Welcome to First Grade Expectations for Learning What

Welcome to First Grade

Expectations for Learning What should I be expecting my little star to learn?

House Keeping Items • Daily Folders – Please sign and return daily. Please record reading minutes on the back of the calendar. • Tuesday Folders – Please do not return forms and money in these. Return all items in your child’s daily folder. • Newsletters – This will be sent out by your child’s teacher every Friday. • Field Trips – We will be going to the Dallas Childrens theater in December and the Dallas World Aquarium in the Spring. • Snack and Water Bottles – Please send dry/healthy snacks with your child. – Water bottles must have a sports top.

Reading • In the area of reading comprehension, your child will. . . --Learn to establish the purpose for reading. --Monitor their own comprehension by using strategies such as rereading, checking understanding, self-monitoring and questioning. --Learn to use prior knowledge (schema) to anticipate meaning and make sense of the text. --Identify different types of texts and their features. --Learn story structure including plot, setting, and the story’s problem and solution, tell main ideas with supporting details, and analyze characters, --Use a variety of metacognitive reading skills to make inferences and predictions, create sensory images, compare and contrast ideas within and between stories and make connections between texts to self, other texts, and texts to the world to build comprehension and synthesize their understanding of what they’ve read. .

Integrating Reading and Social Studies --Social Studies will be integrated in with reading instruction. We will learn to… • Identify contributions of historical figures and leaders who have influenced the community, state, and nation. • Describe and compare the observance of holidays and celebrations, past and present. • Locate significant places on a map. • Explain the need for rules and laws. • Identify characteristics of good citizenship and describe the roles of public officials including mayor, governor and president. • Use voting as a way of making choices and decisions. • Describe similarities and differences in ways families meet basic human needs. • Identify examples of goods and services in the home, school, and community. • Explain how folktales and legends tell about beliefs and traditions in a community. • Describe how household tools and appliances have changed the ways families live. • Identify anthems and mottoes of the United States and Texas. • Identify landforms, bodies of water, natural resources and weather.

Spelling/Working with Words • Spelling will look different. --Your student will be learning the rules to use when spelling words this year. --Students will learn how to spell using chunks with short and long sounds, blends, plurals and other endings, and digraphs, such as ‘th’ in this. --Students will make words applying the rules that they have learned. --You will see high-frequency words (you, of, that) --Students will be expected to increasingly use familiar words correctly in their writing.

Spelling/Working with Words • Spelling will look different continued --Each Monday a new rule will be introduced and we will brainstorm various words that follow this rule. Students will take this list home, along with a word bank list, to work on the rule at home. --Throughout the week, students will have the opportunity to practice this rule in various settings. --On Friday, a spelling test will be given to assess the understanding of the rule that was taught. --You will see high-frequency words (you, of, that) to practice weekly.

WRITING During 1 st Grade your child will. . . $Use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing and publishing)to compose texts. $Write texts to express their ideas and feelings about people, events, and ideas with beginnings, middles, and ends. $Write in different forms for different purposes such as lists to record, letters to share messages, invite, or thank, and poems to convey sensory details. $Write expository texts to communicate ideas to specific audiences for specific purposes. $Use appropriate written conventions, such as capital letters and correct end marks while writing legibly. $Make connections from his/her own experiences with the life, language, customs, and culture of others.

abc Handwriting xyz Last year Allen ISD adopted a new handwriting style district wide for K-2. We will be doing Modern or Slant Manuscript. Legibility is our greatest goal with handwriting. To help with this, you can— • Encourage your child to use proper spacing in words and between words. • Have your child start letters from the top to the bottom and work in continuous strokes when possible. • Encourage them to start the following letters like a c - a, d, f, g, o, q

Four Part Math Model • Daily Drills • Problem Solving • Whole Group Lesson • Small Groups

Mathematics: The approach is to obtain a deeper understanding. Students will: Plan, justify, communicate, analyze, explain, determine, evaluate, formulate, apply, create, display, measure, collect, organize, describe

