Children take pride in their growing ability to decode new words and read stories with increasing fluency. Their interest in journal writing and other forms of self expression grows as they develop vocabularies and spelling skills.

Discovering facts and distinguishing between real and make-believe contribute to first graders’ understanding and enjoyment of fiction and nonfiction. Trips to the library become opportunities to explore personal interests and new authors.

Using manipulatives in mathematics helps each child become comfortable working with addition and subtraction and understanding place value, time, and money. Predicting outcomes in science experiments and learning about animals, plants, and the environment broaden perspectives.

First grade has a learning link to Africa.