Pre-First Program

In science, Pre-First graders continue to develop previously introduced skills and concepts through hands-on activities and simple laboratory experiences. The program focuses on the three major science disciplines and includes the following topics: Earth, the Moon, rocks and fossils, properties of matter, forces, organisms and habitats.

The Pre-First grade math program uses an exploratory, hands-on approach to help students reason mathematically, communicate mathematically, develop multiple problem solving strategies, and make mathematical connections. Computational practice is an integral part of instruction. The program builds on previous experience, offers repeated exposure to mathematical concepts, incorporates technology, and integrates math into ongoing daily routines across the curriculum with a special emphasis on Science and Social Studies.

Units in Pre-First focus on counting by ones, twos, fives, and tens forward and backward up to and beyond 100, identifying place value (ones, tens, and hundreds), determining fractions, adding and subtracting number facts to twenty and with tens from any number, identifying and writing number models for story problems, creating and graphing data, naming geometric figures, measuring in centimeters and inches, reading time in hours and minutes, determining number operations and values, identifying and counting coins (pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters), making money exchanges, and determining money equivalencies.

The Pre-First Grade language arts program integrates reading, writing, listening, thinking, speaking, and language skills with the goal of developing student’s fluency in reading and writing. The children are reading literature at a First Grade level.

Reading: The reading program in Pre-First is phonics-based and offers experiences rich in language and literature. Students continue to use sounds and spellings to create words. They also work on phonemic awareness and blending, and learn to recognize context clues and high frequency words. Students are taught to predict, interpret, and make connections between what’s being read and what’s already known to further enhance their skills as readers. Children enjoy a wide variety of reading materials including easy-to-read stories, folk and fairy tales, fables, fantasies, realistic fiction, expository text, plays, poetry.

Writing: Students use learned sounds and spellings in their own writing. They work on developing sentences with an emphasis on capitalization, punctuation, appropriate word usage, and proper sentence structure. Writing assignments include dictation, group stories, individual writing projects, and journal writing. Students are encouraged to proofread and self-correct.

Physical Education: The Pre-First physical education program continues to force on the improvement of fitness, coordination, listening skills, and cooperation through a sequential emphasis on the following areas: Advanced movement exploration activities centering on fine and gross-motor skills. Low-organizational games that encourage cooperation in game situations. Specific activities that target diverse skills such as throwing, catching, kicking, running, and so on. Noncompetitive individual and group activities. Fitness activities are incorporated into every class.

Music: The emphasis in Pre-First grade music is on listening to music, dancing, and moving to a variety of styles of music, and singing with the incorporation of chant, finger plays, sign language, and repetition. Rhythm activities use classroom instruments and cover various periods and expression of music.

Art: In art, Pre-First graders learn to recognize visual elements such as color, line, shape, pattern, and texture. Students explore these elements through the use of two and three-dimensional media.