Grade 1 Curriculum Guide

English as a Second Language

English as a second language instruction is designed to develop skills in listening, speaking,
reading, writing and communicating in English. The primary focus on the first grade level is
vocabulary development.

Our program is designed to help students acquire proficiency in the English language through
the use of specialized methodologies and strategies. The instruction always takes into account
the first language and the culture of our students.

Physical Education and Health
The physical education program teaches children a variety of physical skills and activities
while promoting success and building confidence. Some of the individual and group skills
that are taught include stretching, traveling and locomotor movements, rhythm and dance,
throwing and catching! kicking and dribbling! balancing, striking, fitness concepts and
cooperative play. The overall goal for the program is to enable students to have an en"oyable
and positive e#perience during physical education class while emphasizing the importance of
being physically active and healthy for a lifetime.

Library
The library program serves to introduce students to a wide variety of literacy genres and make
these works accessible through the lending process. The program also promotes literacy in
the home and helps to encourage proper care and use of books.
Art
The art curriculum provides students with opportunities to demonstrate their creativity in a
variety of ways and develop artistic skills and art appreciation in relation to world cultures,
history and society. The emphasis is on developing technical and compositional skills
including design elements and principles. Students will evaluate, interpret and analyze artistic
e#pression using critical thinking skills and aesthetic valuing. Students use art knowledge and
imagery to develop and e#pand their imaginations beyond their communication skills. The art
program reflects the student$s emotional, physiological and intellectual development and
serves as an arena for problem solving.
Mathematics
Students will be instructed using a research%based program and will be able to

&se different strategies to compute addition and subtraction facts to '((
)roup * record tens and ones for amounts to '((
+ount numbers by '$s, ,$s, -$s and '($s
Sort geometric shapes
+ount amounts using pennies, nickels, dimes * quarters
.ead a calendar
&se and read a thermometer

Science

The core of the /%0 Science program is its participation in the 1O+ES Elementary Science Program (ESP), a hands%on kit program that is fully aligned with
2ew 3ork State 4earning Standard in 5ath, Science and Technology. 6dditional curriculum support comes from Science 4eveled .eaders. 5easuring skills are
stressed across the /%0 curriculum. The science topics covered vary at each grade level.

)rade '
7rom seed to plant
8hysical properties


Writing

Students learn to write with a clear focus, including relevant details and sequences. Students gain an appreciation for different genres and learn to write in the
style of favorite authors. Students learn to use strategies for spelling.
Language Arts
The elementary school 4anguage 6rts program helps students develop skills in reading,
writing, listening and speaking. Students will use the skills they develop as readers and
writers, in social communications to enrich their understanding of the world, its people and
their views.
The 4anguage 6rts program serves to develop the following critical language skills
+oncepts of print
The ability to hear, identify and manipulate sounds in words
6lphabet knowledge and phonics
6 sight vocabulary for reading
Spelling
Oral language skills and story telling
9ocabulary development
.eading strategies for word recognition * comprehension
7luency
/nowledge of the literary genres of fiction, non%fiction, poetry * traditional tales
.eading * writing for en"oyment * information


Music

Sing simple songs
.eproduce the tonic pitch :i.e. resting tone; in melodies
.eproduce patterns on pitched and unpitched instruments
8erform instrumental ostinati while others sing a melody
5aintain steady beat with instruments and<or movement while singing a melody
Sing simple intervals%sol, mi, la
5anipulate pitched and<or unpitched instruments
.eproduce steady beat with instruments and<or movement
.ecognize musical phrases that are the same, similar and different
.elate the sound of an instrument to a feeling, idea or character
Social Studies
The grade ' Social Studies core curriculum
=elps students learn about their roles as members of a family and
school community
>evelops a sense of individual identity and social interaction
E#plores an understanding of self, family and school across the five
social studies standards
=elps students to learn about families now and long ago
?nvestigates different kinds of families that have e#isted in different
societies and communities
Enables students to locate places on maps and globes
=elps students to understand that maps are representations of physical
features and ob"ects
1uilds on the kindergarten level program, encourages interdisciplinary
learning and assists in the development of content, concepts and skills for the
pre%kindergarten through grade ', social studies program


Educational Technology

8rior to completion of grade ', students will
>iscuss common uses of technology in daily life and the advantages
and disadvantages and the uses they provide
>iscuss basic issues related to responsible use of technology and
information and the consequences for inappropriate use
&se general%purpose productivity tools and peripherals to support
personal productivity, remediate skill deficits and facilitate learning
throughout the curriculum