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First Grade

First grade is an exciting year where students show much growth academically, socially and spiritually. Our units are developed in a way that integrates Biblical truth in Language Arts, math, science and social studies. We are helping students to build a solid academic foundation, to learn to love Jesus, and to learn to care for others.

Curriculum Overview

Language Arts

  • Phonemic awareness – Phonics and rhyming words, long and short vowels, diagraphs, vowel teams, blends
  • Comprehension strategies – making compare/contrast, drawing conclusions, analyzing plot, details and main idea within a story, summarizing, problem/solution, cause and effect, sight words, context clues, self correcting
  • Writing – personal, Narrative, Poetry, Realistic, Fiction, Letter, Information, Research, Mechanics, Use lower case letters consistently; spacing between words, punctuation
  • Penmanship – correct formation of numbers, correct formation of upper and lower case letters
  • Spelling (Rebecca Sitton Program) – high frequency words, sight words, phonetic based words
  • Reading Street

Math

  • Numbers – Number grid patterns, counting patterns by 1's, 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, 25’s and 100’s, odd/even, place value, knows number facts for fact families to 18, data collection and graphs, number stories and problem solving
  • Fractions – introduce and compare fractions
  • Measurements – use the standard units of inch and centimeter and accurately measure a unit
  • Geometry – two and three dimensional shapes
  • Time – learning the hour and half hour, telling time to the nearest five minutes
  • Money – counting, showing amounts, and making exchanges (dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies)
  • McGraw Hill

Science

Through using FOSS Science Resources our students experience hands on learning while exploring God’s creation. Our First grade units are Plants and Animals, Air and Weather, and Light and Sound.

Students also have the opportunity to experience learning through these same Science units in our Outdoor Education program. Planting and harvesting are just a few examples of FOSS experiences through Outdoor Education at Ada Christian.

Social Studies

Creating a Christian classroom community, Pilgrims, Christmas traditions around the world, the Netherlands

  • Old Testament – stories which include Creation, Patriarchs, slavery to the Promised Land, Judges and Ruth, Kings and David
  • New Testament – stories about Jesus’ birth and Resurrection
  • Devotions – involve discussion, worship and prayer
  • Bible – memory work / various verses are memorized each month
  • Weekly chapel/Gathering Time with K–4th Grade
  • All school chapels

In 1st grade, students continue developing locomotor and non-locomotor skills. Basic sport skills are introduced and practiced as well. As always, there is a lot of movement and activity during each PE class. We also talk about taking care of the bodies God has given us and being a good classmate. Visit the Gym Times site to learn more. 

 

In first grade music we continue to explore and create the talents that God has given us by moving and making music together. The larger goals include: being able to match musical pitch, tap the beat of songs, and beginning to compose music of our own. Some events include: Pilgrim Thanksgiving, various Elementary concerts, and GrandFriends Day.

Field Trips & Highlights

Camp Roger, Dutch Village, Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra concerts for children