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Preschool - Grade 3

Grade 1

First Grade represents a wide developmental range. This is an important year in which students are exploring their roles within their families, friendships, and School community.  We guide students in a safe, supportive environment by providing engaging learning experiences while building foundational skills.


Grade 1 units of study include: Creating CommunityGeography, and Economics.


In Grade 1 we work on the following skills:
  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Contributing to class activities and discussions
  • Building number sense
  • Solving problems
  • Following directions
  • Making connections
  • Working with school materials
  • Asking questions
  • Developing a love of books
  • Making friends
  • Taking risks

Click on an item below to see a summary of Grade 1 work in that subject area. Please note: Each subject includes a guiding question or questions, some of the topics we address in that area, and an overview of some of the skills we work to build through this subject.

About Grade 1

List of 12 items.

  • A Sample Day in Grade 1

    Students can arrive as early as 7:30 a.m. and spend time with friends in the Dining Commons and the Gym. There is no charge for early arrival. 

    The school day starts promptly at 8:25 a.m. In Grade 1, the day begins with homeroom meeting time and a typical day might include:

    • Reading
    • Snack & Recess - students bring their own snacks
    • Mathematics
    • Lunch & Recess - the School provides lunch
    • Writing
    • Art
    • Spanish

    First graders are dismissed at 3:15 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and at 12:15 p.m. on Tuesdays.

    We offer a number of fee-based Extended Day activities, which allow students to stay as late as 5:45 p.m. 
  • Language Arts in Grade 1

    How am I developing my skills to become a more proficient reader and writer?

    Topics of Study:

    Writing: Mechanics of writing • Grammar • Personal narratives • Procedural writing • Letter writing • Persuasive writing

    Reading: Poetry • Realistic fiction • Mystery • Nonfiction • Fantasy

    Skills We Teach:

    Phonemic Awareness: Mastering consonant sounds • Differentiating short vowel sounds • Differentiating syllable types • Building sight word vocabulary for spelling and reading • Applying rules for conventional spelling • Writing in complete sentences
    
    Literacy Skills: Writing responses to literature • Listening and contributing to classroom discussions • Creating story maps • Anticipating story events • Making personal connections • Following written and verbal directions

  • Library in Grade 1

    How do books enrich our lives?

    Topics of Study:
    Reading to learn • Reading around the world • Animal study

    Skills We Teach:
    Listening • Selecting appropriate books • Identifying types of books: fiction, nonfiction, folktales • Navigating an online database • Asking questions for research • Learning to read illustrations.
  • Mathematics in Grade 1

    How can we use math in our everyday lives?

    Topics of Study:
    Numbers sense • Place value • Problem-solving • Data collection and interpretation • Skip counting • Geometry • Money • Measurement • Time

    Skills We Teach:
    Reading and writing numbers • Adding • Subtracting • Identifying place value • Recording and interpreting data • Identifying and constructing plane and solid shapes • Counting coins and making change • Developing and communicating problem-solving skills • Estimating, predicting, and measuring time, length, and weight
  • Music in Grade 1

    What is musical expression? What is a musical theme?

    Topics of Study:
    Making a music video • Melody • Rhythm • Expression • Musical themes • Form • How does music relate to poetry? • Instruments of the orchestra • Japanese folk tales • Part singing • Performing at the Grade 3 Graduation 

    Skills We Teach:
    The voice as an instrument • Developing singing techniques • Using rhythmic and melodic notation • Improvisation, movement coordination, and sequencing • Performing at the Grade 3 Graduation • Ensemble musicianship
  • PE in Grade 1

    What can I accomplish by combining movements and skills?
    Am I playing fairly and with respect for my peers?

    Topics of Study:
    Traveling themes • Responsible communication • Gymnastics • Sportsmanship • Playing fairly • Sharing • Adaptive physical education • Basics of Soccer • Basketball • Floor hockey • Tennis • Kickball

    Skills We Teach:
    Following directions • Sharing equipment • Galloping • Sliding • Jogging• Running • Jumping • Hopping and landing • Leaping • Balancing • Rolling • Climbing • Transferring weight • Tossing and catching • Striking • Dribbling • Kicking • Volleying • Tumbling • Rock wall • Jumping rope • Parachute • Non-Locomotor and locomotor Skills • Dribbling and shooting in basketball • Climbing • Bowling • Rock wall • Jumping rope • Throwing and catching • Balancing • Fitness • Striking with implement
  • Science in Grade 1

    How do we, as scientists, learn about our world?

