Welcome to FIRST & SECOND GRADE
Building a Community of Lifelong Learners
By involving parents, teachers and administrators in the childrens' education we form a partnership that guides the child's education throughout the year.
Our goal is to provide a curriculum and environment that value respect, caring, and responsibility. We differentiate for the needs of all learners, and provide a year filled with exciting, creative, and stimulating learning experiences.
The developmentally appropriate curriculum aligns with standards and practices supported by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
We provide a classroom environment that is safe, stimulating and nurturing while offering hands-on, problem solving opportunities relating to the child's social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs.
CURRICULUM
Language Arts
Our language arts curriculum uses a variety of practices to teach and nurture reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students are exposed to quality children's literature through frequent Teacher Read Aloud, and are encouraged to reflect and respond to the texts.
Readers Workshop
The goal of the Readers Workshop is to foster a love of reading because research has shown the more the children read the better readers they become! Students choose from a variety of genres and books of interest to them. They practice reading using books at their reading level, and are encouraged to discuss, reflect, and respond to their learning. We teach many reading strategies, and comprehension strategies to enhance understanding. They learn to question, infer and summarize. They learn to use their schema; that is to think about what they already know about topics, and to use that knowledge base to aid in both reading and comprehension. The workshop also includes word study to teach high frequency words, learn common spelling patterns, and to build vocabulary.
Writers Workshop
Children enter the primary grades at various stages on the writing continuum and their differences are accommodated in the Writers Workshop environment. We use focused units of study to support the children as they write about ideas that are interesting to them. As they write, students learn about the writing process, and about writing for different purposes. Student writing is published in real books, and we celebrate their accomplishments as real authors.
Show and Teach
Reading, writing, listening and speaking are all incorporated into Show & Teach. The “Teacher” chooses a topic of interest, researches, and prepares a presentation for their peers. Following the presentation, the student directs a question-answer session.
Handwriting
The Handwriting Without Tears™ program is designed to teach consistent letter formation using printing in first grade. Second graders begin to learn cursive lowercase letters at the end of the year.
Mathematics
Everyday Mathematics ™
A research-based curriculum developed by the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project. It was designed to increase mathematical literacy by connecting math to children's everyday experiences, and build foundations of understanding in the following mathematical strands;
• Algebra and uses of variables
• Data and chance
• Geometry and spatial sense
• Measures and measurement
• Numeration and order
• Patterns, functions and sequences
• Operations
• Reference frames
Project-Based Learning
Science and Social Studies topics are explored in depth to learn about our community and natural world. Lilian Katz and Sylvia Chard's Project Approach provides experiences for children that support them in their quest for understanding. The advantages of project-based learning are many. Children are intellectually engaged and absorbed, are intellectually challenged, and are involved in sustained investigations. They develop confidence in their questions, and feel that they belong to a group of their peers.
An integral part of project-based learning is exploring primary sources through technology, field trips, guest experts, and hands-on experiments.
Fine Arts
Art, Music, and Drama are taught in units of one trimester each. In these Fine Arts units, taught by arts specialists, we address perceptual awareness and creative development. Emphasis is placed on each student's individual process, rather than a finite end product.
P.E.
Students attend P.E. class 4 to 5 times each week. A variety of competitive, non-competitive, cooperative and individual activities are designed to promote large and small muscle development and coordination.
Library
Students visit the school library weekly for a ‘Book Talk' by our librarian, and to check out library books.
Technology
Students use computers to do internet research for projects and for word-processing purposes. Students may access computers both in the library and in the classroom.
Special Events and Field Trips
Field trips and special events are an important part of our school year. These events provide enrichment, interest and valuable hands-on learning experiences for our students.
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