1st Grade Parent Guide

Through the study of the English language arts, students will learn to read fluently and understand a broad range of written materials. They will be able to communicate well and listen carefully and effectively. They will develop a command of the language and demonstrate their knowledge through speaking and writing for a variety of audiences and purposes. 

As a result of their schooling, at the end of the school year, students should be able to:

Literature and Informational Text

• Read with accuracy, fluency, and comprehension across a variety of genres up to levels J/K
• Demonstrate an understanding of the features and characteristics of various genres 
• Ask and answer questions about key details
• Retell stories 
• Describe characters, setting, and major events
• Navigate non-fiction text and its features (diagrams, text boxes, headings, etc.) 
• Investigate the meaning of new and unfamiliar words

Phonics and Word Recognition

• Decode long vowel sounds in regularly spelled one-syllable words (i.e., final -e conventions and common vowel teams)
• Read common high frequency by sight (Snappy Words) 
• Utilize word reading strategies including phonics, patterns, and spelling 

Fluency

• Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, purpose, and understanding 
• Self–monitor  

Writing

• Write narrative, opinion, and informative/explanatory text
• Experiment with author’s craft through the study of mentor texts

Grammar and Usage

• Produce and expand simple and compound sentences
• Identify common, proper, and possessive nouns 
• Use singular and plural nouns with matching verbs 
• Understand pronouns, verbs, adjectives, conjunctions, determiners, propositions, and interrogatives (question words) 
• Apply appropriate capitalization, punctuation, and spelling 

Vocabulary

• Determine the meaning of unknown and multiple meaning words based on context
• With guidance, demonstrate understanding of figurative language and word meaning 

Listening and Speaking

• Listen attentively and at appropriate times 
• Listen and follow multi-step directions 
• Participate in collaborative conversations about grade-level topics
• Ask and answer questions about key details in texts read aloud and independently 
• Participate in discussion of ideas gained through multimedia sources 
• Ask and answer questions to seek help, get information, or to clarify
• Verbally present information to demonstrate new learning and to educate others

• My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay by Cari Best
• Yoko by Rosemary Wells
• Call Me Tree by Maya Christina Gonzalez
• Nino Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales 
• King for a Day by Rukhsana Khan
• Chato’s Kitchen by Gary Soto
• Today by Julie Morstad
• Hello Goodbye Dog by Maria Gianferrari
• Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie
• Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match / Marisol McDonald no combina by Monica Brown
• More-igami by Dori Kleber
• A Hat for Mrs. Goldman: A Story About Knitting and Love by Michelle Edwards
• Back to Front and Upside Down by Claire Alexander
• The Water Princess by Susan Verde, and Georgie Badiel
• A Morning with Grandpa by Sylvia Liu
• Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book by Yuyi Morales
• Rulers of the Playground by Joseph Kuefler
• Elizabeti’s Doll by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen
• Under the Lemon Moon by Edith Hope Fine
• Drummer Boy of John John by Mark Greenwood
• Big Red Lollipop by Khan, R., & Blackall, S.
• The Orange Shoes by Trinka Hakes Noble
• The Goggle-Eyed Goats by Stephen Davies
• Leon and Bob by Simon James
• So Much by Trish Cooke
• Margaret and Margarita: Margarita y Margaret by Lynn Reiser
• Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse by Marcy Campbell
• The Princess and the Pit Stop by Tom Angleberger
• The Field by Baptiste Paul
• Dear Dragon: A Pen Pal Tale by Josh Funk
• Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Peña

Social Studies is intended to promote civic competence through the integrated study of the social science and humanities. The primary purpose of Social Studies is to help young people to develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. Students will explore these six practices via the overarching theme of My Family and Other Families, Now and Long Ago. 

As a result of their schooling, students will be able to...

Gathering, Interpreting and Using Evidence

• Recognize that family members have roles and responsibilities and help each other
• Discuss and explain what good citizens do
• Understand what a community is and that they are part of a community

Chronological Reasoning and Causation

• Determine that families grow over time and be able to share family events in sequential order
• Understand the concept of time measurement (days, months, weeks and years)

Comparison and Contextualization

• Recognize that families are alike and different
• Share their family history (culture, geography and economics)

Geographic Reasoning

• Understand and utilize basic map skills
• Discuss how our environment impacts our daily living

Economics and Economic Systems

• Understand the concepts of wants, needs, and services
• Identify how people earn or receive money

Civic Participation 

• Participate in activities that focus on problem solving strategies
• Identify important leaders such as the school principal and the President of the United States

Mathematics is a language we use to identify, describe, and investigate the patterns and challenges of everyday living. It deals with numbers, quantities, shapes, and data, as well as numerical relationships and operations. Mathematics is a way of approaching new challenges through investigating, reasoning, visualizing, and problem solving with the goal of communicating the relationships observed and problems solved to others.

By the end of first grade, students will be able to...

