list. Let them write the numbers and dial the phone to make the calls. This
is great for practicing number formation and number order. Make sure to
remind them of your rules for using the phone.
Have your child keep a weekly calendar. Let them write in the days of the
week and then draw/write the activity that is planned for each day or let
them record a favorite activity from the day each evening. This is great
practice for learning the days of the week.
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What faith-based activities are recommended for the summer?
Summer is a great time to enjoy God's many, awesome creations.
Take a visit to the library...
...select a book about insects or animals. Then take a discovery walk
through
your backyard or visit a park. See how many different insects you can find.
Talk about what special job each insect has. Take a trip to the zoo. Talk
about how God made each animal special and unique. Which animals do you
think
Noah took on the ark?
...select a book about weather. Keep a weather log for a week. Draw/write
about the weather each day. Share a Bible story, like Noah's Ark.
...select a folktale from another country or a book about children from
another country. Talk about how God made us all unique, and each one of us
is
special. Have your child draw/write about what makes them special. How does
God want us to treat people who are different from us?
After enjoying the beautiful world God has given us, don't forget to
celebrate Mass each week this summer and say a prayer of thanks.
There are some wonderful children's Bibles and Bible story books available.
Read stories from both the Old and New Testament.
This is a good time to have your child practice the Sign of the Cross, Our
Father and Hail Mary.
A rainy day is a good day for a Veggie Tale movie. Stop by your local video
store and pickup a Veggie Tale video. Don't forget to learn the Veggie Tale
song, we like to sing this in first grade!
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What can I do to help my kindergartner get ready for first grade math?
Math fun...
Practice skip counting by 2s to 20 and 5s to 50.
Have your child tell you numbers that are missing in a sequence. Start with
numbers to 20.
Make a number line on the driveway. Hop forward as you count to 10. Hop
backwards as you count back to 0.
Ask your family to save their extra pennies and nickels. Practice counting
them and make exchanges.
Write your numbers from 0 to 25.
While taking a walk or riding in a car, see how many different shapes you
can
find.
Make a grid of numbers from 0 to 25. When riding in the car, cross off each
number as you see it on a sign, license plate, mailbox, etc. see how fast
you
can get all 26.
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What other resources are available to help incoming first graders?
In addition to reading suggestions, here are a few resources that are good
for practicing skills acquired in Kindergarten and learning a few new skills
to prepare for First Grade. These are available at the local bookstores
and/or The Teacher-Parent Store in Danbury.
Summer Bridge Books by Rainbow Publishers...*Transition Workbook for
*Kindergarteners going to 1st Grade.
*This publisher also makes small individual workbooks that focus on one
skill
area.
Summer Smarts by Evan Moor. This is also a good transition workbook.
Getting Ready for First Grade by Scholastic.
There are many small individual workbooks available through various
publishers. Many of these are available at The Teacher-Parent Store in
Danbury, Barnes and Nobles has also recently published their own individual
books. These cost between $2.00 and $3.00 each and are highly recommended
for
those students who need to focus on a specific skill.
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What high frequency words will first graders work with during the year?
a
about
above
afraid
afternoon
again
against
air
almost
also
always
angry
animals
another
any
anything
are
around
away
be
because
bicycle
blue
books
both
boy
brought
busy
buy
by
care
careful
carry
caught
change
city
clues
cold
come
cook
could
country
day
detective
different
do
does
don’t
door
down
Dr.
during
each
Earth
eat
eight
even
every
family
few
field
find
fire
flew
floor
fly
follow
food
for
found
four
friends
from
front
full
funny
gives
go
gone
good
got
great
grew
grows
have
he
head
hello
help
her
here
hide
high
hold
hours
house
how
hurried
I
in
join
kind
know
learn
like
listen
little
live
look
love
made
make
many
me
most
moved
Mr.
my
nature
near
nearly
need
new
night
no
nothing
now
of
oh
okay
old
on
once
one
only
opened
or
other
our
out
over
parents
people
picture
piece
place
play
pretty
pulls
put
quietly
read
read
ready
right
room
said
saw
say
says
school
see
she
shook
should
so
some
sometimes
son
soon
sorry
sound
special
sure
take
talk
that
the
their
there
these
they
those
thought
time
to
today
together
too
took
touch
town
try
turns
twelve
two
up
use
very
wait
walk
want
warm
was
water
way
we
were
what
when
where
who
why
wild
with
wonder
work
world
would
write
writing
years
yes
you
young
your
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Are there any books to help reduce my child's anxiety about school?
The Night Before First Grade by Natasha Wing
Berenstain Bears Go to School by Stan Berenstain
Franklin Goes to School by Paulette Bourgeois
Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan London
First Day, Hooray! by Nancy Poydar
My Teacher's My Friend by P.K. Hallinan
Biscuit Goes to School by Alyssa Capucilli
Morris Goes to School by B. Wiseman
Boomer Goes to School by Constance W.McGeorge
Zack's Alligator Goes to School by Shirley Mozelle
Fluffy Goes to School by Kate McMullan
Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
A Pocket Full of Kisses by Audrey Penn
Take a Kiss to School by Angela McAllister
Arthur's Back-to-School Surprise by Marc Brown
Arthur's off to School by Marc Brown
Arthur's Teacher Trouble by Marc Brown
Arthur's Back to School Day by Lillian Hoban (this is a different Arthur)
