Grade 1

Reading: 135 Minutes Daily

Students are instructed using McGraw Hill’s Treasures Reading Series, which teaches them story structure, comprehension, main idea and details, visualizing, retelling and summarizing. Teachers use the Daily 5 framework to engage students in a balanced literacy block. Through “Daily 5,” students have the opportunity to: read to self, read to someone, listen, practice word work and write. Teachers use this time to work in small groups with leveled readers. Students work with individualized spelling patterns based on their needs in the “Words Their Way” spelling program.

Writing: 30 Minutes Daily


Teachers use the Lucy Calkins Common Core Writing Workshop Model to teach the different genres of writing. In first grade, students are introduced to narrative writing, persuasive writing and informational writing. They learn to write through effective modeling and mentor texts. Writing is taught across all transdisciplinary subjects.

Mathematics: 60 Minutes Daily

The Everyday Math program is an inquiry based, hands-on curriculum that teaches students time, money, number facts and measurement. They use real life situations to make math meaningful. Students also use games to reinforce skills that have been taught to make math fun!

Science/Individuals & Societies: 75 Minutes Daily

Teachers use FOSS Modules Solids and Liquids, Balance and Motion and New Plants to provide students with inquiry based hands-on learning opportunities. Science and Individuals & Societies are integrated into each IB unit of inquiry. In the IB unit of Who We Are, students learn about responsibility at home, at school and in the community. During this unit, they plan and organize a school-wide food drive to benefit a local food bank. Through Where We Are in Place and Time, students learn about their personal histories.

During the unit of How We Organize Ourselves, students are able apply teamwork in all aspects of their lives. They visit the York Revolution Baseball Field for an activity to experience the different aspects of teamwork. We connect this unit to our next unit of inquiry, How We Express Ourselves, by visiting the Whitaker Center where students work creatively together. They also visit the community art gallery to observe a variety of displays of creative works. Students participate in a creative activity led by local artists, as well.

First graders learn about importance of the “3 R’s” (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) in the unit called Sharing the Planet. To wrap up the year, we use the IB unit of inquiry of How the World Works to learn about the interconnectedness of living things, focusing on the parts and functions of plants. The students plant a variety of seeds, which allows them to participate in each step of a plant’s life cycle.