Trinity Lutheran School
First Grade

Teacher: Mrs. Ingrid Huelsnitz
Email: ihuelsnitz@trinityjanesville.com

For more information, call the school office (507-231-6646) or email Mrs. Huelsnitz.

FIRST GRADE CURRICULUM

Religion

The Concordia Publishing House, Voyages curriculum is used to teach the faith to first graders.  Bible stories from both the Old and New Testaments are taught to express to the students God’s plan for our salvation through Jesus Christ, and His love in our lives today.  Key concepts of faith such as Law and Gospel, confession and repentance, forgiveness and grace are taught through each unit.  A joyful and willing attitude towards prayer and worship is encouraged.  Through a planned memory program, students learn scripture verses, hymns, the Lord’s Prayer and Ten Commandments.

Reading

The first grade reading program includes both a strong phonetic base, along with published children’s literature, as well as various styles of children’s literature to help each student practice and master their reading skills. Saxon and Visual phonics are taught as a strong foundation to letter sounds and how words are formed, along with word recognition.  Through meaningful fiction and nonfiction children’s literature, skills such as sequencing, main topic, noting details, alphabetical order and others are taught.  Reading books, take home books, vocabulary games, writing and speaking activities are all used to help the students become confident readers in all situations.  Along with the in-school reading curriculum, a joy and desire to read for enjoyment is encouraged through computer programs, partner reading, and Book Buddies.

Penmanship

In the area of written language, students will continue to learn and practice proper manuscript techniques.  Students will have opportunities to learn to adapt to different sizes of lines as well as free space.  Proper formation and spacing are practiced and reviewed not only in the handwriting program, but also in daily work as students write numerals, letters, words, and sentences.

English

The Shurley English Curriculum teaches strong grammar skills.  Jingle and repetitious practice help students learn word jobs, sentence structure, capitalization and punctuation skills.  The language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing are integrated throughout the first grade day.  Students are active in planning and writing sentences, paragraphs, stories, and letters.  Students are then able to share their finished products both orally and in print.

Spelling

First grade spelling uses both traditional spelling lists provided by Shurley phonics and Word Wall Word activities.  Through a blend of these two programs, students are not only exploring word patterns, prefixes, suffixes, and word relationships, they are also working towards the mastery of spelling a set of commonly used sight words.  Inventive spelling, along with the Word Wall Words, is used when transferring spelling skills during writing activities.

Math

Our math program is a spiraling curriculum in which concepts are taught using a variety of manipulatives.  Saxon math curriculum covers number recognition, addition and subtraction facts through 18, place value through 100, money, time, geometry, fractions, measurement, graphing, and readiness for multiplication and division.  Concepts are built on each other and then reviewed and practiced often in the daily assignments.  Daily exercise using mental math, word problems, and thinking skills are used to help students apply math concepts to real life situations.

Science

The first grade science program introduces students to vital science skills to help in understanding and exploring God’s creation.  First grade uses Harcourt School Publishers Big Books and hands-on learning experiences to explore plants, animals, weather, seasons, matter, and forces.

Social Studies

The ever-expanding world of a first grade student is nurtured through the following topics:  community, family, resources, country, historical heroes and events.  Knowledge of maps and geography are integrated through unit studies, along with Weekly Reader Map Skills Booklet.

Computers

First grade students use the computer to reinforce skills and extend what is learned in other areas.  They gain some familiarity with keyboarding, learn to identify and use the components of a computer system, and use on-line programs to reinforce skills through computer play.

Art

Students in first grade have the chance to use a variety of media when creating art.  Students will not only practice cutting, gluing, and drawing skills, they will also have an opportunity to express their own creativity and style through many different elements of art.  First graders will be introduced formally to the elements of line, color, shape and texture.  Art appreciation and History is presented monthly through exposure to famous pieces of artwork provided by the Waseca Arts Council.

Physical Education

In first grade, students will learn and reinforce locomotion movements such as skipping, galloping, running, leaping, and hopping.  They will also begin practicing basic movements such as throwing, catching, and kicking.  Group games will also be taught to promote teamwork, fair play, positive leadership and compassion for others.  We hope to introduce not only the joy of physical activity, but also the importance of physical activity regarding healthy bodies.