Dear Parents,
Thank you for choosing Westside Christian School for your child’s education.
We want to share some things with you that we hope will answer questions for both you and your first grader.
Yes, First Grade does last all day – and your children are getting used to it well. We do get tired in the afternoon so we try to keep very busy! Learning to listen and follow directions are key elements we are working on all day long! We do a lot of fun activities in first grade and need the whole day to get everything accomplished. We still play games and read stories. The games are often a part of Phonics, Math and other subjects.
Reading and reading groups cover sight words, comprehension and fluency. Reading books are leveled and reach across the curriculum.
During reading group time, the students are engaged in learning centers. These centers include listening to a story on tape, playing both math and language skills games, playing file folder games which cover a multitude of skills, play learning games on the computer, write stories in their journals, read short books with a partner and complete a story map, and practice spelling by using magnetic letters to form words. They also will often complete an extra phonics sheet for reinforcement of concepts learned in the A Beka curriculum.
We use Saxon Math which involves a morning meeting that reinforces basic calendar information and the math concepts we are currently covering. Saxon is a very hands-on learning program including manipulatives and other teacher generated activities. It also involves a lot of review over previous lessons. The children are doing a great job remembering to do their homework and bringing it back to school!
Social Studies is a rather general approach which includes community helpers, geography and American leaders. This does not include a lot of formal testing but is mostly class discussion and project oriented.
Science and Health units are also taught. Science focuses on discovering God's creation and Health focuses on learning manners and safety. Student response is also a criterion for the grade.
We have a weekly spelling list sent home on Mondays. Fridays will be test day. I encourage you to study daily with your child. The lists focus on phonemic sounds we are learning in both reading and phonics curriculum.
Each morning begins with a Bible lesson and prayer. A scripture verse is to be memorized each week. The verse relates to the Bible lessons that are presented weekly throughout the year.
I encourage you to ask your children what they are learning at school each day. Ask them to quote the memory verse. Encourage them to read other books they have at home. Take them to your local library to check out simple books to read.