First Grade

Curriculum Packet

CraddockSchool

2009-2010

Welcome to first grade! This handbook will serve as a resource regarding first grade curriculum and school wide policies. You will also receive our Miller/Craddock School Handbook. As always, please contact your child’s teacher with any questions or concerns you may have.

CraddockElementary School Policies

Drop Off/Pick Up Procedures

  • If your child is not taking the bus, morning drop off time is at 8:45am. Proper supervision is not available before this time.
  • Students are expected to be in their seats and ready to work at 8:55am.

Any time after 8:55am is recorded as a tardy.

  • Students will board the buses and be available for pick up at the Hurd Road Entrance at 3:15 pm.

Student Attire

  • During the warm weather please dress your child in layers as our classrooms are air-conditioned.
  • Flip-flops are not permitted.
  • During the winter months please prepare your child for the cold weather as they go outside for recess as long as it is above 15 degrees Fahrenheit. This includes boots, mittens/gloves, scarf, hat, and snow pants. Keeping an extra set of dry clothing in their locker is also a great idea. Make sure to label all personal items.
  • Spray painted hair is not appropriate for school.

Lunch Procedures

  • Our school district pay system for lunch is called Fastlane. Please refer to the letter sent to you which included your child’s password along with the procedures for applying money to their account.
  • If you are joining your child for lunch and purchasing a school lunch, please remember to send a note in with your child so we can prepare enough lunches for the day. We would like students to become comfortable with our lunch/recess procedures, therefore we ask parents not to visit the first two weeks of school. As always, don’t forget to sign in at the office and get a Visitor badge!

LANGUAGE ARTS

Reading

Each classroom will be using Scott Forsman for reading instruction. The children will be engaged in various reading activities including guided reading and shared reading experiences. Please reinforce the following strategies at home while you read with your child every night. Before simply telling your child what the word is, encourage them to:

  1. Look at the pictures.
  2. Get your lips ready to make the beginning sound of the word.
  3. Skip the word and go back to reread to see what would make sense.
  4. Is there a part of the word that you know? For example, in the word “candy” the child may recognize, “and.”
  5. Take a guess. Fill it in with something that makes sense.

**Nightly reading is critical to your child’s reading success!!!!!!!!

First Grade Sight Words/No Excuse Words (Core Words)

On the following pages you will find a list of high frequency words that are most often found in written communication. Reading and writing become much less frustrating, more enjoyable, and easier as children become familiar with these words. By the end of first grade, the children are expected to accurately read the first group of 100 words. They are expected to do this without being prompted by an adult. Use flash cards to help students practice quick recognition. By the end of first grade the children are expected to accurately spell the first grade list of 35 No Excuse Words (also referred to as Core Words). The second grade list of sight words and No Excuse Words (Core Words) are also included in this packet for children who have mastered the first grade list. Please see your teacher if you need the third grade list.

First Grade Sight Word List

thenotpeoplemost

ofhavethemits

andthisothermade

to butmoreover

a bywillsee

inwereintofirst

isoneyournew

thatallwhichvery

itshedomy

waswhenthenalso

foranmanydown

youtheirthesemake

hetherenonow

onhertimeway

ascanbeeneach

arewewhocalled

theywhatlikedid

withaboutcouldjust

beuphasafter

hissaidhimwater

atouthowthrough

orifthanget

fromsometwobecause

hadwouldmayback

Isoonlywhere

First Grade No Excuse Words/Core Words

  1. the 18. his
  2. of 19. they
  3. and20. at
  4. a 21. be
  5. to 22. this
  6. in 23. from
  7. is 24. I
  8. you25.have
  9. that26.or
  10. it 27.by
  11. he 28.one
  12. for29.had
  13. was30.not
  14. on 31.but
  15. are32.what
  16. as 33. all
  17. with34.were
  18. his35.when

Sitton Spelling Program

The Sitton Spelling Program focuses on spelling features and incorporating correct spelling when writing. The focus is on strategies, not short-term memorization. The First Grade No Excuse Words are also focused on in this program.

