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We belleve LhaL ln order for one Lo apply knowledge, learnlng should be LaughL ln
Lhe conLexL of one's own experlences. ln Lhls way Lhe chlld ls able Lo make
connecLlons Lo prlor lnformaLlon, and learnlng becomes more meanlngful.

Chlldren learn besL when Lhey are able Lo become acLlve parLlclpanLs ln Lhelr
school envlronmenL. A wlde range of Lechnlques, manlpulaLlves, and acLlvlLles are
used Lo make learnlng fun and relevanL. Whlle we Lry Lo make learnlng as
en[oyable and comforLable as posslble, we seL hlgh goals for our sLudenLs and
belleve a chlld can llve up Lo Lhe expecLaLlons puL before hlm or her. 1hls can only
happen lf we are senslLlve Lo Lhe chlld's needs as a person, reallzlng LhaL each chlld
has a unlque personallLy.

1he year wlll be spenL developlng your chlld's self-esLeem and prlde. As a member
of Lhe flrsL grade classroom, Lhey wlll be a parL of a very lmporLanL Leam of
learners. We wlll sLress Lhe lmporLance of supporLlng each oLher ln our [ourney
and wlll encourage and celebraLe rlsk Laklng durlng dlscusslon and lnqulry. 1he
chlldren wlll qulckly learn LhaL even Lhelr Leachers are a parL of Lhe classroom
Leam of llfe learners!

We ask for your supporL from home and encourage communlcaLlon beLween
home and school Lo help faclllLaLe your chlld's developmenL.
LAnCuACL A81S
Language ArLs lncludes 8eadlng, Lngllsh/WrlLlng, Spelllng, LlsLenlng, Speaklng and
PandwrlLlng. 1hese sub[ecLs are noL LaughL separaLely. lnsLead, Lhey are lnLegraLed LogeLher
as a language arLs currlculum. 1hls ls lmporLanL because of Lhe connecLlons and
lnLerdependency of Lhe areas.

Cpen CourL 8eadlng, 2002 LdlLlon ls used as our core readlng program. lL ls a sequenLlal,
phoneLlc based approach Lo readlng. Cur goal ls Lo have our sLudenLs begln readlng early
readers and/or novels ln addlLlon Lo our formal readlng program. 8eadlng lnsLrucLlon beyond
phonlcs lessons are dlfferenLlaLed accordlng Lo Lhe needs of Lhe sLudenLs. 8eadlng lnsLrucLlon
focuses on Lhe followlng four componenLs:
1. uecodlng
8evlew and ldenLlfy all leLLers of Lhe alphabeL
lnLroduce Lhe 43 sounds and 96 spelllngs of Lhe Cpen CourL 8eadlng rogram
lnLroduce and pracLlce Lhe blendlng process
lnLroduce Lhe excepLlons Lo Lhe phoneLlcally spelled words (slghL words)
ldenLlfy new words by recognlzlng changes ln lnlLlal, flnal and medlal sounds

2. Lxpresslon and lluency
8ulld and awareness of lefL Lo rlghL progresslon and spaces beLween words
8ecognlze beglnnlng and endlng of senLences as well as lnLerlor puncLuaLlon Lo lnfer
volce lnflecLlon and meanlng.
lnLroduce Lhe use of quoLaLlon marks Lo lndlcaLe conversaLlon
SLress readlng smooLhly and clearly wlLh adequaLe volume

3. Word Meanlng and vocabulary
8e able Lo orally use new vocabulary ln compleLe senLences
8e able Lo orally expand slmple senLences
rovlde an awareness of:
! AnLonyms, synonyms and homonyms
! Compound words
! ConLracLlons
! namlng words (nouns) dolng or acLlon words (verbs) and descrlblng words
(ad[ecLlves)
lnLroduce Lhe use of plcLures and conLexL ln clarlfylng unknown words


4. Comprehenslon
Learn Lo predlcL sLory ouLcome of evenLs Lhrough browslng plcLures and LexL
SLress acLlvaLlng prlor knowledge Lo relaLe Lo conLenL of LexL
lnLroduce Lhe sLraLegy of summlng up and reflecLlng perlodlcally LhroughouL Lhe LexL
Lo conflrm meanlng
SLress vlsuallzlng maLerlal presenLed ln LexL
8ecognlze and learn Lo appreclaLe llLerary Lechnlques, such as slmlles and
meLaphors, vlvld descrlpLlons, and use of oLher words Lo sLlmulaLe senses
SLress rereadlng when needed Lo clarlfy meanlng
ldenLlfy sLory elemenLs

Cur spelllng program ls phoneLlc based wlLh approxlmaLely one hundred non-phoneLlc words
Lo memorlze. Lach week a new phoneLlc concepL ls lnLroduced. Cur goal ls for sLudenLs Lo
analyze LhaL concepL and apply lL Lo oLher words. 1wo Lo four non-phoneLlc words are also
lncluded ln Lhe weekly llsL. Lach lesson ls culmlnaLed wlLh senLence dlcLaLlon whlch lncludes
words LaughL up Lo LhaL polnL as well as correcL puncLuaLlon and caplLallzaLlon.

Language skllls lncorporaLe wrlLlng, language mechanlcs and grammar. Language mechanlcs
focuses on caplLallzaLlon aL Lhe beglnnlng of a senLence and wlLh proper nouns. uncLuaLlon ls
LaughL when sLudylng dlfferenL Lypes of senLences. SenLence sLrucLure and noun/verb
agreemenL ls LaughL ln con[uncLlon wlLh parLs of speech. SLudenLs wlll have many
opporLunlLles Lo wrlLe ln varlous genres such as [ournal wrlLlng, personal narraLlve
experlences, sLorles, reporLs, leLLers, and poeLry.

Zaner 8loser (LradlLlonal manuscrlpL) ls Lhe handwrlLlng sLyle LhaL we Leach ln flrsL grade. 1he
premlse of Lhe program ls Lo wrlLe Lhe lower case leLLers uslng a conLlnuous sLroke raLher Lhan
plcklng up Lhe pencll ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe leLLer.




MA1P
Cur maLh program uses MaLh ln locus: 1he Slngapore Approach, 2009 edlLlon. 1hls program
focuses on problem solvlng and Lhe use of model drawlng Lo drlve Lhe acqulslLlon and
appllcaLlon of maLhemaLlcal skllls. Skllls and concepLs are LaughL ln depLh Lo allow for masLery.
MaLhemaLlcs ls LaughL from Lhe use of a concreLe Lo vlsual Lo absLracL developmenL of
concepLs. Lmphasls on problem solvlng ls consldered cenLral Lo all maLhemaLlcs sLudy.

CCn1Ln1 A8LAS
1he conLenL areas of Sclence and Soclal SLudles are lnLegraLed wlLh Spanlsh lnsLrucLlon.
Sclence focuses on Lhe processes of lnqulry, whlch are predlcLlng, observlng, classlfylng,
measurlng, descrlblng, comparlng, and experlmenLlng. 1he unlLs of sLudy lnclude Llfe Sclence,
LarLh Sclence, and hyslcal Sclence. 1hls ls LaughL wlLh a hands-on approach Lhrough fleld
Lrlps, experlmenLs and exploraLlon acLlvlLles.
Soclal SLudles wlll focus on characLer developmenL, global awareness of culLures and cusLoms,
Amerlcan symbols, famous people, geography and map skllls.

SLClAL Su8!LC1S
Spanlsh, hyslcal LducaLlon, and llne ArLs (Muslc, ArL and uance) have asslgned Llmes each
week.