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Social Studies

First Grade

        Developmentally, your child may mature at a slower or faster pace than others at his or her age level. We know that a child's strengths and weaknesses will influence how he or she receives and processes information. Given this factor, we see standards as a "road map" to gauge how a child is progressing across the system. It would be unrealistic to expect all children in a classroom to reach these expectations at the same time. Research indicates that while some children will meet the standards early in the school year, others won't satisfy them until later in the year. What is important is that each child-your child-has the confidence and encouragement to work toward meeting these standards.

        This booklet reflects only some of DoDEA's standards or expectations for English/reading/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies for Grade 1. (Please log on to the DoDEA website, www.dodea.edu for the complete standards.) You, the parent, play an important role in your child's education. Rather than guessing at what your child is expected to learn in first grade, work with his or her classroom teacher and the school to gain a better understanding of how to help him or her master first grade skills. Some suggestions on how to help your child meet the DoDEA standards:

Take an Active Interest in Your Child's Daily Life
        Your child will be excited when he comes home from school each day. Take time to talk with your child about school experiences. Make it obvious that what he or she has to say is important. Ask yourself how you can help him or her make these daily activities meaningful. A good way to help with developing understanding is to ask questions or have your child explain how the activities were completed. When you listen, help your child use descriptive words (e.g., not just "butterfly," but "a colorful butterfly," "a soft butterfly," "a new butterfly") so that you are improving his or her vocabulary and expressive skills. If your child uses inappropriate grammar or plurals, repeat what he or she has said correctly (e.g., Your child says, "The mouses ran down the wall," and you say, "Yes, the mice ran down the wall." This method is far more effective than correcting your child outright by saying, "It's not mouses, it's mice."). Your enthusiasm in listening to your child talk about his or her learning experiences will result in a positive attitude towards school.

Review Schoolwork
        Your child will be proud of his or her schoolwork. Take time to look at it and to ask questions about how he or she went about completing it. Praise your child and emphasize that he or she should be proud of the work. If the work is unacceptable, guide him or her in problem solving how to make it better. Let your child know that making mistakes is a part of work, and that we should learn from our mistakes so that we can do a better job next time. Your child will be thrilled when you display his or her work in your home (e.g., hanging his work papers on the refrigerator.).

Encourage Curiosity and Motivation
        First graders who come to school with an array of experiences like speaking, listening, reading, and language are generally prepared to meet the first grade literacy standards. For your child to develop competency in these skills, he or she needs the motivation and curiosity to learn further. You, as a parent, can help provide the interest and desire to learn more by helping your child find answers to his or her questions. Make learning fun and meaningful. If your child sees purpose in learning, he or she will be more likely to leap ahead and discover new worlds.

Promote Understanding
        For your child to fully understand the purpose of learning, he or she will need to realize how it applies to his or her own life. Help your child make this connection by providing experiences with clocks, money, calendars, following directions, reading signs or directions, writing short notes or lists, and word games.

        What if your child can easily read and sound out words he or she doesn't know, but then struggles to understand the meaning of a story? Help your child gain understanding by telling him or her to look at the pictures for hints about what is happening, or take short sections of the story and ask him or her to predict what he or she thinks will happen next. Talk about the purposes of the characters and describe the relationship between events in the story. It is very important to talk about the story as you read it together, letting your child use his or her own words to retell the story. The more your child reads, the more words he or she will learn. Read, read, and read some more each day!

Be Prepared
        Classroom teachers indicate that children who are organized are better equipped to learn. What can you do to help your child be better prepared for school? It's important to structure your daily life so that your child knows that he or she will have a daily study time. (First graders usually work on schoolwork at home for 2-4 hours per week). Help your child prepare for the next school day by getting his or her clothes ready the night before, and by placing any schoolwork he or she needs to take to school at the door. Right before your child goes to bed, read together for at least 20 minutes. If your child is familiar with a daily schedule at home, he or she will be more organized in school and play.

Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Safety Tips
        As a parent, you have an important role in shaping your children's physical activity, nutrition, and safety attitudes and behaviors. Help keep them safe, healthy, and ready to learn. Here are some things you can do.

        Offer positive reinforcement for the physical activities in which your children participate and encourage them as they express interest in new activities. It is recommended that children participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity most days of the week.

        Plan you children's snack choices. If no cookies or candies are available, fresh fruits and vegetables will look more appealing. Try to keep a selection of vegetable and fruit snacks ready to eat.

        Create a safe home and community environment. Teach your children to stop at the curb and to never cross the street without an adult. Make sure your children wear helmets every time they ride a bike or scooter.