First Grade Guidelines
Pine-Richland School District
First Grade Program
The following information is an
overview of the First Grade Program.
I hope you will find the information
helpful in understanding the daily
happenings of your child. The First
Grade Program is designed to be the
foundation of a child’s education and
the foundation of a child’s study
skills.
Reading
Trophies by Harcourt Brace Publishers
Website: www.harcourtschool.com, password: Beck
Trophies provides daily phonemic awareness lessons.
It provides explicit, systematic phonics instruction to build
recognition skills that enable students to become efficient
decoders.
It provides students with a wealth of opportunities to read and hear
a rich variety of texts.
-Big Books
-Read-Aloud Anthology
-Student Reading Books
-Books for All Learners
-Decodable Take-home Books
It provides students with a variety of opportunities to practice new
skills.
-Small Group Guided Reading Instruction
-Cross-Curricular Centers
-Reading Practice book
Fundations by Wilson
Language Basics
• Fundations provides a explicit,
systematic, multi-sensory, and
repetitious approach to reading and
spelling. Fundations will be presented
for 30-40 minutes of each day.
Guided Reading
Teaching Kids to Read All books
*Teacher supports each reader’s development using effective
strategies for processing novel texts at increasingly challenging
level of difficulty.
*Teacher works with small groups of children who use similar
reading processes and are able to read similar levels of text and
support.
*Teacher introduces a text to a small group and selects one or two
teaching points to present to the group.
*The text is one that offers the children a minimum of new things to
learn; the children can read it with the strategies they currently
have, but it provides opportunity for a small amount of new
learning.
Math: Scott Foresman EnVision
• The Scott Foresman-Envision math series give students the
opportunities to explore math concepts through concrete math
manipulatives as well as through paper and pencil assignments.
• The students will learn math concepts and problem solving skills
through whole class activities, small group games, and
individual work.
• We place a great importance on memorizing addition and
subtraction facts to 12 by the end of first grade. Please help
your child practice these important facts at home.
The First Grade math chapters focus on:
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Numbers to 12 and Graphing
Facts and Strategies to 12
Geometry and Fractions
Numbers to 60 and counting patterns
Place Value
Money
Telling Time
Measurement
Facts and Strategies to 18
Two-digit addition and subtraction
Social Studies: Harcourt Brace
Publishers
• Components include:
My Family
My Community
My Country, My Heroes
My World Near and Far
Map Skills
*Weekly Reader student magazine
Science: Asset Kits
(Allegheny Schools Science Education
and Technology)
• Weather Kit
• Liquids and Solids Kit
Health
• “Here’s Looking at You!”: drug
prevention curriculum mandated by PA
Act 211
• Safe Practices at Home, School and
Community
• Nutrition, Senses, and Dental Hygiene
Specials
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Physical Education
Gym is scheduled twice a week (Monday and Thursday). Please have
your child wear comfortable clothes and tennis shoes on these days. (Mr. Beam)
Art
.Please have your child bring in a Adult size T-shirt. The T-shirt should be left in
your child’s locker throughout the year. Please place your child’s name
somewhere on the shirt. (Mrs. Scheller). Art is on Fridays.
Music
Music is on Wednesdays. (Mrs. Campbell)
Library
Library is on Thursdays. In First Grade, the children are permitted to
check out one book per week. (Mrs. Fournaridis)
Computer Lab
Computer is on Tuesdays. (Mr. Sargent)
Support Classes
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Reading Support (Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Ferraro)
Speech
School Counseling (Mrs. Kleissas)
Learning Support (Mrs. Miller)
Autistic Support (Mrs. Hillegas)
GATE (Mr. Sargent)
Occupational Therapy.
Grading
• Report Cards
– (P) Proficient: Student: Student independently demonstrates consistent
mastery of the skill/ concept
– (D) Developing: Student is making steady progress towards proficiency
– (B) Beginning: Student is making inconsistent progress/ Student may need
reinforcement
– (N) Not Yet Evident: Student is making limited progress/ Needs continued
reinforcement
Weekly Procedures
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“Take Home” Book. These are small paper booklets that reinforce the
phonics skill taught. Your child can share his/ her reading with family
members.
Math Homework will be issued on an as needed basis. You can follow
the lessons taught by using the envision math home component.
Practice Spelling words for test on Fridays.
Practice reading words with fluency. These words will be provided in
the weekly newsletter (Key words, Trick words, Scholastic words.)
Weekly reading given on Friday. An envelope with leveled reading
material will be provided for your child to read throughout the week.
Please note the time allotment at the top of your child’s reading log. At
the beginning of the year we will start with 40 minutes (10 minutes / 4
times a week). By the end of the year, reading should be 10 minutes
each evening.
Classroom Procedures
• Daily Folder
– Please use this folder as your child’s daily folder. Please have
your child bring this folder to and from school each day. Please
review and remove completed work from the folder. If your child
has already purchased their own folder, they are more than
welcomed to use it.
• Absent from School
– Please send in a written note as to why your child is absent. The
written excuse must be sent to school upon your child’s return. It
must be filed and kept on record, as it is a state mandate. If your
child will be out of school for an extended period of time, please
send in a note ahead of time for the office to complete necessary
documentation.
Classroom Procedures
• Birthday Celebrations
– It is optional to send in a treat for your child’s birthday. An item
such as a special eraser, pencil, or small notepad would be an
appropriate treat. If you choose to send in a treat, please send
me a note as to which day (if the birthday falls on a weekend or
Holiday). Please drop off treats in the office by noon. We will
celebrate your child’s birthday some time in the afternoon. If your
child has a summer birthday, we will celebrate it at the end of the
school year. I will send home a schedule at that time.
• Discipline
– Plastic coins are administered for good deeds. Throughout the
year, there is a first grade market which items can be purchased
– Bucket Tickets
School wide ticket given by any teacher in the building that
enters a drawing for a prize from Mrs. Kleissas the counselor.
Classroom Procedures
• Lunchroom
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Each class is assigned to two tables in the cafeteria
Pin number on note card for first couple of weeks
Lunch is 30 minutes and recess follows lunch for 30 minutes.
Recess is in the classroom if there is inclement weather.
• Centers
There are five main centers in the classroom. At each center,
there are several options your child may choose to do. Your
child attends one main center a day, and your child will have
attended all of the centers in the room by the end of the
week.
Helpful Hints
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Go over reading materials and papers daily.
Read stories from “Take Home” books with your child.
Make flash cards of addition and subtraction math facts.
Create a consistent and quiet study time.
Vary activities.
Emphasize child’s responsibilities and reward progress.
• Create a Word Bank for your child to use at home.
Take Plastic Index Card Holder and an Alphabet Divider to fit
inside. This can be used for many activities: review of key words,
create sentences from words, build word families, sort rhyming words,
alphabetize words, etc.
Parent Volunteers
• Parent Coordinator for Holiday Parties
• PTO liaison
• Parent with an expertise in a particular area that
would coordinate with curriculum.
• Royal Reader: parent visits the classroom and reads
several books to students.