The Basics:
In math, students work with whole numbers and place value. They grﷺoup numbers into 10s and 1s, and learn to add and subtract up through 20. They use charts, tables and diagrams to solve problems.
In English, children continue to learn the letters and sounds that make up words. They think, talk, and write about what they read in stories, articles, and other sources of information. In writing, students put together clear sentences on a 🌄range of topics, using a growing vocabulary.
Inside the classroom: English
Teresa Ranieri, 1st grade teacher, PS 11 Highbridge School, Bronx
A 1st grade classroom can be noisy. When a visitor enters our room during literacy centers, they may not know where to look. The children are on the computer learning about their world, telling a story with puppets, writing a skit th💦at tells the life cycle of a tree, and listening to a story in the listening center. The one thing they are all doing is working toward meeting the 1st grade Common Core standards.
Students actively develop a sꦐense of in🎃quiry as they use language to learn about their world. They develop their vocabulary and learn how language works.
First graders use their new vocabulary and knowledge of words to learn how to read. They are thinking about what their books mean, using pictures to predict what will happen next, and getting to know the characters. Students also learn how to read books that teach them abo💜ut topics that interest♛ them.
How I read to my class has changed now that I align my lessons to Common Core. I take more time looking for books my students will enjoy that also allow them to compare characters. We think about and discuss why an author used certa🍬in words or described the setting a particular way. My students loved getting to know how Tomie dePaola, Mo Willems, David Shannon, and others use language to tell stories.
We research fun topics by reading books, going on virtual field trips and listening to guest speakers. For example, we learned the phases of the moon by making observations and using Oreos to show what we oꦯbserved. My students got to know 1st graders around the world and learned how their school day is similar to and different than ours. We even participated in a Twitter chat and talked with students from all around the country.
With all this learning, students have plenty to sꦬhare. They write narratives about their experiences. Using description words they share what they feel, think, and do at different places. First graders love to fact-check each other. One thing we all have is a strong opinion. We write to share our opinion, give reasons for it and hopefully persuade others to agree with us.
Sample lesson:
In this four-day classroom project, students read the book “Frogs” by Gail Gibbons. They use a K-W-L graphic organizer as they work through the book to keep track of what they know [K], want to know [W], and have learned [L] about these amphibians, including wherꦦe they live, what they eat, and how they grow. They use the graphic organizer to create one page of a written report about frogs each day of the project. At the end of the week, they collect the pages and organize it into a complete informational piece about frogs.
Inside the classroom: Math
Teresa Ranieri, 1st grade teacher, PS 11 Highbridge School, Bronx
In 1st grade, students use what they know about the number 10 to count, add, subtract and compare while solving word problems. Building on their understanding of numbers developed in kindergarten, 1st graders learn that 10 is composed of 10 1s and that the 10 is a single unit, one 10. I appreciate that my students are learning how to use math around the number 10, because it will make learning and using the metric system easier.
‘I have been a teacher for 20 years and I find teaching math more rewarding with Common Core. Students are not asked to memorize addition and math facts, but rather to show their thinking while solving problems.’
As students count, they use what they know ab൩out the meaning of digits: for example, that 24 is two 10s and four 1s. Coupling t💧his with what they know about place value, students can compare whole numbers. This knowledge will support them as they use place value to add and subtract.
When fac🐻ed with a word problem, students now have a variety of strategies to assist them in solving it. They are able to use what they know about counting and the relationship between addition and subtraction. By using a variety of pictures, dialogs, and models, students show what they know and develop new strategies.
One of the strategies they practice is using their knowledge of 10 to add and subtract. The goal is not to memorize addition and subtraction facts, but to develop meaning and use this skill to solve word problems. Playing games, solving puzzles and using manipulatives all allow students to practice what they are learning and show their thinking. For some parents this is new and can be confusing, so communication between te💖achers and parents becomes even more important. By having parents feel comfortable asking questions and visiting the classroom, providing copies of༒ classroom charts, and making myself available, parents are able to reach out for support.
I have been a teacher for 20 years and I find teaching math more rewarding with Common Core. Students are not asked to memorize addition and math facts, but rather to show their thinking while solving proble𓄧ms. It is now easier for me to identify students who have difficulty with a specific coꦗncept and provide them the support that they need.
Sample lesson:
This lesson develops place value understanding in a hands-on way, by using Lego blocks. The class is told they will be “working in a Lego factory” that sells the blocks in groups of 10 and extra 1s. The teacher connects 10 same-size Lego blocks into a 10-rod and shows it to the class, then presents the problem: 🔯“I need 62 Legos. I need them in groups of 10 and extra 1s. How can you make my order?”
In pairs or small groups, students strategize and experiment with ways to “fill the order” with groups of 10 and single blocks. For independent practice, each child gets an “order form” and works on filling additional Lego orders.
