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In addition to dealing with boundless energy levels and intense emotions, children preparing for 1st grade will face new responsibilities in school. Your child will learn to adjust to a longer school day, take more ownership of his homework, and learn to get around by himself.

** Skills Acquired During 1st Grade ** The emphasis remains firmly on developing your child’s reading and math skills, but lessons in art, social studies, science, and physical education may be incorporated as well. Although some skills will resemble those your 6 year old learned in kindergarten, keep in mind that 1st grade is mostly about mastering lessons previously taught.

** Preparing for 1st Grade Reading **


 * Expand sight-word vocabulary
 * Recall the sequence of events in oral and written stories
 * Discuss story elements such as plot, character, events, and setting
 * Understand basic punctuation (capitalize first letter of a sentence, use periods and question marks, etc.)
 * Identify the main idea and details in a story
 * Print legibly
 * Recognize single and plural forms of nouns
 * Write in complete sentences
 * Differentiate between fiction and nonfiction stories
 * Memorize and correctly spell between 130 and 150 words

** Preparing for 1st Grade Math **


 * Understand greater than, less than, lighter than, heavier than, the same as, etc.
 * Recognize and write numbers up to 100
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Count by twos, fives, and 10s to 100
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Mentally add numbers to 10
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Add and subtract to 20
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Add and subtract with pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Tell time to the hour and half hour
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Recognize shapes
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Identify, describe, and reproduce patterns with numbers, shapes, colors, or words
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Use simple graphs to record information
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Recognize simple mathematical symbols (e.g., “+”, “=”, “>”,”<”)
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Read thermometers and use measuring tools like rulers

<span style="color: #2a2621; display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">** Preparing for 1st Grade Social Studies **


 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Locate the United States, the seven continents, and the four oceans on a large map or globe
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Construct and interpret simple maps with cardinal directions and map key
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Demonstrate awareness of current news
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Participate in group decision-making
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Understand traditions that reflect American ideals and influences from diverse cultures within the nation
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Create charts and timelines demonstrating an understanding of past and present
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Recognize shared values and goals as students in the same community, despite differences in backgrounds

<span style="color: #2a2621; display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">** Preparing for 1st Grade Science **


 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Use tools such as a magnifying glass, ruler, and balancing scale
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Learn the basic needs of living things by caring for animals in class
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Conduct simple, hands-on experiments
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Explore the senses — hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Explore the life cycle of living things, such as frogs or butterflies



<span style="color: #2a2621; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">In 1st grade, kids are interested in everything. They love school (and their teachers!). They are excited about learning and eager to please. For them, school is a good time. But all this enthusiasm makes the classroom a noisy place. Five and 6 year olds can't wait to share what they know. Answering before being called on happens frequently, but children aren't being rude — they just haven't learned the rules.

<span style="color: #2a2621; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> Developing self-control takes practice, and teachers spend a lot of time going over proper conduct. Gentle (and frequent) reminders about hand-raising help them keep good behavior in mind. Teachers like to call attention to a job well done. For example, "I like the way Sarah put her hand up when she had a question. Great job, Sarah!" Teachers sometimes reward good conduct with tickets that can be redeemed for small prizes. That kind of recognition — along with teacher praise — usually causes a chain reaction in the classroom.