First Grade
Language Arts: Learning to read and write is the basis for all learning. At First grade the aim is to develop the child’s ability to express him/herself in fluent, confident and accurate English within an integrated program of speaking and listening, reading and writing. Teachers will encourage children to develop an enjoyment of language and literature, thus enabling reinforcement of basic reading comprehension skills and vocabulary acquisition. Phonemic awareness will be taught with a strong emphasis on fluency and reading for meaning, focusing on initial sound recognition then moving to more common sound blends. Written expression will target correct letter formation, adequate spacing, correct grip and letter size, writing whole sentences with the correct tense and punctuation marks, and increasing writing speed whilst maintaining neatness. Spelling skills will focus on studying frequently used words, sight words, letter sound relationships, word families, and specific letter patterns.
Mathematics: Through Cupeyville School’s Math program, students will become confident and competent mathematical problem-solvers. Students will be able to compute and have deep conceptual understanding of numbers and think critically. First grade curriculum focuses on developing numbers sense. They will learn the basic addition and subtraction facts draw and describe geometrical shapes, introduced to the concept of fractions, sorting, and patterning skills. While learning mathematics, students will be actively engaged, using concrete materials and appropriate technologies.
Science: First Grade Science is an integrated, hand-on/minds-on, inquiry based program where learning about the natural world allows for the beginning of experimentation and data collection, where intellectual inquiry is emphasized. Students will engage in active inquiries, investigations, and hand-on activities to develop conceptual understanding and basis research skills. All students will understand that safety is the first rule of all science inquiry.
Social Studies: At First grade level, the Social Studies program focuses on the values of family, friends, and self. The curriculum moves from students learning about themselves to their place in the world. The course will also foster an understanding of the relationship people have with each other and the environment in which they live. It will also develop an understanding of the student’s responsibilities as citizens of Puerto Rico and the world.
Spanish: El programa de español aspira a que el estudiante que cursa el primer grado utilice su lengua materna adecuadamente y con fluidez, desarrollando al máximo sus capacidades lingüísticas. Las destrezas de lenguaje a trabajarse son: desarrollo de conciencia fonémica, familias de palabras, identificar vocales y consonantes, clases de oraciones, singulares y plurales, clases de sustantivos, singulares y plurales, artículos, introducción a los verbos y a los tiempos verbales, tipos de sílabas, estructura básica de una oración, y tipo de pronombres. De igual forma, se reforzará la producción apropiada del texto escrito: formación de letras, espacio, alineamiento y agarre debido del lápiz. Las destrezas de comprensión de lectura que se han de desarrollar son: adquirir y ampliar vocabulario, identificar las partes de un libro, comparar y contrastar, diferencias entre realidad y fantasía, predecir, identificar los personajes de un cuento e identificar tanto el ambiente como la idea principal de un cuento.