So your young student now has one year of learning under his or her belt. First grade may be a big transition to a full day of school if your Kindergartner was in a ½ day school setting. This year there are less play type activities and more emphasis on learning new tools for academic success. Your six-year old is discovering that he or she is a unique individual, and may find socializing or making friends much more important than ever before.
The following is a general list of only a few of the things your first grader should learn by the end of the year. For a more in depth look check out What Your First Grader Needs To Know from your local library, or purchase it through the Core Knowledge Foundation.
At this grade level, your first grader will begin to transition from reading in pictures to reading primarily word-based books with fewer pictures. Vocabulary and spelling words correctly will become an increasing focus this year. Listening carefully and beginning to print neatly are also important to master.
Through History and Geography, your first grader will see many different places through geography. Studying ancient civilizations such as Egypt, The Roman Empire, and Greece are sure to be great topics of dinner conversation. Studying early exploration and the American Revolution will give your student a good beginning foundation in American history and civics.
Art classes will concentrate on drawing straight lines, primary color recognition, art appreciation, self-portraits, and still life.
Students will make tremendous progress in math during first grade. Here they will begin to do simple addition and subtraction problems, as well as continue to learn how time and temperature are measured. Understanding simple fractions will take place through dissecting slices of pizza’s, and pie’s and other common objects. Word problems may be introduced during first grade.
Science is a wonderful topic in first grade. Your student will begin to learn about the different systems in the body. This also can make for some interesting dinner table conversations (Just wait, you will understand what I mean by the end of the year!) In addition, first graders will learn properties of matter at a macro level and the scientific method, which will help with problem solving and logical though processes.