First Grade Curriculum Synopsis
Religion – (Text: Faith First: Resources for Christian Living, 2007)
Content: First graders learn to believe, worship, live, pray, and celebrate their faith. They learn
to build a trusting relationship with God. They recognize faith as a gift from God (the Trinity) to
His people the Church. They live their faith by demonstrating how to know, love, and serve God
as a community. They learn Catholic prayers (The Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be) and
different ways to pray. They pray daily (morning, lunch, end of day) taking turns leading prayer.
They attend and participate in weekly Mass by reciting key responses and liturgical hymns.
Promise: Pflaum Gospel Weeklies are also used as supplemental material.
Reading – (Text: Hello/ Share/ Surprise/Discover: Houghton Mifflin, 1999)
Content: Using award-winning stories, First graders understand and use different skills and
strategies to read. They use word recognition skills, build vocabulary, and become fluent readers.
Comprehension skills and strategies like noting detail, inference/ prediction, compare & contrast,
summarize, make generalizations, story structure, and drawing conclusions are also learned.
Students will be assed for their guided reading level. They will participate in weekly guided
reading groups led by the teacher. In guided reading groups, students of the same level will read
a book and respond to questions orally and in written form. Students will also be encouraged to
ask questions as they read. The myOn online reading program is used for independent reading.
Students read books on myOn based on their individual reading level.
Spelling – (Teacher’s College Reading and Writing Project High-Frequency Word List and
Dolch Word List)
Content: First graders have weekly spelling lists composed of 10 sight words and/or words
focused on our short or long vowel of the week. On each spelling list, a sentence will be dictated
and they will need to write the sentence with correct capitalization, punctuation and word
spellings.
Phonics – (Text: Phonic Level A: Modern Curriculum Press, 2003)
Content: First graders apply a Slingerland (multi-sensory) approach to learning and decoding
consonants, short vowels, long vowels, consonant blends, y as a vowel, endings, digraphs,
contractions, and two syllable words.
English – (Text: English: Houghton Mifflin, 2006)
Content: First graders learn about grammar, usage, mechanics, nouns, verbs, and pronouns.
Students will learn about types of sentences, sentence structure and will be guided through
writing sentences.
Writing – (Text: Units of Study in Opinion, Informational, and Narrative Writing)
Content: Utilizing Lucy Calkins’ Writing Workshop model, first graders will learn how to write
narrative, opinion and informational pieces. Students will be introduced to the writing process
and learn to follow this process on each writing project from start to finish. Students will
participate in writing several class books throughout the school year.
Math – (Text: enVisionMath Common Core: Pearson, 2012)
Content: First graders will explore the four domains of the Common Core Math Standards:
Operation and Algebraic Thinking, Number and Operations in Base Ten, Measurement and Data,
and Geometry. Within the Operation and Algebraic Thinking domain, students will represent
and solve problems involving addition and subtraction, understand and apply properties of
operations and the relationship between addition and subtraction, add and subtract within 20 and
work with addition and subtraction equations. In the Number and Operations in Base Ten
domain, students will extend a counting sequence, understand place value and use place value
understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract. When working in the
Measurement and Data domain, students will measure lengths indirectly and by iterating length
units, tell and write time and represent and interpret data. In the Geometry domain, students will
reason with shapes and their attributes. Students are encouraged to log into their envisionMath
account online to practice these concepts with games, videos and activities.
Social Studies – (Text: School & Family: Houghton Mifflin, 2008)
Content: First graders discuss Culture, Geography, Economics, History and Government and
Citizenship. Students learn about the culture of families, our school and our community.
Geographically, students learn about the Earth, people and places. Choices, needs and wants are
discussed at an Economic stand point. Historically, students learn about exploration, settlement
and technology. Students learn about Government and Citizenship through exploring their rights
and responsibilities as citizens. Scholastic News will also be used as supplemental material.
Science –
Content: First graders discuss observing, using our five senses, grouping, living things, animals,
water and air, seasons, weather, magnets, the land around us, and plant parts. Students will
participate in using the scientific method to conduct experiments. Scholastic News will be used
as supplemental material. Interactive websites, such as National Geographic Young Explorers
and Time for Kids will also be used as supplemental material.