First grade is an exciting and important year. Students work very hard to improve their reading skills. The reading program is phonics-based and begins with a review of consonants and then progresses to short and long vowels. The children practice decoding words daily. Creative writing skills are honed through the use of journals and story writing. Weekly spelling tests sharpen reading and writing skills. Each first grader is encouraged to participate in the Accelerated Reader Program.

In mathematics, students learn addition and subtraction facts through sums of 20 as well as addition and subtraction of two 2-digit numbers without trading. Telling time, counting money, problem solving, and learning fractions, measurement, and place value to 100 are also integral parts of the program.

A hands-on science program contains units about animals, plants, space, and elementary physics. The children participate in discussions, experiments, and projects. Through various activities, they learn important skills such as prediction, classification, and observation.

Social studies concentrates on schools, families, needs and wants, work, neighborhoods and communities, and our country and its holidays. Through reading, group work, and discussions, first graders are active participants. Students also work on their graphing, mapping, and chart-making skills.

First graders work daily on handwriting to perfect their manuscript through letter practice and writing sentences, stories, and poems.

Physical education and weekly library, Spanish, Russian culture, art, Bible, and music classes are incorporated into the curriculum. Field trips vary but have included visits to the Metro Richmond Zoo, Swift Creek Mill Playhouse, The Science Museum of Virginia, The Richmond Children's Museum, and Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. The class participates in a weekly Reading Buddies program with the fifth grade. The buddies read together, practice skills, and make crafts during holiday seasons.

First grade is a busy time! Fun-filled activities are combined with learning to provide students with a year they will always remember.