A Slice of First Grade...

• Weekly art, music and twice weekly PE classes
• Computer lab visits
• Media center visits
• Accelerated Reader Program
• Community meetings

Dear Parents...
     First grade marks the start of many new experiences. Often that means sitting in a desk for the first time, walking to the classroom independently, having spelling tests, and taking on more responsibility.
     Working together as a team, students, parents, and teachers can make first grade an exciting adventure! As Northwood teachers, our part is to plan and teach to the individual needs of students.
     You can encourage your child to read at home. Current research shows that reading for one additional hour a day can produce as much as two years of reading growth!
     Actually, all of first grade is about growth! It promises to be a year full of memories, accomplishments, maturing, academic progress.

A bushel of smiles,

First Grade Teachers

Give Your child a Boost...

• Read together 10-15 minutes daily.
• Check for understanding of stories by asking questions such as,
• "What will happen next?"
• Who was your favorite character?.. Why?"
• "How would you change the ending?"
• "What happened first, next, last?"
• "Can you retell the story?"
• Encourage your child to express ideas and tell stories (in preparation for writing).
• Promote awareness of rhyming words.
• Increase awareness of letter sounds.
• Help your child to write his/her name using upper and lower case letters (not all capitals).
• Practice identifying numbers.
• Provide opportunities for identifying coins by name and value.
• Help your child see how math applies to daily life.
• Use the terms "left" and "right".

• Establish a routine for completing homework.
• Maintain a neat, organized work area.
• Set aside time daily to review papers in your child's bookbag.
• Reply to and return school correspondence in a timely manner.
• Encourage your child to follow directions the first time.
• Assign at-home responsibilities and expect them to be completed on time.
• Formula for Reading Success: Child's Age x 2 = Minimum number of minutes your child should read per day.