First Grade Curriculum at Canyon Heights Academy

In First Grade, students deepen their awareness of God’s love through prayer, scripture, and active participation in the life of the Church. Through daily religion lessons, prayer time, and the Theology of the Body curriculum, children begin to understand that they are uniquely created in God’s image and called to live with purpose and love.

Religion Curriculum Highlights:

• Discover God as Creator, source of life, and loving Father
• Explore the Bible as the Word of God
• Learn about the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist
• Study the life of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Mary
• Identify the Church as a community of faith and worship
• Participate in Sacred Story prayer as a daily reflection practice
• Understand liturgical seasons, Mass participation, and Catholic traditions
• Learn about saints and their holy lives
• Begin to practice virtue and morality through age-appropriate lessons in Theology of the Body

Our language arts program is designed to develop strong foundational literacy skills while cultivating a love of reading and writing.

Reading:

• Build phonemic and phonological awareness
• Master all letter-sound correspondences
• Read words and sentences with fluency and expression
• Recognize and read high-frequency sight words including color and number words
• Practice comprehension strategies: predicting, summarizing, visualizing, asking questions, and making connections
• Explore literature elements: main idea, cause/effect, sequencing, fact vs. opinion, and point of view
• Identify literary genres: fiction, nonfiction, folktales, and poetry
• Present oral book reports and unit projects with confidence
• Memorize and recite poems in front of an audience

Phonics & Spelling:

• Learn decoding strategies and word blends
• Build encoding skills through structural phonics
• Practice spelling rules and vocabulary through weekly spelling units aligned with reading materials

Writing & Grammar:

• Compose simple paragraphs using correct grammar and punctuation
• Explore different types of sentences: questions, statements, commands, exclamations
• Learn basic parts of speech and verb tenses
• Use the writing process: plan, draft, revise, and publish
• Create a variety of writing pieces: creative stories, reports, instructional writing, and letters

Handwriting:

• Use proper pencil grip and sitting posture
• Write in both manuscript and cursive using D’Nealian formation

Students will:

• Sustain focused attention for up to 30 minutes
• Ask and answer questions clearly and respectfully
• Recite poems and passages from memory
• Present oral reports with organized main ideas
• Practice public speaking skills with poise and confidence

Our Catholic elementary math curriculum builds number fluency and problem-solving abilities through interactive lessons and hands-on practice.

Math Concepts Covered:

• Understand number values and place value (up to 3-digit numbers)
• Add and subtract (regrouping introduced in 4th quarter)
• Practice fact families up to 20
• Read and interpret clocks and calendars
• Identify and create patterns
• Use basic fractions, linear and volume measurements
• Apply strategies to solve one- and two-step word problems
• Understand coin values and money concepts
• Practice mental math, speed math, and estimation

Our science program encourages inquiry, exploration, and wonder about God’s creation. Students learn through hands-on experiments and discovery-based learning.

Science Topics Include:

• Life cycles of plants and animals
• States of matter, energy, sound, and motion
• Simple machines, magnets, and light
• Earth science: volcanoes, earthquakes, rocks, soil, erosion, and fossils
• Human body systems: skeletal, muscular, digestive, circulatory
• Hygiene, nutrition, germs, and disease prevention
• Astronomy: sun, moon, planets, atmosphere, hydrosphere
• Scientific method: observation, prediction, hypothesizing, experimenting

First Grade social studies at Canyon Heights Academy introduces students to community, history, and the world around them, all through a Catholic worldview.

Topics of Study:

• Chronological thinking and historical change over time
• American history highlights: Columbus, Pilgrims, Native Americans, the Constitution, Civil War, Civil Rights Movement
• U.S. geography and early American settlements
• Introduction to North, Central, and South American geography
• Cultural understanding and comparison
• National symbols and patriotic values

To nurture the whole child, First Grade students also attend weekly classes in:

• Art
• Music
• Spanish Language
• Physical Education

These subjects enrich creativity, expression, motor skills, and global awareness.