grade 1

Religion

The purpose of the Grade 1 Religion program is to show children they are loved by God’s only Son, Jesus and his Church.  God’s loving presence is discovered in our everyday life where children and their families are invited to follow Jesus and be faithful to him.  Using RCL Benziger Blest Are We, the children will study units on our Church community, our loving God, God’s Son Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus’ followers.  In addition the children will learn about their faith by storytelling and singing, praying together formally and informally, and listening to stories and videos with Catholic values.

English/Language Arts

The purpose of the Grade 1 Language Arts program is to enable students to become successful readers, writers, speakers, and thinkers.  Learning in Language Arts is an interactive process. Students require multiple opportunities to develop and refine their skills via ongoing, repetitive practice.  The children learn to read and write well using Pearson: My View and Fundations. The six critical areas of explicit instruction included are: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, Text Comprehension, and Writing.  In addition, the children will participate in oral discussions, shared reading of Children’s Literature, and writing in journals.

Mathematics

The purpose of the Grade 1 Mathematics program is to teach the concepts of problem solving and computation skills necessary for the students to function in the real world.  The children learn these skills using the Pearson enVision Math Common Core Program. The children develop an understanding of and strategies for addition and subtraction up to 20.  Students will add and subtract double digit numbers without regrouping. The children reason with shapes and their attributes. They develop an understanding of number relationships and place values.  Children learn to measure using different units of measurement and they work on telling time to the half hour. First grade students are also introduced to coins and their values and use them in problem solving.  They learn to make and read bar and picture graphs. The use of manipulatives and problem solving are embedded throughout.

Science

The purpose of the Grade 1 Science program is to help students explore the wonders of the universe that God has created for us through the Life Sciences, Physical Science, and Earth Science. We incorporate units of study using Interactive Science trade books and hands on activities, and Scholastic/Science Spin Grade 1.

Social Studies

The purpose of the Grade 1 program is that students learn about families and how they exist within the wider communities of school, parish, city country, and even world.  There is a focus on national holidays, American symbols, and famous Americans of various backgrounds who have made a positive impact on our country. Students also learn about goods and services as well as the values of citizenship.  This is all learned through the Scott Foresman Social Studies All Together, Scholastic News Grade 1, trade books, and music.

The first grade curriculum adheres to the Common Core Standards and Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.