Language Arts
"Reading is Fundamental" and we make it fun in first grade. The first grade English Language Arts curriculum includes the Houghton Mifflin Reading series,  A Legacy of Literacy. This is a researched based approach that employs multiple strategies that facilitate reading, writing, spelling and appreciation of literature. In order to build a nation of readers we must read and be read to. We do a lot of reading aloud of both fiction and nonfiction. In our first grade, we are aware of the variety of ways children come to reading. We meet these needs through singing, memorizing poetry and preparing performance pieces. Reading in first grade is fun because we are learning!

Math
The first grade math curriculum is called Everyday Math and was produced by the University of Chicago Mathematics Project. This approach teaches children that math exists in a real way in everyday life. Counting, numeration, operations, measures, money, time, patterns, sequences, exploration of data and chance as well as geometry and spatial sense are the mathematic areas that are taught and revisited all year long. And they are introduced in a way that encourages mathematical thinking. Many games were developed to teach the program, and the children frequently ask to play them, proving that they are fun.  The teachers also like these games because skills are being reinforced on the way to mastery.

Science
Science happens everyday in first grade. We begin our days with a morning walk to our apple tree. We observe, count, predict and wonder. We are weather watchers and gardeners all year long. We study oceans and sea animals and present a wonderful ocean environment at the annual school science fair. We learn about bees and ants. When possible we make a science-social studies connection as is done while we study the Iroquois.

Social Studies
In first grade "Communities" is the theme for the year. An on-going part of the Social Studies curriculum is geared toward learning how to live in a classroom and being the "best we can be". We have been very pleased with the adoption of several Responsive Classroom techniques to build a caring community. We "travel" to Africa and learn about the geographical features of the continent as well as the animal life. While we are there we listen to African folktales and music, dance, taste some food as well as create beautiful patterns which have been known in the past to be made into a mother's or father's day gift.