First grade is game on. Really, this is where all those years of preschool and kindergarten readiness start to show. BeBe finished her first month of first grade, and some strong differences stand out from kindergarten. For one, the physical space in the room is different. There are no toys in the room, only books, and the kids have desks not tables. While the jump from preschool to kindergarten was a big social change for BeBe, this year it’s less of an issue. But overall, first grade is about higher expectations.
Specifically, behavioral expectations for the classroom went up. There are several first grades classrooms at her public school, and all the first-grade teachers shared their classroom expectations at curriculum night. Essentially, kiddos need to follow directions the first time they are asked, and stay on task. Obviously, the teachers are reasonable and provide age-appropriate activities and lesson plans. And there are many positive reinforcements for appropriate behavior, but there are also consequences for not listening and staying on task. This year if a kiddo is disruptive they will miss out on recess, could be sent to the principal office, and conferences with parents. I’ve talked with some of my mom friends, and this has been a serious adjustment for some of their kiddos. But after a few weeks in first grade, those kiddos are now meeting those behavior expectations. This means the kids can take on fun group projects in class without the chaos.
The second difference we notice between the grades is the shift to formal academics. This year BeBe has official grades (using a modified elementary grading system), text books, spelling lists, and homework is no longer optional. With these changes comes a small amount of responsibility she must take for her work. Truthfully, I’m already missing the optional homework packets from last year, and the lack of grading in kindergarten. It seemed more relaxed for BeBe. However, because she is a kid putting forth her best work, we don’t emphasize grades or homework packets. We simply say homework and grades just help the teacher know what you need to learn, and encourage her to have fun at school. She already pushes herself on academics, so we don’t add to the pressure.
Also, the sheer amount of writing, reading and math the kids do is drastically different from kindergarten. This is the grade where it shows if your kiddo doesn’t know their letters, sounds, and basic math skills. Kids need to have endurance to write for longer periods of time, and sit in a chair and concentrate. Of course, the teachers work with kids with varying ranges of ability, but first grade feels like a faster pace.
However, whether it’s due to the high behavioral expectations or more formal academic approach, I’m a bit in awe of how much she is learning already. I thought I would be impressed with her, and the other first graders’ reading skills, which I am. But I’m truly impressed with the math skills these kids have. The kids tackle addition and subtraction so it blends seamlessly into multiplication and division concepts, even though they don’t call it that. Hearing them talk at the bus stop how they can manipulate shapes to make other shapes and build other objects, blows my mind. Maybe, it’s just been a long time, but I only remember doing timed math sheets as a kid, and it was boring. I love seeing the kids’ excitement about math, and of course, all the other fun subjects they are learning. But for real, when your kiddo is coming to the end of kindergarten, check in with the teacher to see if there are any areas academically or behavioral issues they need to work on before first grade. Otherwise, it might be a fast, tough transition to first grade.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
Interestingly, my son is also a month into first grade and the school has gone homework free. I absolutely love it.
One thing that a teacher mentioned to me is that this is where a big shift occurs, the kids are expected to be able to read to learn, as opposed to learning to read. It was then I realized that it is now serious business and it’s really important to monitor my son and his literacy skills so that he doesn’t fall behind.
guest
This is wildly different than my child’s first grade experience (in a well-regarded public school system), which included toys/dress-up areas/etc. in the classroom, shared tables for sitting, quite a bit of play, and only 15 minutes of nightly reading for homework a few days each week. Also, for any parents who might have been terrified by the comment above noting that 1st grade was the transition from learning to read to reading to learn, this seems very premature. I have many elementary and middle school teacher friends, all of whom have indicated that 3rd or 4th grade is the time when that switch happens. Overall, it makes me sad to hear about school being so serious at the first grade level.
guest
I have a similar experience, but for the shift from 1st to 2nd grade. 2nd grade seems game on to me! Going from K to 1st was not as much of a change for us. In 1st they still did a fair amount of fun stuff. But this year in 2nd grade it is work, work, work.
apricot / 370 posts
It sounds like your kid is thriving, learning, and doing great! That’s what’s important. But this description makes me sad – I just don’t want so much structure at a young age.
blogger / cherry / 174 posts
Yes, not having toys in the room bummed me out at first. But what the teachers do that I really love is fun projects. The kids just learned how to make apple pies this week (measure, write the recipe, cook), and they rotate to different classes for projects frequently. We are in one of the top public schools for our state, so I feel good about that. And the school does a great job of being inclusive to kiddos with disabilities. Her school is very diverse from income, to race, to most everything, so I think the teachers really strive for the kids to work together. So far, the school has been a great experience for her, even if there are a few things we don’t love.
guest
Yeah I am an elementary school and I would say 3rd grade is when the shift of reading to learn takes place (thats also when most state testing starts.)
guest
Ugh. Are teachers still doing missing recess as a punishment? That makes me sad and worried. I figured we’d all learned that giving kids ample time to get some of the physical energy out was vitally important.
guest
Wow, this makes me so sad. It sounds awful, those poor children. This is the reason I’ll be unschooling or using an alternative school like Sudbury or Montessori for my children.
olive / 55 posts
Wow this sounds so different from our school! My son is still in SK but I toured the school and grade one still has activity centres and lots of time for play based learning.
guest
To be honest, this is my biggest fear. As a teacher myself, I do not want my son in a play-free environment at that young age. He is in kindergarten now, and luckily they still play. However, I believe he needs to keep up with out me staying “on top of his literacy.” If he needs that much additional instruction from me at home I don’t know if he is ready for that level yet. Just my personal thoughts.