Language Arts

Our reading curriculum focuses on “The 5 Big Ideas.”  The 5 Big Ideas include phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.  Every day, the activities and lessons are focused around these main ideas.

Every Monday, your child should bring home new sight words for the week.  The words should be studied nightly to ensure that your child can read them. If your child can already read the words, we ask that you spend the time that you would use to study the words to read with your child. The sight words are assessed every Friday, and your child is expected to be able to read them, not spell them. 

In 1^st grade, “spelling” is phonics practice.  Each week we focus on a specific phonics pattern.  We want the children to be able to apply the pattern, rather than memorize a list of words.

The comprehension is assessed at the end of each story (weekly), as well as at the end of the theme.

The fluency is an area that is modeled daily by the teacher, but is practiced by the students as well. 

The LEXIA (www.lexialearning.com) program is available for home and school practice.

Writing

Writers’ Workshop is a individualized, conference based approach.  Children are given strategies to write narrative, procedural, response to literature, and informational pieces.

Math

This year we have adopted a new math program which is a blend of traditional math and hands on investigations.  Investigations include geometry, solving story problems, measurement, and data analysis.  Units in the math basil text include patterns and readiness for addition and subtraction, understanding addition and subtraction, strategies for addition and subtraction facts to 12, geometry and fractions, time, counting to 100 and money.  Many of these same concepts are embedded in our calendar time, which is also done every day.

The PEARSON website (www.pearsonsuccessnet.com) is available for home and school practice.  This website is an excellent tool for math fact practice.

Social Living

Social Living is the area that encompasses the science and social studies areas of the curriculum.  We learn about health and safety through visits from Mt. Lebanon Fire Department and Mt. Lebanon Police Department.  In science, we have units on weather and insects.  The social studies unit is “My Family Now and Long Ago.”  We continue to focus on the attributes (respect, honesty, love, justice courage, loyalty and hope) in Character Education.