What your child will be learning in 1st Grade…
English Language Arts and Reading
In Grade 1, students continue to develop their oral language and communication
skills and move to becoming independent readers and writers. First grade
students listen attentively and connect their experiences and ideas with
information and ideas presented in print. Students listen and respond to a
wide variety of children's literature, including selections from classic and
contemporary works. The stories and informational books students hear
introduce them to new vocabulary. Students recognize the distinguishing
features of stories, poems, and informational texts. First grade students
continue to develop their concepts of how print connects with spoken language.
Students understand that spoken language is composed of sequences of sounds
and that those sounds are represented by letters. Students can name the
letters and know the order of the alphabet and associate sounds with the
letter or letters that represent them. Students learn most of the common
letter-sound correspondences and use this knowledge to help them decode
written words. First grade students regularly read (both orally and silently)
in texts of appropriate difficulty with fluency and understanding. Students
demonstrate their comprehension by asking and answering questions, retelling
stories, predicting outcomes, and making and explaining inferences. First
grade students become adept writers. Students know the difference between
words, sentences, and paragraphs. First grade students can organize their
thoughts and ideas into complete stories or reports. Students use subjects and
verbs and are able to write complete sentences using basic capitalization and
punctuation. First grade students become more proficient spellers as they
learn to spell a number of high-frequency words and words with regularly
spelled patterns. The students' messages move from left-to-right and from
top-to-bottom and are written with increasing control of penmanship.
Mathematics
Within a well-balanced mathematics curriculum, the primary focal points at
Grade 1 are building number sense through number relationships, adding and
subtracting whole numbers, organizing and analyzing data, and working with
two- and three-dimensional geometric figures.
Throughout mathematics in Kindergarten-Grade 2, students build a foundation of
basic understandings in number, operation, and quantitative reasoning;
patterns, relationships, and algebraic thinking; geometry and spatial
reasoning; measurement; and probability and statistics. Students use numbers
in ordering, labeling, and expressing quantities and relationships to solve
problems and translate informal language into mathematical language and
symbols. Students use objects to create and identify patterns and use those
patterns to express relationships, make predictions, and solve problems as
they build an understanding of number, operation, shape, and space. Students
progress from informal to formal language to describe two- and
three-dimensional geometric figures and likenesses in the physical world.
Students begin to develop measurement concepts as they identify and compare
attributes of objects and situations. Students collect, organize, and display
data and use information from graphs to answer questions, make summary
statements, and make informal predictions based on their experiences.
Throughout mathematics in Kindergarten-Grade 2, students develop numerical
fluency with conceptual understanding and computational accuracy. Students in
Kindergarten-Grade 2 use basic number sense to compose and decompose numbers
in order to solve problems requiring precision, estimation, and
reasonableness. By the end of Grade 2, students know basic addition and
subtraction facts and are using them to work flexibly, efficiently, and
accurately with numbers during addition and subtraction computation. Problem
solving, language and communication, connections within and outside
mathematics, and formal and informal reasoning underlie all content areas in
mathematics.
Throughout mathematics in Kindergarten-Grade 2, students use these processes
together with technology and other mathematical tools such as manipulative
materials to develop conceptual understanding and solve meaningful problems as
they do mathematics.
Science
In Grade 1, the study of science includes simple classroom and field
investigations to help students develop the skills of asking questions,
gathering information, making measurements using non-standard units, with
tools such as a thermometer to extend their senses, constructing explanations,
and drawing conclusions. Students also use computers and information
technology tools to support their investigations.
As students learn science skills, they identify components of the natural
world including rocks, soil, and natural resources. Students observe that heat
from the Sun or friction is an example of something that causes change. In
addition, students identify basic needs of living things, explore ways that
living things depend on each other, and separate living organisms and
nonliving things into groups. Students identify parts that can be put together
with other parts to do new things.
Science is a way of learning about the natural world. Students should know how
science has built a vast body of changing and increasing knowledge described
by physical, mathematical, and conceptual models, and also should know that
science may not answer all questions.
A system is a collection of cycles, structures, and processes that interact.
Students should understand a whole in terms of its components and how these
components relate to each other and to the whole. All systems have basic
properties that can be described in terms of space, time, energy, and matter.
Change and constancy occur in systems and can be observed and measured as
patterns. These patterns help to predict what will happen next and can change
over time.
Investigations are used to learn about the natural world. Students should
understand that certain types of questions can be answered by investigations,
and that methods, models, and conclusions built from these investigations
change as new observations are made. Models of objects and events are tools
for understanding the natural world and can show how systems work. They have
limitations and based on new discoveries are constantly being modified to more
closely reflect the natural world.
