Grade 1 Curriculum
RELIGION
In first grade we use The Spirit of Truth curriculum. It covers the following units: God is our creator, Jesus is the son of God, We pray to Jesus, Jesus is our Savior, Mary is the mother of God, and The Holy Spirit makes us holy.
LITERACY
First grade uses Wilson Fundations, a multisensory, structured language program which includes letter formation, phonological and phonemic awareness, and phonics. Each Unit focuses on word structure pertaining to the following: blending and beginning to read, segment and spelling, sentence dictation, consonant digraphs, “Bonus letter” spelling rule, glued sounds, base word and suffix -s , -es, -ed, -ing, blending and reading words with 4 and 5 sounds, long vowel sounds for consonant -e, and the concept of closed syllable words.
In addition to Fundations, we use the Wonders curriculum which provides students with a wide variety of literature experiences, exposing them to poetry, narrative, and expository texts. Students learn comprehension skills such as identifying the following: author, illustrator, character traits, setting, plot, main idea and details, making and confirming predictions, cause and effect, various print concepts, grammar skills such as punctuation, nouns (common vs proper), verbs, adjectives, contraction introduction, pronouns etc. First graders also experience a variety of writing styles from labeling, list making, personal narrative writing, opinion writing, explanatory writing, reports, persuasive writing, poems, and letter writing.
MATH
St. Peter School is using Sadlier’s Progress in Mathematics. This program aligns with Common Core standards and teaches students problem-solving strategies and higher-order thinking skills. The First Grade math curriculum includes numbers, number words and ordinals, addition strategies and fact to 12, subtraction strategies and fact to 12, data and graphs: using operations, place value to 100, extending addition and subtraction facts, geometry, money and time, measurement, addition two-digit numbers, subtraction two-digit numbers, and fractions and probability. Students participate in daily, whole-group lessons using math manipulatives and worksheets, and explore hands-on math games, which allow for small-group lessons and differentiated instruction.
SCIENCE
First grade uses the Nancy Larson Science series. The topics covered for the year include Describing the Life Stages of Human Beings, Observing Trees, Exploring Sunlight, Water, and Soil, Investigating Animals and Their Habitat, Discovering What Is Inside Our Bodies, and Examining the Characteristics and Life Cycles of Insects.