1st Grade

Essential Question:

What is the history and importance of Central Park to life in New York?

First graders gain a greater understanding of themselves and their world by exploring Central Park. During this year they take many trips to the park, learning about the history of its creation and the resources it offers to us today. They take part in the programs offered by the Park Rangers and interview people who use the park. An integral part of the program is helping children develop research skills by posing questions and finding ways to answer those questions. The science curriculum in first grade supports this study; the children have class in the park in small groups and use this time to explore the environment and its wild life.

Reading

Our approach to reading is a balanced one, including teaching a variety of strategies. We emphasize phonics, beginning with an emphasis on the letter sounds and letter combinations, leading to word families and decoding. We encourage children to think about the meaning of what they read, so that they can effectively use context to help them read. We also know that children need a strong bank of sight words, and encourage children to learn them as well. Since we have children entering first grade with a wide variety of skills, they are assessed by the classroom teacher and are grouped for instruction early in the year. These groups are fairly fluid and are very much based on the strengths of the class members.

Writing

“Writing workshop” continues, with more emphasis on independence, and through teaching a variety of genres. Teachers use examples of memoir, poetry, and non-fiction as models from which to teach children the elements of each of these genres. Children will have several opportunities to “publish” as piece of writing throughout the year.

Math

Students learn to collect, sort, and record data, work with 2D and 3D geometry, and explore various components of non-standard measurement. They continue to work with the number system while using this knowledge to solve story problems with addition and subtraction. At the heart of our program is the curriculum Investigations in Number, Data and Space, which supports students as they learn to think mathematically; manipulatives like pattern blocks, color tiles, and snap cubes, are used throughout the year.