First Grade

Building the fundamentals of reading, writing, and math skills while exploring God’s wonderful creation!

During this time, the foundation for learning is established. It is important that children experience success in school to build their confidence. Learning is achieved in a variety of ways, and reading becomes a part of everyday life. A balance of work and play enables children to grow in important concepts while embracing their God-given creativity.

Bible / Character – Students learn about Biblical character values through the Character Classics Curriculum. Character values such as self-control and attentiveness are taught through song, Bible stories, interactive time and weekly Bible verses.

Phonics / Reading – Using the Bob Jones phonics curriculum for phonics and reading helps, students focus on blends and special sounds while learning to read fluently and comprehend the text.

Writing – In writing, students hone in on fundamental writing skills and a variety of writing styles. Students learn creative writing, narrative writing, procedural writing, report writing, poetry and letter writing. 

Handwriting – Handwriting is taught from the Handwriting without Tears curriculum which focuses on neatness and proper letter formation.

Math – Foundational math concepts, such as telling time, counting coins, story problems and place value, are expounded on by the first grade A Beka math curriculum.

Spelling – Bob Jones spelling introduces word lists that correlate to the phonics sounds taught in the phonics lessons and reading books. Spelling is taught in a hands-on, game-type format.

Grammar – Shurley Grammar introduces basic parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives through catchy jingles. Students learn to classify sentences, find synonyms and antonyms and recognize main ideas, non-supporting ideas, fragments and more.

Science – We learn Life Science with a focus on animal classifications. A variety of animals even visit the classroom during this study! A variety of animals even visit the classroom during this study and the butterfly life cycle is also brought to life!

Social Studies – Students learn the chronological events of America’s history, from the origins of man, to the colonists, pioneers, and early inventors. Students make their own biscuits, johnny cakes, and colonial stew when the classroom is transformed into a one-room schoolhouse!