Mathematics In first grade, your child will learn these concepts: • Identify and use mathematics in everyday situations • Know and use numbers up to 120 • Count forward and backward from any given number between 1 and 120 (understanding is prerequisite to + and -) • Skip counting number patterns by 2 s, 5 s and 10 s to 120 • Place Value to 120 • Solving problems involving + and – within 20 *Students will extend BEYOND the action of joining and separating to include comparing and combining, focus on solution strategies, determine unknowns, equal equations • • • Coins 2 D shapes and 3 D solids Measurement of length using non-standard measurement Fractions of ½ and ¼ Compile data, make and interpret several types of graphs and charts Personal financial literacy

Science • • • During first grade your child will: Learn lab safety Learn the names and uses of simple lab tools as they carry out investigative experiments using the scientific method Observe and record weather patterns and the changes in seasons, day and night and the moon Identify and discuss different forms of energy and how they are useful to us Classify and identify changes in matter Observe life cycles of plants and animals such as frogs, chicken, and fish. Analyze and record examples of interdependence in terrariums and aquariums Discuss characteristics of animals and how those effect where they live, how they move and what they eat Identify ways to conserve natural resources

Technology in First Grade In First Grade, students will continue to develop technology skills introduced in Kindergarten. These skills include: • Creating original products • Communicating with technology as with blogs, twitter, etc. • Use technology for research and evaluate the usefulness of the information they have found. • Use critical thinking skills to guide their research and evaluate what they create using digital tools and resources. • Learn practices with technology to ensure digital safety. • Perform basic software application functions and proper keyboarding techniques appropriate for first grade learning. • Publishing writing with Microsoft Word.

1 st Grade Report Card • The First Grade report card is very similar to the Kindergarten report card. Your child is assessed in all academic areas as well as social development and work habits. • This can be accessed via Skyward by logging in and going to your child’s portfolio tab.

Reporting Periods • Students will receive a report card each marking period. There are four marking periods each year. – – 1 st nine weeks ends: October 11 th 2 nd nine weeks ends: December 20 th 3 rd nine weeks ends: March 6 th 4 th nine weeks ends: May 22 nd • Progress reports will not be given in First Grade, although your child’s teacher will communicate with you if your child is having difficulties. • Grades for each reporting period reflect your child’s progress for that reporting period only.

Reporting Numbers To report your child’s progress, the following number system will be used. These should not be correlated to letter grades. 4 3 2 1

Report Card Symbol Explanation 4 Demonstrates high achievement of grade level expectations demonstrates clear understanding of all objectives consistently and independently uses appropriate terminology in subject area masters instructional objectives on or above grade level expectations expands learning independently problem solves on independent level contributes valuable insight to classroom discussions asks thought provoking questions 2 Progressing toward grade level expectations demonstrates partial understanding of most objectives attempts use of appropriate terminology in subject area develops instructional objectives on grade level has little or no expanded learning listens to classroom discussions asks questions when needed 3 Meeting grade level expectations demonstrates understanding of most objectives uses appropriate terminology in subject area masters instructional objectives on grade level expands learning with guidance from teacher problem solves with prompts from others participates in classroom discussions asks questions when needed 1 Not yet demonstrating grade level expectations demonstrates little or no understanding of objectives does not attempt to use appropriate terminology in subject area has not developed instructional objectives of grade level has limited problem solving skills is inattentive to classroom discussions asks questions that are not related to subject matter

AISD First Grade Report Card Parent Guidelines Explore the links below to learn more about grade level expectations and report cards. http: //allenisd. org/cms/lib/TX 01001197/Centricity/domain/31/ report%20 cards/First%20 Grade%20 Report%20 Card%20 Broc hure%2014 -15. pdf For more information on the First Grade Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills objectives, click on the link below. http: //www. tea. state. tx. us/index 2. aspx? id=6148

Excitement and Enthusiasm • As a team, we promise to provide your child with the tools and environment they need to succeed. • We are excited about the growth and development of your child. • Thank you for sharing our enthusiasm and partnering with us for a successful year!

For more information about class happenings, you can now follow us on Twitter! @Leslie. Marion 1 st, @Pero. Marion 1, @doltonmarion 1 st, @MMartin. Marion 1