What are First Grade Lesson Plans?

What are First Grade Lesson Plans?

First grade lesson plans break down lessons explaining how the class will be taught, what materials will be used, what the objective is and what school standards will be met. Lesson plans provide preparation for activities and focus on strategies needed to address individual student needs. First grade lessons are crucial in a child’s educational experience.

The main focus in first grade lesson plans will be on reading and math, but other areas of the curriculum are introduced at this level. At the beginning of the year first graders should be able to show mastery of several objectives. For example, a first grader should be able to write first and last name, write and recognize letters in the alphabet, know vowel sounds and consonant sound pattern in reading words. Going into first grade, students are expected to know names of colors and read sight words. Academic skills in math should also be evident. A few of those expected skills includes writing numbers to 100, be able to do simple addition and subtraction problems, tell time, count money, know the days of the week and know the months, to name some of the expected skills starting first grade.

From a social and behavior standpoint, first graders should be able to focus on the lesson, work with groups to problem solve, follow verbal directions, wait to speak until called upon after raising hand, listen to stories and be able to tell summaries to peers and teachers.

Each student will come into first grade with a different set of skills. Teachers plan lessons to review and access student progress. Some students who are above the norm may not be as challenged until all students are closer to their potential. However, an effective teacher will design lesson plans to provide activities to challenge upper level students as well as activities suitable for below average students.

During the course of the year, first graders will learn how to print, write complete sentences, know the difference between fiction and nonfiction, recognize elements in stories such as the plot and setting, use and recognize more vocabulary words and grasp basic punctuation. In math first grade lesson plans will include activities to teach students how to use graphs, use more tools of measurement and know math symbols.

In other areas of the curriculum first grade lesson plans will promote an awareness of diverse cultures and traditions and current events. Student should be able to find the U.S. on a globe or map and locate the oceans and continents. Lessons designed to teach proper use of scientific tools such as a magnifying glass is part of the first grade curriculum. They should recognize the five senses.

Students will have the opportunity in first grade to experiment with colors and textures in art class, to work on hand and eye coordination in physical education class and listen to rhythm and rhyme in music class. First graders will have home-work assignments and should be encouraged to read for learning and for pleasure. All of these expectations and a plan to reach those goals are written into first grade lesson plans.