Social Studies
In Grade 1, students learn about their relationship to the classroom, school,
and community. The concepts of time and chronology are developed by
distinguishing among past, present, and future events. Students identify
anthems and mottoes of the United States and Texas. Students make simple maps
to identify the location of places in the classroom, school, and community.
The concepts of goods and services and the value of work are introduced.
Students identify historic figures and ordinary people who exhibit good
citizenship. Students describe the importance of family customs and traditions
and identify how technology has changed family life. Students sequence and
categorize information.
To support the teaching of the essential knowledge and skills, the use of a
variety of rich material such as biographies; folktales, myths, and legends;
and poetry, songs, and artworks is encouraged. Selections may include a
children's biography of Abraham Lincoln. Motivating resources are also
available from museums, historical sites, presidential libraries, and local
and state preservation societies.
The eight strands of the essential knowledge and skills for social studies are
intended to be integrated for instructional purposes. Skills listed in the
geography and social studies skills strands should be incorporated into the
teaching of all essential knowledge and skills for social studies. A greater
depth of understanding of complex content material can be attained when
integrated social studies content from the various disciplines and
critical-thinking skills are taught together.
Throughout social studies in Kindergarten-Grade 12, students build a
foundation in history; geography; economics; government; citizenship; culture;
science, technology, and society; and social studies skills. The content, as
appropriate for the grade level or course, enables students to understand the
importance of patriotism, function in a free enterprise society, and
appreciate the basic democratic values of our state and nation as referenced
in the Texas Education Code, §28.002(h).
Health
In health education, students acquire the health information and skills
necessary to become healthy adults and learn about behaviors in which they
should and should not participate. To achieve that goal, students will
understand the following: students should first seek guidance in the area of
health from their parents; personal behaviors can increase or reduce health
risks throughout the lifespan; health is influenced by a variety of factors;
students can recognize and utilize health information and products; and
personal/interpersonal skills are needed to promote individual, family, and
community health.
In Grade 1, students learn more about their bodies and how to care for
themselves. Students also begin to learn that relationships exist between
behaviors and health, and that there are community helpers such as nurses and
doctors who help them stay healthy. In Grade 1, students also learn skills to
help them make friends, resolve conflicts, and solve problems.
Physical Education
In Physical Education, students acquire the knowledge and skills for movement
that provide the foundation for enjoyment, continued social development
through physical activity, and access to a physically active lifestyle. The
student exhibits a physically active lifestyle and understands the
relationship between physical activity and health throughout the lifespan.
First grade students continue to develop basic body control, fundamental
movement skills, and health-related fitness components such as strength,
endurance, and flexibility. Students can state key performance cues for basic
movement patterns such as throwing and catching. Students continue to learn
rules and procedures for simple games and apply safety practices associated
with physical activities.
Art
Four basic strands--perception, creative expression/performance, historical
and cultural heritage, and critical evaluation--provide broad, unifying
structures for organizing the knowledge and skills students are expected to
acquire. Students rely on their perceptions of the environment, developed
through increasing visual awareness and sensitivity to surroundings, memory,
imagination, and life experiences, as a source for creating artworks. They
express their thoughts and ideas creatively, while challenging their
imagination, fostering reflective thinking, and developing disciplined effort
and problem-solving skills.
By analyzing artistic styles and historical periods students develop respect
for the traditions and contributions of diverse cultures. Students respond to
and analyze artworks, thus contributing to the development of lifelong skills
of making informed judgments and evaluations.
Music
Four basic strands--perception, creative expression/performance, historical
and cultural heritage, and critical evaluation--provide broad, unifying
structures for organizing the knowledge and skills students are expected to
acquire. In music, students develop their intellect and refine their emotions,
understanding the cultural and creative nature of musical artistry and making
connections among music, the other arts, technology, and other aspects of
social life. Through creative performance, students apply the expressive
technical skills of music and critical-thinking skills to evaluate multiple
forms of problem solving.
By reflecting on musical periods and styles, students understand music's role
in history and are able to participate successfully in a diverse society.
Students analyze and evaluate music, developing criteria for making critical
judgments and informed choices.
Technology Applications
The technology applications curriculum has four strands: foundations,
information acquisition, work in solving problems, and communication.
Through the study of technology applications foundations, including
technology-related terms, concepts, and data input strategies; students learn
to make informed decisions about technologies and their applications. The
efficient acquisition of information includes the identification of task
requirements; the plan for using search strategies; and the use of technology
to access, analyzes, and evaluates the acquired information. By using
technology as a tool that supports the work of individuals and groups in
solving problems, students will select the technology appropriate for the
task, synthesize knowledge, create a solution, and evaluate the results.
Students communicate information in different formats and to diverse
audiences. A variety of technologies will be used. Students will analyze and
evaluate the results.