Ms. Teresa Smith

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Curriculum Overview
First Grade

First grade is a very exciting year for children, teachers and parents 
because there is so much learning and progress!! It can be kind of 
overwhelming for students because there is so much to learn. First graders, 
as all students, need a lot of praise and encouragement to feel and be 
successful. Each first grade classroom is a group of students with a wide 
range of abilities, ages, and backgrounds (some come from different 
schools). This can be a stressful change for a lot of students BUT the 
majority of students seem to be quite comfortable in their new environment! 
I believe in creating an environment for my students that is homelike, 
positive, safe, creative and fun. I believe children learn best in an 
atmosphere of comfort and where they feel successful. Children learn in a 
variety of ways so I provide a wide range of opportunities to ensure all 
students are learning! I feel that parents are an important and essential 
part of the educational process and I value your communication and support.

Reading/Language Arts 
We will use the Scott Foresman Reading series which will incorporate all of 
the language arts skills - reading, phonics reinforcement, language and 
grammar skills, and handwriting. This program will include: 
Foundations of Literacy 
Phonics, Word Analysis, Spelling, Vocabulary, and Fluency 
Comprehension 
Genres and Literary Craft 
Language and Communication 
Research and Study Skills 
Habits and Attitudes

Handwriting: 
We will use the D'Nealian handwriting method. D'Nealian 
handwriting is a continuous-stroke method that allows children to write 
letters and words faster and easier than ball-and-stick methods. Most lower-
case manuscript letters have the same form as their cursive counterparts, 
which makes the transition to cursive quick and easy. The emphasis on 
D'Nealian Handwriting is on legibility. This means the goal for children is 
to write something someone can read right away.

Phonics:
We will be using the Saxon Phonics program. Saxon Phonics is a very 
systematic and structured approach. Through daily review and practice, 
students become very comfortable with "coding" words. The coding process may 
be confusing to parents because it is something new. You may not understand 
all of the marks, etc. that are being introduced in class but your child 
will become comfortable quickly. New concepts are introduced almost everyday 
so it is absolutely essential that your child attends school regularly!
 
Saxon phonics: 
· Through daily practice and review and incremental development, students 
build firm foundations in the basics of reading before moving ahead 
· Incorporates reading, spelling, and handwriting so that children 
understand how these skills function together as a whole 
· Promotes the development of phonemic awareness.
· Includes games and activities that allow children to apply and practice 
previously introduced skill.

Math:
First grade students will: 
· skip count by 1's, 2's, 5's, and 10's 
· compare and order numbers 
· identify place value to 100 
· identify ordinal position to hundreth 
· identify a sorting rule 
· identify and extend patterns 
· solve routine and nonroutine problems 
· master all basic addition facts and most of the basic subtraction facts 
· add and subtract two-digit numbers without regrouping 
· use comparison symbols 
· picture and name fractions 
· identify a fractional part of a set 
· measure using inches, feet, and centimeters 
· compare volume, mass, and area 
· tell time to the half hour 
· order events by time 
· count pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters 
· identify geometric solids 
· tally 
· identify events as certain, likely, or impossible 
· create, read, and write observations from real graphs, pictographs, and 
bar graphs.

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