First Grade

The Elementary School fosters students’ curiosity and creativity while developing skills of critical thinking, communication, and collaboration.

By focusing on the whole child, Jesuit values inform every aspect of our school day, guiding students to experience how empathy and kindness can impact not only their lives, but also the lives of our community, and the world.

Curriculum

Language Arts

Students continue their use of the Fountas & Pinnell language arts program.

The program emphasizes word study, phonics, and spelling through the literature texts studied.

Students are taught to not only think about the text but also beyond the text.

Through the use of high-quality literature and leveled reading books, each students’ achievement can be fostered and measured to maximize their potential.

Mathematics

Using the Singapore Math curriculum, students move through a concrete, then pictorial, then abstract progression of mathematical understanding and computation skills.

Mental math, number sense, and problem-solving strategies are the focus.

Instead of pushing through rote memorization, students learn to think mathematically and rely on the depth of knowledge gained in previous lessons.

Singapore math not only helps students become more successful problem solvers, it helps them gain a sense of confidence and resourcefulness because it insists on conceptual depth.

This naturally prepares students to excel in more advanced math.

Science

Concepts and content of high interest are explored through science.

In science, first graders build an understanding of the scientific process through units of study in weather, physics topics, living things on earth, and human bodies.

Social Studies

In social studies, units of high interest in civics, with an emphasis on activism, geography, and economics are the focus of the year. Children work collaboratively on special projects and explore the city of Baltimore by going on field trips.

Additional Studies

Special area teachers in Music, Spanish, Religion, and Library round out the first-grade program.

First Grade Parent

A Sample Day for 1st Graders