1st and 2nd Grade Curriculum
At the heart of the Village School education we nurture a sense of belonging and community.
A benefit of the multi-age classroom is that children build their understanding of community together. Learning to share ideas, listen to classmates, and support one another’s thinking are modeled and developed in our daily morning meeting, group discussions and games, and partner work. Children are given opportunities to work collaboratively, learn how to compromise and cooperate on tasks.
Theme Study
This year’s theme Massachusetts: Now and Then, is intended to help the children discover and solidify their understanding of where they live and go to school in relation to the bigger world. We’ll spend time learning about and creating a variety of maps. We’ll discover and make connections to a number of Massachusetts’ special places and landmarks. Then we’ll look back at how Massachusetts came to be. We’ll learn about the native people who inhabited the area and imagine the journey that the Europeans took to a new, unknown land. We’ll study the ways of life of the early settlers, including how they dressed, what their homes were like, what kinds of food they ate and what children did for fun. We’ll read stories, create art projects, and do some cooking. We’ll look at local historical artifacts and visit Old Sturbridge Village to experience first-hand what life was like in olden days.
Reading
In Reader’s Workshop children are introduced to strategies that will move them to fluent reading as well as encourage them to pay attention to their thinking while reading. Students are given time to read independently each day and meet with their teacher weekly for individual instruction.
A majority of their time is spent reading Just Right books. These books help them practice and develop skills, and offer the right challenge to extend their learning. Through partner reading and book groups students are given time to engage in conversations about their books, deepen their engagement with the texts and help them to develop comprehension skills. Children are encouraged to read at home for 15 minutes each day in their Just Right books.
Reading with your child and having conversations about their books will enhance their reading experience and help them to grow as readers. Read aloud and weekly oral stories give children the opportunity to engage in literature beyond their reading level. These stories are often connected to Theme.
Word Study is a time for students to practice building English language skills. We use the Fountas-Pinnell program Phonics Lessons. Students learn word-solving strategies by studying letter sound relationships, spelling patterns, and word structure as well as word meaning and vocabulary building. A component of word study is spelling. During spelling students learn a range of strategies to help them learn how to spell words and learn how to study for a quiz. Word work helps students to increase their sight word knowledge and serves as a bridge between best choice spelling and conventional spelling.
Writing
Writer’s workshop is a time for students to think about the stories they have and to communicate with others through their writing and drawing. Each child receives a journal in which they respond to writing or drawing prompts. Their journals are also a place to gather ideas for future writing. Children begin to learn the technical aspects of writing while also learning to express themselves in the written language, plan and craft writing pieces, explore different types of writing and begin to edit and revise their writing. Because it is important for students to let their writing flow and get their words on paper, they are encouraged to use their best choice spelling. Teaching students a variety of strategies to spell unknown words empowers them to record their stories onto paper. Some units of study for this year are: Small Moment Stories, Poetry, and Non-fiction reports. Handwriting is taught using the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum, which uses a multi-sensory approach.
Math
The Investigations math curriculum offers students opportunities to have multiple experiences with mathematical concepts through games and other hands-on activities. The students construct their own understanding and have a true sense of ownership of mathematical strategies and ideas. Children are encouraged to use multiple strategies to solve problems and engage with peers to stretch their thinking. The mathematical strands of number sense, geometry, data, and measurement are woven through the year.
Spanish
Spanish is taught through movement, stories, games and songs, and is based on the TPR (Total Physical Response) system. Students practice basic greetings and phrases, learn to respond to common classroom instructions, and work together to act out short stories in Spanish.
Art
Besides art that is integrated throughout the curriculum on a daily basis, the children have a full session on Thursday mornings. The goal of these art projects is to have the children feel successful with new experiences and materials, to have fun, and to spark creativity in a non-verbal way. Children will explore making two-dimensional and three-dimensional pieces with a variety of media including watercolor, clay, and fabric. Art lessons will often integrate with the class theme.
Music
In music, children begin the year singing seasonal songs, songs about growing, and favorite well-known songs in Spanish and English. Throughout the year, movements, dances, and rhythm instruments such as drums, maracas, and rain sticks will accompany many of the songs. All students will participate in weekly recorder lessons in small groups.
Science
Our focus in science is connecting children with the natural world, building observational skills, doing hands-on experiments and introducing basic scientific concepts. The students use a number of types of scientific equipment including magnifying glasses, dissection microscopes, compound microscopes, plant presses, and thermometers. The science curriculum is planned throughout kindergarten to 6th grade so topics are introduced during an appropriate theme and developmental stage. Our lessons will follow the seasons and integrate with our theme study by looking at how people completed certain tasks without modern technology. This year we will be doing our “My Tree” project. The student selects a specific tree to observe throughout the school year. We will make a leaf collection, bark rubbings, make observations throughout the year, and build fairy or gnome houses. Other topics of study will include natural dyes, herbs, light, and a beginning look at the solar system and the moon.
Physical Activity
Recess is emphasized as a time of great learning – physical, emotional and social. Since most of the school day is structured, recess gives the children a blank canvas for imaginative and physical play together. Teachers are present and encourage children to find solutions together when differences arise. The Friday session of Physical Ed. provides an opportunity for children to engage in a longer session of activity such as hiking, soccer, cross-country skiing and swimming. In yoga class on Friday mornings, the children learn poses for strength and balance.
