First Grade Success: Everything You Need to Know to Help Your Child Learn »

AMY JAMES, a former social studies teacher, is a nationally respected authority on educational compliance issues and the No Child Left Behind Act. Her company, Six Things, Inc., provides consulting services for national media, publishers, and school districts on compliance with state and national education standards, as well as professional development for K–12 teachers.

The key to your child's educational success is in your hands

"Knowledge Essentials is a remarkable series that will benefit children of all abilities and learning styles. . . I highly recommend it for all parents who want to make a difference in their children's education."
—Michael Gurian, author of Boys and Girls Learn Differently and The Wonder of Boys

"Finally, a book about teaching young children by somebody who knows her stuff!"
—LouAnne Johnson, author of Dangerous Minds and The Queen of Education

Part of the new Knowledge Essentials series, First Grade Success shows you how to enrich your child's classroom learning and take an active role in your first grader's education by exploring:
* What your first grader is learning at school and the educational standards to expect in math, language arts, science, and social studies
* Your child's learning style—visual, auditory, or kinesthetic—and how it affects the way your child learns and processes information
* Hundreds of easy-to-do activities designed to help your child meet specific learning requirements
* Environmental learning sections that identify learning opportunities in the everyday world
* Methods and checklists to assess your child's academic progress
* Information on how teachers evaluate performance—portfolios, rubrics, test scores, and other tools of the trade
* Recommendations of age-appropriate books and software that will enhance learning


Give your child the gift of your time—and help him or her get the most out of school with First Grade Success.

Deborah Zink - Children's Literature

Whether your are home schooling or just parenting, a manual on what the children should be learning in school is one of the most valuable tools a parent can have—and this book is one of the best. Not only does this book elucidate the standards, it offers tips, guidance, and activities to teach the concepts. In line with the principles of No Child Left Behind, the book covers first grade requirements for math, language arts (including reading, grammar, and writing), science, and social studies. Additionally, the author, a consultant on national education standards, uses the first three chapters to overview the developmental ranges of a first grader and discuss the different learning styles of children. Using the relatively easy terms and charts provided, parents will get a peek into how the educational system can work for their child. Chapters 4 through 9 are packed with the tools needed to supplement or supervise first grade learning. Parents new to a school, or just new to school on the whole, often wonder if children are being taught all they need to know. How much is too much? Is my child ahead or behind? This resource, in combination with a copy of your child's curriculum and state standards, will lay it out in detail to help a parent monitor the education of their child. 2005, Jossey-Bass/Wiley, Ages Adult.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

1. Getting the Most for Your First Grader.

Getting the Most from Your School System.

Getting the Most from Your Homeschool Curriculum.

Using Supplemental Materials.

2. First Grade Development.

Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development.

Developmental Goals for Six-Year-Olds.

Developmental Goals for Seven-Year-Olds.

3. First Grade Learning.

Learning Styles.

Cognitive Learning.

4. The Standards.

Types of Learning Standards.

Learning Standards Resources.

5. First Grade Reading.

Beginning of First Grade Reading Checklist.

Decoding.

Comprehension.

Environmental Learning.

End of First Grade Reading Checklist.

6. First Grade Writing.

Beginning of First Grade Writing Checklist.

Handwriting.

Rules of Writing.

Environmental Learning.

End of First Grade Writing Checklist.

7. First Grade Math.

Beginning of First Grade Math Checklist.

Number Sense.

Operations.

Problem Solving.

Environmental Learning.

End of First Grade Math Checklist.

8. First Grade Science.

Beginning of First Grade Science Checklist.

Systems.

Rocks, Soil, and Water.

Changes.

Environmental Learning.

End of First Grade Science Checklist.

9. First Grade Social Studies.

Beginning of First Grade Social Studies Checklist.

Civics.

National Symbols and Holidays.

Communities and Cultures.

Environmental Learning.

End of First Grade Social Studies Checklist.

10. Teaching Your First Grader Thinking Skills.

Beginning of First Grade ThinkingSkills Checklist.

Problem Solving.

Concentration.

Comprehension.

Reasoning.

Logic.

Environmental Learning.

End of First Grade Thinking Skills Checklist.

11. Assessment.

Assessing Individual Student Abilities and Knowledge.

Measuring and Comparing School, School District, Statewide, and National Performance for Broad Public Accountability.

12. First Grade Society.

Groups.

Independence Day.

My Best Friend.

No, You Can’t Play!

13. Moving On to Second Grade.

Ready to Go.

Anxieties.

Minimizing “Brain Drain”.

Appendix A: Literature for First Graders.

Appendix B: Software for First Graders.

Appendix C: First Grade Topical Calendar.

Glossary.

Bibliography.

Index.