The Osborn School philosophy is to provide and ensure an environment to promote successful lifelong learners.

First grade is a time of significant academic, social, emotional, and physical achievements. First graders develop as readers, writers, thinkers, and mathematicians. They learn to work independently and cooperatively. They learn to manage their time and assume responsibility. First graders learn to make choices, ask questions and take risks.

The first-grade program at Osborn School is child-centered, developmental, and aligned with the common core learning standards. Different levels of ability, rates of development, and learning styles are expected and accepted. A variety of activities, an interdisciplinary curriculum, and meaningful, concrete experiences are provided to meet the needs of all students.

Language Arts

Our language arts program engages students in purposeful and enjoyable activities that integrate reading, writing, spelling, listening, and speaking.

Emergent readers are taught how to use and integrate their knowledge of letter sounds, context clues, and language. First graders learn strategies for decoding new words. They practice applying these strategies as they read on their own, with a friend, individually with the teacher, and in guided reading lessons. Their understanding of the story, their knowledge of language, and their growing awareness of letter sounds help them become stronger readers. Through guided discussions, students engage in a variety of predicting, sequencing, summarizing, and retelling activities.

Through the workshop approach, students continue to develop as writers. First graders produce narrative stories, nonfiction reports, and opinion pieces, as well as a variety of creative writing assignments. The students learn how to organize their thoughts and express their ideas. Also, word-building activities strengthen their encoding and spelling skills. Grammar, punctuation, and capitalization rules are introduced.

Listening and speaking skills develop through many classroom opportunities. The children participate in class discussions, follow directions, listen to books and share personal experiences and ideas as they interact with peers.

Guided handwriting lessons are taught with a focus on proper letter formation, spacing, and neatness.

Mathematics

Through carefully sequenced lessons and activities, the children will study numeration, counting, operations, computation relations, geometry, measurement, patterns, and explore data. The primary goal is to give children strategies to solve problems by developing a rich store of mathematical understanding and information.

Social Studies and Science

As often as possible, children are involved in hands-on experiences incorporating language arts, math, music, and art. A major emphasis is placed on observing, classifying, organizing, and sharing ideas and understandings. There are whole class projects that encourage children to work together toward a mutual goal. The common core aligned social studies units are My Family and Other Families, Unity and Community, Rules We Follow, and Economics.

The district will be using Science 21 program developed by Putnam/ Northern Westchester BOCES. The units include Order in Our World, “Organizing Ourselves to do Science Investigations,” “Investigating Attributes and Properties of Objects,” “Identify the States of Matter,” and “Investigating Living Things.”

Health and Safety

First graders are taught about injury prevention and personal safety. They are encouraged to make healthy eating choices, follow healthy lifestyles, show respect for self and others, how to avoid bullying, and the importance of helping others.

Homework

Homework is assigned by the first-grade teachers to reinforce skills and concepts.