In reading the first graders will continue the important skill of noting details in stories. They will explore the differences between fantasy and realism. The first graders will use strategies to summarize, compare and contrast stories, as well as ask questions about stories. We will also work on spelling words with short i and short o sounds. In writing the first grade writers will continue to develop true moments from their lives into small moment stories. They will focus on conventions such as capitalizing names, proper spacing, and word order, as well as varying noun and adjective choice.

In our unit “Understanding Addition and Subtraction” the 1^st grade mathematicians will explore the meaning of addition of subtraction through the use of joining and separating stories (word problems). They will look at the horizontal and vertical forms for addition and subtraction and recognize that both forms represent the same situation. They will use vocabulary such as add, plus, sum, subtract, minus, difference.

The 1^st grade scientists will investigate “Health and Nutrition” during October. They will learn about the food groups that make up the food pyramid. They will discuss and design projects that are centered on healthy food choices. They will identify fruits and veggies they like and try to expand the variety of foods they eat. They will discover the importance of staying active along with eating healthy. Towards the end of the month they will explore different ways to keep their healthy bodies safe such as following biking laws, emergency situations, and being aware of strangers.

Our next Social Studies unit, “Where People Live”, explores the idea that people live in many different locations. The first graders will learn that where people live affects the way that they live. They will learn to locate their continent, country, state, and town on a map, as well as create maps with map keys on a variety of locations. We will also discuss how people can use and save natural resources where they live.