Your child has moved on from kindergarten to first grade! How is this year going to differ? From how to spot early signs of a reading problem to grocery store, kitchen and road trip math, we've got information about it in your parent's guide to first grade.
First Grade Basics
- What You Can Expect in: 1st Grade: Here's an overview of what you can expect as your child navigates her way through first grade.
- What Do Kids Learn in 1st Grade? : First grade teachers use your child's pride in being "big" as a way to challenge students to learn bigger things this year. Reading takes off, math becomes more complex and science and social studies explore beyond kids' inner circles.
- Signs of Learning Trouble in First Grade: Though some children have more difficulty than others learning, there are certain signs of trouble that need to be looked at more carefully. If your child shows a number of these signs of trouble, it's time to consider further evaluation.
- Quick Tip: Is Homework Really Necessary?: Let's face it, most kids grumble about homework and it's no fun to be the one making sure it's getting done. Find out why teachers give homework and what they want your child to learn from it.
- Struggling Learner? 4 School-Based Intervention Programs You Should Know About: If you're feeling like your child's learning problems are yours to deal with alone, take a look at some school intervention programs that might be able to help.
First Grade Reading
- What Parents Need to Know About How Kids Learn to Read: It may seem like your first grader is learning to read overnight, but it's actually been a gradual process.
- Reading Programs: What is Basal Reading Instruction?: As reading becomes more in the forefront, your child may participate in some formal reading programs, including basal reading instruction. So what's it all about?
- What's a Leveled Reading Program?: Learn more about how leveled reading has changed since you were a kid.
- 5 Leveled Reading Programs You Should Know About: When you're trying to decide what books to buy for your child, it can be confusing to figure out what book level to purchase. The reason it's so baffling is because there are so many different programs.
- What is Whole Language Reading?: Take a quick look at what the whole language reading approach entails.
Read With Your First Grader
- A Book to Ease the Transition: "First Grade Stinks!": From Elizabeth Kennedy, About.com Guide to Children's Books: "First Grade Stinks! is an entertaining picture book that can help to ease a child's transition from kindergarten to first grade."
- First Grade Reading List: Books for Children Entering First Grade: While it may be tempting to let your child's reading instruction stay in the classroom, it's important that your emerging reader practice those skills at home, too. Here are some books to get you started.
First Grade Math
- What is a Fact Family?: One of the more common concepts taught in first grade math is the concept of a fact family (or fact families). If you've never heard of them, they're quite easy to relate to.
- Build a Fact Family House: Fact family houses are a great way to teach visual learners about the relationships amongst the numbers that make up the family.
- Math Games Online: These sites offer lots of fun online math games that encourage development of addition, subtraction, and other math facts.
Working With Your First Grader
- 5 Ways Parents Can Help With Homework: It's not just your kids who need your help with homework; teachers need your help too. Here's what you need to know.
- First Grade Math Worksheets: These worksheets provide practice for all the math concepts taught in first grade, including skip counting, addition and word problems.
- Teach High-Frequency Words for First Grade Reading: Help your child learn the words she'll most commonly encounter in her first grade reading material.