The children also engage in “Brave Spelling.” When they are trying to spell a word they don’t know, rather than supplying the word for them I tell them to “be brave” and try it on their own writing all the sounds they hear. This encourages them to take risks with their writing and prevents them from developing a fear of writing because they don’t know how to spell every word correctly. The children are only responsible for spelling the words on our word wall correctly. We add words to this wall every week.

Dr. Haggerty Phonemic Awareness

Phonemic awareness is the understanding that spoken words are made up of individual sounds, which are called phonemes. A child who is phonemically aware is able to isolate sounds, manipulate the sounds, and blend and segment the sounds into spoken and written words.

The children will engage in daily phonemic awareness activities (10-15 minutes per day) such as rhyming, blending, identifying sounds, and segmenting.

Writing

Building on the kindergarten foundation of “Writing Workshop,” the first graders use inventive spelling to become writers. The children will participate in various writing activities. This includes free choice writing, writing to a prompt, friendly letters, and creative story writing. Students practice the various techniques of brainstorming and work towards composing sentences, paragraphs, and stories from their own creative ideas. Students are given the experience of sharing their compositions with their peers, parents, and our staff. The children learn that people write for a variety of different reasons.

Each classroom follows a 5 day writing plan. Day 1 is “Web Day.” On this day the class brainstorms everything they know about the weekly writing topic as a whole group. Day 2 is “Mini-Lesson Day.” The teacher instructs a whole group lesson on the writing skill of the week as well as a review of any skills previously taught. Day 3 is “Modeling Day.” The teacher models writing on the theme of the week. Day 4 is “Product Day.” On this day the children write independently about the week’s topic in a quiet classroom for 30 minutes. Day 5 is “Busted Day!” The children conference with their teacher to orally correct their mistakes. The children are encouraged to identify the errors they made. Students with no errors have free writing choice on this day.

Handwriting

The Aurora City Schools has adopted the Zaner-Blozer handwriting method. This is the most widely used handwriting method. The following page includes a copy of the manuscript alphabet, both uppercase and lowercase, as well as the correct formation for numbers and other marks. Please refer to this when reviewing any letter formation with your child. The top line is referred to as the head line, the dotted line is referred to as the midline, and the bottom line is the baseline. Please encourage your child to start from the top of the headline or midline when forming each letter. The hand movement should always be from top to bottom.

Mathematics

Investigations

In grades K-5, we use Investigations in Number, Data, and Space. This math may be very different than what parents experienced while in school themselves. Investigations in an innovative approach to teaching mathematical concepts based on engaging activities and group learning experiences. Students will solve problems by describing, comparing, and discussing their approaches. Communication about mathematics is central.

The following is a description of the first grade curriculum units:

  • How Many of Each?

The mathematical focus of this unit is on building number sense through counting can comparing quantities, and through composing and decomposing numbers. The children also work with the operation of addition, developing strategies for combining quantities. This unit also introduces the mathematical tools, processes, and ways of working that will be the foundation of math class this year.

  • Making Shapes and Designing Quilts

The mathematical focus of this unit is on observing, describing, and comparing 2-D shapes and on composing and decomposing 2-D shapes.

  • Solving Story Problems

This unit continues to focus on counting and comparing larger quantities and on composing and decomposing numbers into several parts. Student work will focus on developing an understanding of the operations and on developing strategies for solving addition and subtraction problems.

  • What Would You Rather Be?

This unit develops ideas about collecting, representing, describing, and interpreting data.

  • Fish Lengths and Animal Jumps

This unit focuses on understanding what length is and how it can be measured, measuring lengths using different sized units, identifying the longest dimension of an object, comparing lengths to determine which is longer, identifying contexts in which measurement is used, and understanding the meaning of at least in the content of linear measurement.

  • Number Games and Crayon Puzzles

This unit develops ideas about counting and quantity, the composition of numbers, and the operations of addition and subtraction. Mathematical focus is on number composition (composing numbers up to 20 with 2 or more addends), whole number operations (making sense of and developing strategies to solve addition and subtraction problems with small numbers), and representing mathematical thinking (using manipulatives, drawings, tools, and notation to show strategies and solutions.