    Topics of Study:
    Taxonomy • Entomology • Life cycles • Engineering • Geology • Paleontology • Engineering • Architecture 

    Skills We Teach:
    Classifying • Making predictions • Collecting qualitative data • Making observations • Measuring and comparing • Designing and building • Collaboration • Technology Immersion
  • Social Development in Grade 1

    How can I build and maintain my relationships with my classmates?

    Topics of Study:
    Social learning • Conflict resolution • Classroom responsibility • Community building • Service Learning

    Skills We Teach:
    Being inclusive • Appreciating peers and treating them respectfully • Managing social relations • Taking responsibility for appropriate behavior • Taking responsibility for learning • Working productively and supportively with partners or in groups
     
  • Social Studies in Grade 1

    How can I understand my part in School and the world around me?

    Topics of Study:
    Geography • Creating Community • Economics  


    Skills We Teach:
    Cooperating as a group member • Recognizing multiple perspectives and frames of reference • Constructing simple maps using cardinal directions and map key • Making informed choices about spending and saving money
  • Spanish in Grade 1

    How can I communicate and express myself in Spanish on a basic level? How can I be respectful and understanding of people who come from a different cultural background?

    Topics of Study:
    Greetings and introductions • Colors and simple descriptions • Numbers 1-30 • Classroom communication • Insects and animals • Responding to commands • Cultural explorations • Sentence building • Guatemalan history and culture • Hispanic Heritage Month • Family • Clothing

    Skills We Teach:
    Pronunciation • Ability to take risks • Using pictures or visual stimuli to communicate when language is not accessible • Basic Spanish vocabulary • Mimicking and repeating sounds and words • Beginning to independently produce words and sentences in Spanish • Being a respectful and kind group member • Listening to and following directions • Linking movement, sounds, and images with words • Cultural responsiveness and appreciation • Total physical response 
  • Technology in Grade 1

    At Nashoba Brooks School, educational technology is meaningfully integrated into all content areas to enhance student learning.

    Skills We Teach: 
    Demonstrating responsible use of devices with increased independence • Expanding on problem-solving skills • Building technology-related vocabulary • Locating, opening, and closing apps • Incorporating drawing, pictures, text, and audio into digital work • Developing understanding of green screen technology • Using stop-motion technology to demonstrate curriculum content • Learning basic graphic design concepts • Using Beebots with increased independence to develop sequencing, planning, directionality, and early programming skills
  • Visual Arts in Grade 1

    How can we add depth to our work? How can we learn from one another in the art studio?

    Topics of Study:
    Self-concept and community building • Mark-making • Pattern • Color • Composition • Drawing • Printing • Cray-Pas • Tempera and watercolor paint • Sculpture • Clay • Sketchbooks

    Skills We Teach:
    Making aesthetic choices • Developing designs and adding detail to compositions • Sharing ideas and learning from one another • Working independently • Color mixing and theory • Drawing techniques • Identifying lines and shapes • Building strong and balanced structures • Using unexpected materials • Handling and shaping clay • Developing listening skills • Learning appropriate studio behavior • Visual thinking strategies

First graders work to build on the essential skills they have acquired and make sense of the world around them. They are starting to show specific learning strengths.

Grade 1 Homeroom Teachers

List of 2 members.

  • Photo of Charlene Voorhees

    Charlene Voorhees 

    Grade 1 teacher
  • Photo of Nicole Williams

    Nicole Williams 

    Grade 1, Grades Preschool/Kindergarten/1 Team Leader
Situated on a beautiful 30-acre campus in historic Concord, Massachusetts, Nashoba Brooks School enrolls all genders in Preschool through Grade 3, and students identifying as girls in Grades 4 through 8. Nashoba Brooks is an independent school designed to build community, character, and confidence in its students.
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