1st Grade

Christine Richy: Kindergarten Teacher
B.A. In Elementary Education
M.A. In Early Childhood
Teaching at Thornton-Donovan since 2016

"I Believe In Many Different Approaches To Learning And Love To Explore A Mix Of Them All In My Classroom! Cooperative Learning. Hands-On Approach. Whole Group Instruction. Individualized Instruction. Play-Based Learning."

PHONICS: Students Learn About Consonants. They Study To Build Their Phonetic Awareness Of Each Letter, As Well As Their Ability To Identify The Sound To Symbol For Each Consonant. First Grade Dives Deeper Into Vowels, Both Long And Short, As Well As "Y". Students Also Study Consonant Blends, Endings, Digraphs And Contractions.

SPELLING: Students Are Given 10 New Words Each Week To Master. Each Week Contains 6 New Words, 2 Review And 2 Star Words. The Words Each Week Are Chosen In Categories Of Long Vowel Sounds, Short Vowel Sounds, Blends, And Site Words.

GRAMMAR: Students Master The Basic Skills Of Constructing A Sentence With Proper Punctuation And Capitalization. They Also Explore Telling, Asking, Commanding, And Exclaiming Sentences! Students Learn About Words, Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Pronouns, And Contractions. They Learn About Writing Personal Narratives, Friendly Letters, Book Reports And Research Reports. Journal Writing Is An Innovative Time Where Students Can Reach Inside Their Imagination And Put Their Thoughts Onto Paper Through Writing And Illustrations.

Worldly Wise: Students Learn 160 Vocabulary Words Throughout The School Year In This Curriculum. It Includes Picture/Word Cards, Demonstration, Role-Play, A Story Containing 10 New Words With Each Lesson, Multiple Choice Questions To Check Comprehension, And Journal Writing And Drawings Illustrating Each Word Learned.  

SOCIAL STUDIES: Students Learn About Communities And Jobs. We Also Explore Technology- Past And Present, And The World Around Us...Near And Far! Students Learn About Geography, Culture, Citizenship, Government And The National Symbols.

SCIENCE: Students Learn About Energy, Plants And Animals, Patterns In Space, And The Nature Of Science. Students Conduct Experiments Throughout The Year To See Real Science In Action, Hands-On!