  • Color, Shape, and Number Patterns

This unit focuses on repeating patterns (constructing, describing, and extending repeating patterns), identifying the unit of a repeating pattern, and number sequences (constructing, describing, and extending number sequences with constant increments).

  • Twos, Fives, and Tens

In this unit we will revisit the number sequence, counting to 100 and beyond. The children will also encounter situations that provide concrete models for counting by numbers other than 1. They begin to make sense of what it means to count by groups. This unit also focuses on achieving fluency with the 2-addend combinations of 10 and introduces the idea of equivalence.

  • Blocks and Boxes

The mathematical focus on this unit is on observing, describing, comparing, and building 3-D shapes, developing vocabulary for naming and describing 2-D and 3-D shapes, and exploring the relationship between 2-D and 3-D shapes.

Daily Routine and Calendar Activities

Math concepts, including time and money, are reinforced during daily routine and calendar activities.

Science

First grade students will have the opportunity to develop the scientific skills of wondering, questioning, investigating, and communicating. They will learn to observe carefully and will practice recording their observations and comparisons in an organized manner. This will help them develop a better understanding and sense of the world they live in. First graders will learn about the basic needs of organisms and the changes organisms cause in their environment. They will also learn the different sources food comes from. The children will explore the physical properties of objects and will classify them according to their properties. They will also investigate the way objects move and explore how energy makes things work. At the end of the year we will focus on living and non-living resources and how some of these resources can be reused or recycled. We will be using the expertise of two programs. Our core program is called “HarcourtSchool Publishers.” We will supplement this program with another program developed specifically for Ohio students called “Aims.” The children will be engaged in many hands on activities and meaningful learning experiences.

Social Studies

Our first grade curriculum in social studies builds on the concepts developed in kindergarten. The kindergarten students got acquainted with the school setting and routines. Students started to understand the importance of rules, responsibility and decision-making. The students were introduced to the cultural heritage of the United States and democratic principles through the study of national symbols and holidays. They also learned about other cultures so that they could begin to form concepts about the world beyond their own classroom and community. In first grade we will continue to strengthen the students’ understanding of these concepts.

The first grade year focuses on the individual as a member of a family. Students begin to understand how families lived long ago and how they live in other cultures. The children will learn to understand how the world is organized spatially through beginning map skills. They will build the foundation for understanding principles of government and their role as citizens.

This year we will be using a text published by Harcourt, Inc. called Horizons About My World. We will supplement this resource with read-aloud books and magazines by Time For Kids and Scholastic. These materials provide news to help keep students up-to-date with daily local and world events.

Please remember to read the Miller/Craddock Handbook for school policies and procedures.

Second Grade No Excuse Words

  1. we29. her
  2. there30. two
  3. can31. like
  4. an 32, him
  5. your 33. see
  6. which34. time
  7. their35. could
  8. said36. no
  9. if 37. make

10. do38. than

11. will39. first

12. each40. been

13. about41. its

14. how42. who

15. up43. now

16. out44. people

17. them45. my

18. then46. made

19. she47. over

20. many48. did

21. some49. down

22. so50. only

23. these51. way

24. would52. find

25. other53. use

26. into54. may

27. has55. water

28. more56. long

Second Grade No Excuse Words

Continued

  1. little85. around
  2. very86. another
  3. after87. came
  4. words88. come
  5. called89. work
  6. just90. three
  7. where91. must

64. most92. because

  1. know93. does
  2. get94. part
  3. through95. even
  4. back96. place
  5. much97. well
  6. go98. such
  7. good99. here
  8. new100. take
  9. write101. why
  10. our102. help
  11. me103. put
  12. man104. different
  13. too105. away
  14. any106. again
  15. day107. off
  16. same 108. went
  17. right109. old
  18. look110. number
  19. think111. great
  20. also112. tell

Second Grade No Excuse Words

Continued

  1. men
  2. say
  3. small
  4. every
  5. found
  6. still
  7. between
  8. name
  9. should
  10. home
  11. big
  12. give
  13. air
  14. line
  15. set
  16. own
  17. under
  18. read
  19. last
  20. never
  21. us
  22. left
  23. end