Number and Operation in base ten

•  Count to 120. Read and write numerals up to 120
• Understand place value (ones and tens place)
• Understand that two-digit numbers are made of tens and ones; for example, 27 is made of 2 tens and 7 ones. Use this knowledge to add and subtract 
• Comparing two digits based on tens and ones digits (>, <, and =) 
• Subtract multiples of 10 from other multiples of 10 in the range 10-90. Explain how addition and subtraction are related

Algebra

• Solve one-step problems involving addition and subtraction within 20
• Apply properties of operations as strategies to add and subtract:
  • (If 8+3=11 is known, then 3+8=11 is also known) -Commutative Property
  • (To add 2+6+4, the second two numbers can be added to make a ten, so 2+6+4=2+10=12) -Associative Property 
• Add and subtract within 20
• Fluently add and subtract with numbers up to 10
• Determine the accuracy of addition and subtraction equations
• Determine the unknown number in all parts of an equation 

 Geometry 

• Build and/or draw shapes and answer questions about their attributes (e.g., color, orientation, overall size)
• Draw and build two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes
• Partition rectangles, circles, and squares into two, three, or four equal parts

The goal of science education is to develop in learners an understanding of the inquiry process as it is related to key concepts and principles of the life, physical, and the earth/space sciences. The curriculum addresses the integration of the sciences with the technology and society as students learn to connect the importance of scientific knowledge to its application in everyday life.

As a result of their schooling, students will be able to:

The Nature of Science and Engineering

• Students will plan and carry out investigations while analyzing and interpreting data about waves, light and sound
• Students will develop and use models to design solutions and explanations
• Students will use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound to solve the problem of communicating over a distance

Earth and Space Science

• The students will use observations of the sun, moon and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted
• The students will make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year

Life Science

• Students will learn the life cycles of plants and animals
• Students will be able to sort life cycles into categories on how they are alike
• Students will read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive
• Students will observe that some plants and animals are similar to their parents

Science:

• Interactive Simulations https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/new
• Interactive Simulations http://education.abc.net.au/home#!/media/1390665/
• Interactive Games http://education.abc.net.au/home#!/games/-/science/all/interactive
• Clearinghouse of Websites http://interactivesites.weebly.com/science.html
• Animal Games https://switchzoo.com/
• Videos http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/index.htm

Math:

• Videos https://www.khanacademy.org/
• Math Fact Fluency https://xtramath.org/#/home/index
• Math Fact Fluency https://www.factmonster.com/math/flashcards
• Problem Solving Games https://www.mathplayground.com/

Special Education Programs

A unique education program means specially designed individualized or group instruction to address student’s academic goals in reading, writing, and math.  The Committee on Special Education will determine appropriate program recommendations based on the continuum of services and students’ progress. 

Related Services

Related services are supportive services required to assist a student with a disability and include speech-language pathology, hearing services, vision services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, counseling services, and parent counseling and training.  A student’s need, identified through an evaluation, will provide the basis for written annual goals and appropriate provision of services. 

Resource Room & Consultant Teacher

Resource Room is a special education program where students require specialized supplementary instruction in a small group setting outside the classroom for a portion of the school day.  Resource Room is capped at five students per group.  Consultant Teacher, another special education program, is for students who require additional specially designed individualized or group instruction within regular education classes.  

Integrated Co-Teaching, or “Inclusion”

Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) is a special education program where students required specially designed instruction in an individualized or small group setting for multiple subjects within regular education classes.  A general education teacher and a special education teacher jointly provide instruction to a class that includes both students with and students without disabilities to meet the diverse learning needs of all students in a class.  ICT is capped at 12 students with a disability.

Special Class

Special Class is a special education program where students with disabilities have been grouped together with similar individual needs and academic goals for the purpose of being provided specially designed instruction in a small-sized class without general education students.  Students in a special class are exposed to the general education curriculum and are on a Regents pathway to graduation.  

Supplementary Aids and Services

Supplementary aids and services are other supports (i.e., additional personnel, assistive technology, instructional modifications) that are provided in regular education classes, Specials, and in extracurricular and nonacademic settings to enable students with disabilities to be educated with nondisabled students to the maximum extent appropriate in accordance with the least restrictive environment. 

English as a New Language (ENL) programs provide instruction in English with home language support, emphasizing English language acquisition. Students in ENL programs can come from many different language backgrounds, and English may be the only common language among the students. As per CR Part 154, there are two types of ENL components:

Stand-Alone ENL: Students receive English language development instruction taught by a New York State certified ESOL teacher. Students acquire the English language needed for success in core content areas (English Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, and/or Mathematics). Stand-Alone ENL is a separate time devoted to English language acquisition and English language development. The required amount of stand-alone ENL instruction depends on the English proficiency level of each student.

Integrated ENL: Students receive core content area (English Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, and/or Mathematics) and English language development instruction including home language supports and appropriate ELL scaffolds. Integrated ENL along with the subject area are taught by a New York State certified ESOL teacher and a New York State certified Common Branch (K-6) teacher or a teacher that is dually certified. The length of instruction depends upon the student’s proficiency level. The English Language Proficiency levels are: Entering, Emerging, Transitioning, Expanding and Commanding. For a child to exit the ENL program he/she must score an English proficiency level of Commanding on the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) or a level of Expanding and a 3 or 4 on the English Language Arts (ELA) assessment.

