What your child learns in 1st grade in New York
In 1st grade, reading and writing take off. Children sound out words, read short books and write simple sentences. In math they add and subtract within 20, count to 120, tell time to the half hour and start naming coins. Science covers light and sound, plant and animal parts and patterns in the sky, and social studies is “My Family and Other Families, Now and Long Ago”.
1st grade subjects in the New York State Learning Standards
Math
Focus areas
- Number and operations: adding and subtracting within 20, and place value to 120
- Measurement, data and geometry: measuring length, telling time to the half hour, coins, and reading simple graphs
- Mathematical practices: making sense of problems and explaining reasoning
16 units, including Numbers to 20, Make 10, Adding, Take Away.
English Language Arts
Focus areas
- Reading foundations: blending sounds, short vowels, word families and digraphs
- Reading: characters, settings, main topics and kinds of books
- Writing: complete sentences with capitals and end marks
19 units, including Blend It, Short Vowels, Word Families, Sh, Ch, Th.
Science
Focus areas
- Light and sound
- How plants and animals survive and grow
- Patterns of the sun, moon and stars
8 units, including Animal Survival, Light & Sound, Sky & Seasons, Parents & Babies.
Social Studies
Focus areas
- My family and other families, now and long ago
- American symbols, heroes, and the Pledge of Allegiance
- Citizens, rules, laws and local, state and national leaders
13 units, including Changes in My Life, School & Travel Long Ago, My Community, Respect & Inclusion.
Printable 1st grade sheets
One free practice sheet for each subject, with an answer key. Print them, or work through them on screen.
What to look for on the report card
Look for comments on reading simple books, spelling common words, adding and subtracting, and taking part in class.
New York has no statewide report-card scale in 1st grade, so Gradelings describes practice in four steps: Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exceeding. See what each level means.
New York's social emotional learning benchmarks apply in every grade. Read about Social emotional learning.
The four practice steps in 1st grade
- Beginning
- Practice shows a first understanding of the learning standards. Most answers still need a hint or a second try.
- At home: Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Approaching
- Practice shows a partial understanding of the learning standards. Some answers are right on the first try.
- At home: Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practicing the tricky parts.
- Meeting
- Practice shows a solid understanding of the learning standards. Most answers are right on the first try.
- At home: Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Exceeding
- Practice shows a deep understanding of the learning standards, including harder, unfamiliar questions.
- At home: Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Ready for 1st grade?
1st grade builds on what your child practiced in Kindergarten. If a skill feels shaky, a few short practice sessions before or early in the year can help:
- Math: Count to 10, Make 5 and 10, Add & Take Away, More, Less, Same, Shapes & Sizes
- English Language Arts: Letter Partners, First Sounds, Rhyme Time, Clap the Beat, Sight Words
- Science: What Living Things Need, Push & Pull, Weather & Seasons, Care for Our Earth, Sun & Shade
- Social Studies: All About Me, I Am Me, Families, Fair & Kind, My Jobs, Rules & Leaders
Common questions
1st grade covers math, English language arts, science, social studies in the New York State Learning Standards. In 1st grade, reading and writing take off. Children sound out words, read short books and write simple sentences. In math they add and subtract within 20, count to 120, tell time to the half hour and start naming coins. Science covers light and sound, plant and animal parts and patterns in the sky, and social studies is “My Family and Other Families, Now and Long Ago”.
New York has no statewide report-card scale in 1st grade, so Gradelings describes practice in four steps: Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exceeding.
Practice shows a solid understanding of the learning standards. Most answers are right on the first try. At home: Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
1st grade builds on Kindergarten. In math, that means Count to 10, Make 5 and 10, Add & Take Away. In English language arts, that means Letter Partners, First Sounds, Rhyme Time.
About 10 minutes a day of short practice works better than long sessions, on the skills your child's teacher flags. Count everyday things out loud: stairs, grapes, steps to the car. Read aloud every day and let your child finish familiar phrases. Praise effort, and stop on a success.
Practice 1st grade skills with Gradelings
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