First Grade
First Grade, where fun and learning go hand in hand!
Reading:
We use Fountas and Pinell reading mini lessons and related Read Aloud books to teach reading comprehension skills. We use the UFLI Foundations curriculum in order to teach kids letter sounds and the science of reading. Each lesson starts with letter sounds and decodable words and increases in complexity throughout the year.
Math:
Our curriculum in math is called Into Math HMH and we started the year with addition and subtraction. Students are asked to represent and explain their thinking using various different methods. We also do math review twice a week in which we review standards we have already covered that students might need extra help with. First Grade math is dynamic and students enjoy being able to explain their thinking.
Writing:
Our curriculum in writing is called Step Up to Writing and we will start the school year with students being introduced to the All Write Club characters that represent the four traits of writing. They will learn the steps of the writing process and the difference between facts and opinions.
Social Studies:
We meet the social studies state standards through our IB units. First Grade students start with the unit, Sharing the Planet, where we focus on rules and why we have them. We discuss the difference between school rules and home rules and end the unit by creating essential agreements that follow throughout the year.
Scholar Coach Program
Your child’s classroom will have a Scholar Coach working alongside their teacher this year. Scholar Coaches provide 1:1 tutoring for K-3 students in reading skills. This tutoring may be provided virtually or in person depending on the current status of the SPPS district. Scholar Coaches are part of the AmeriCorps network of service and Reading Corps.
In addition to 1:1 reading tutoring, Scholar Coaches also support core instruction and social emotional learning in their classrooms. Examples of what support a Scholar Coach might provide are Read-A-Louds, math help, writing assistance, and small group or class-wide phonics interventions as well as participation in the classroom community though classroom meetings.
We are excited to offer the Scholar Coach program at Benjamin Mays and look forward to this partnership with families, students and teachers.
Our first grade Scholar Coach is Ms. Sohvi.
Learning at Home
Mays Family Days - Math, Reading, Writing support/resources for learning at home
In This Section
Primary Years Programme
Throughout the year, students will explore six Transdisciplinary Themes:
- How the World Works
- How We Express Ourselves
- How We Organize Ourselves
- Sharing the Planet
- Where We Are in Place and Time
- Who We Are
Useful Links
Homework Policy
Students are expected to read 30 minutes a day at home. This can be done on their own or they can read to an adult as needed.
We will send out two pages of homework on Thursdays in our take-home folder. One page will be on sight words and reading skills that we are working on during that week. Please save the sight word list and work on one word a day as needed and move up each week. If a student does not know the words from the previous week, please continue on working on those words before moving on to the new list of words.
The second page will cover any math skills we learned in class or skills from kindergarten that students might still struggle with.