The Dual Language Program (DL) represents an innovative approach to education whereby students learn all curricular areas in TWO languages. The Patchogue-Medford School District DL Program serves both the English dominant and Spanish dominant student.

Goals of our program:

• Promote educational excellence for all students
• Foster the development of bilingual, bicultural, and biliterate individuals
• Promote multicultural awareness
• Provide high-quality instruction in TWO languages that supports students in demonstrating mastery in all the core subjects
• Provide an academically challenging curriculum
• Encourage all parents to become active partners in their child’s education

Our Bilingual Programs serve youngsters in kindergarten through fifth grade at:

• Bay Elementary (K-5 DL)
• Canaan Elementary (K-4 DL)
• Eagle Elementary (K-5 DL)
• Medford Elementary (K-5 DL & 4/5 Newcomer Program-Transitional Bilingual)

Side-by-Side Dual Language (DL) is comprised of English and Spanish dominant children, each receiving instruction both in their Native and New Languages. English instruction is provided by an English-speaking classroom teacher and Spanish instruction by a bilingual teacher.

Newcomer Program (TBE) provides English Language Learners with high-quality instruction in both their native and new language simultaneously while promoting cultural awareness and support until students are ready to be mainstreamed into English-only classes.

Information literacy is a skill necessary for today’s world of rapidly increasing information. Students will have to assimilate more information than has appeared in the last 150 years.

As a result of their schooling, students will be able to:

Information Literacy

• Identify the difference between fiction and nonfiction, and between fact and opinion.
• Learn a simple research process (What do I need? Where do I find it? How do I use it? What did I learn?), identify information from a variety of formats, both print and nonprint.
• Listen to a variety of high-quality children’s literature, representing a variety of genres, and understand the roles of author and illustrator.
• Actively listen when books are read aloud or viewed and be able to retell a story in correct sequence, identifying beginning, middle, and end.
• Begin to search in the library computer catalog and locate books in ABC author order in the collection.

Technology: Computers

• Introduce proper input techniques
• Identify and practice basic Internet safety rules
• Review hardware components appropriate for specific tasks (mouse, keyboard, printer, and monitor)
• Demonstrate understanding and use of symbols such as hourglass icon, cursor, scroll bar, desktop, and task bar
• Introduce how to use basic operation commands (opening and closing programs, save, log-on)
• Introduce how to prepare documents that include a variety of media
• Introduce kid friendly search engines, address bar, back and refresh button
• Work collaboratively with a team using information technology resources
• Adhere to safety and security policies
• Review why personal information should not be shared. Explain the risks and dangers of sharing personal information

Physical Education Programs offer students the opportunity to enhance their minds and bodies.

As a result of their schooling, students will be able to:

Physical Skills

• The student will be able to perform different locomotor skills such as skip, gallop, hop, etc. The student will be able to develop and work on their gross motor skills 

Knowledge

• The student will be able to understand the importance of problem solving, cooperating with one another, communication and lifelong physical activity 

Physical Activity

• The student will be able to understand the importance of being physically active on a daily basis and what it does for their bodies. Students will achieve this through fitness-based activities 

Intrinsic Value

• The student will be able to understand the routines and expectations in the gymnasium and benefits of teamwork and cooperation

Our art and music programs help our students build perseverance and achievement, teach responsibility, expose students to history and culture, help improve coordination, reading, math and social skills, as well as nurture self-expression and creativity.  The arts connect us to the world and open our eyes to new ways of seeing.

Music Appreciation

• Students will learn about history and genre throughout their experiences, building knowledge of key musical terms, analyzing melody and harmony, rhythm and form.  Students will learn to read, write and compose music as well

Movement

• Reinforcing body awareness with various movement activities

Improvisation

• Exploring creativity through movement, rhythm, and pitch

Performance

• Giving opportunities for students to learn to sing, as well as use the recorder, ukulele, and world drumming, as a foundation to performing within an ensemble

The elementary art curriculum focuses on integrating aesthetics, studio art, collaboration, connections to literature and art history in an engaging, creative, and imaginative environment with an emphasis on the Elements of Art and Principles of Design.

Art skills/fine motor skills are taught as scaffolded skills based on appropriate development of the young artist and accommodations are made for students to reach their individual goals.  

• Exploring Materials: Students will practice and learn how to handle and use materials in an advanced manner such as: Cutting around shapes and on different lines, using paint brushes with different kinds of paint and applying materials to create values and textures
• Use of Principles of design and Elements of art: Students will practice using line, shape, and pattern. Students will study and use color theory and texture 
• Cultural connections: Students will explore worldly examples that coincide with the principles and elements studied to create their own art
• Cross curriculum connections: Students will continue to use literature with illustrations to find numbers, lines, and letters that they already know, use and practice to create new images in art
• Reflections: Students will continue to understand their own craftsmanship. Students will be able to identify in their own work, and others, where there are areas of improvement or great accomplishments. Students will be asked to use art vocabulary while commenting on work. Students will also begin to recognize how art creates emotion