1St Grade

I agree with Krista. Summer is not "pre-first grade!
I think the best thing you could do over the summer is keep reading with/to her!

Just read. Read, read, read. 1st grade is big on life skills- reading comprehension, critical thinking, counting money, relating with people, texas history, american history, travel (major landmarks, states), etc. My daughter has learned a LOT of practical information this year. I just love her teacher!

But really, reading is the BIG emphasis. Getting them loving to read and knowing how to not just read words but interpret them into meaning.

Please don't do this... use the summer to review what she learned in Kindergarten. You don't want to teach your daughter something in a different manner than her teach does it b/c you will confuse and overwhelm her. You will also have her doing "double work" b/c she will need to relearn information. Ask the Kindergarten teacher for a summer packet- most send them home anyway and do one page per day.

If you REALLY need to know what is taught in first grade, go to the Texas Department of Education website and look at the first grade curriculum standards.

Again, summer is NOT for excelerating and "previewing"... it's for having fun, relaxing and reinforcing already learned skills.

She will be much better prepared to really learn her first grade work if you just review what she already knows, as a previous mother mentioned. I don't know what your K students learn, but if it were me, I would reinforce phonics phonics phonics to get her ready, because she'll really be reading in first grade. Also, reinforce everything she's learned in math, because she'll be memorizing addition/subtraction facts, etc, in first.

Don't move ahead....just reinforce and enjoy the summer.

What Your First Grader Needs to Know: Fundamentals of a Good First-Grade Education
Authors last name is Hirsch. It's 9.95 if you buy it on Amazon for Kindle. If you don't have a kindle you can download software to your computer for free and read it there.

Walmart has workbooks that are grade appropriate... :-) That would get her on the road... Actually any book store also has them...

You can look up the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) for each grade level on the TEA (Texas Education Agency) website. That will give you all the information you need. As a first grade teacher I would like to commend you for helping your kiddo at home. It makes all the difference in the world. My advice would be to read, read, read. Encourage your little one to write in a journal every day. Remember, his/her writing will not look like we may think. Take pictures of family things and attach them in the journal to write about. Also, talk about numbers. Count when taking a bath, etc. Most of all... make it fun! Don't put too much pressure on your little one. Have a nice summer.

Really the best is try to work on reading.

You could just work with her on reading skills (encouraging her to read more on her own) and practice simple math problems. I think in first grade they will work their way up to adding and subtracting two digit numbers.

Most schools are trying to get the kids to do some creative writing on there own. So spelling could be something you practice on. Introduce her to a dictionary and show her how the alphabet works.

Last summer I printed off some worksheets on education.com for first grade. My son is currently in first grade. Work on reading skills, read every night and have them practice reading. I always take turns reading with my first grader. When he was just starting to read I would have him read words or sentences, now we read every other page. For math work on currency, they did this a lot this year and counting by 5s, 10s, 20s. Writing also, numbers, letters, sentences. My son has messy writing and we have been working on it. But I really wouldn't work your kid too hard. I told my son that he would get weekly homework during the summer. So I usually gave him a math worksheet and reading/writing worksheet and that was it. We did a lot of little science/exploration things outside. I had him plant some seeds on his own in a little pot and had him take care of and draw pictures of it each week to see how the plant grew.

My advice is to talk to a 1st grade teacher at your school, they can guide you the best.

At our elementary during May we will have grade level meetings where the teachers for each grade meet with the parents of the children in the grade below who will be moving up to their grade for the next school year. For example the 4th grade teachers will meet with the 3rd grade parents and layout what will be taught in 4th grade, expectations and also in summer assignments - reading lists, projects etc.

Kindergarten is reading readiness and recognizing number and that they have value - so as youprepare for 1st grade just review the stuff she's been learning until now and then build on them. Help her count how many apples, ice cubes, beach towels as you use them. Help her to recognize a 3, a 2. Even show her if there are 2 rocks over here, and I add two more rocks, how many are there all together? Review the sounds that letters make. As you grocery shop and you see a big T on the Tide bottle - reivew the sound that a T makes "Sally what letter is that? It's a T - do you know what sounds it makes?" When you eat a bananna ask her what sound does she hear what you say banana? What does a B look lke? Write out a B and a C - which one is the B? Read to her alot. Children love to be read to - it was our favorite bed-time thing to do when my kids were in grade school. We'd cuddle in on one of the kids' beds and I'd read to them. A they got older we'd take turns - they'd read a page, I'd read a page, and eventually they read to me. If she's doing well then you can teach her sight word - like He, him, got, the, and. Go to your library and ask for early reader books - you'll find shelves of books that are jsut right for her.

Have fun - this is such a great age!

I would get a copy of the schools curriculum and go from there. Each school district varies. I know when I went to Elementary Information night for my daughter, I was over whelmed by what she will be doing in 1st grade!! Nouns, Verbs, Science Fair Projects, Journal Writing, learning how to use Power Point and so on….

I agree with the poster who noted, What Your First Grader Needs to Know: Fundamentals of a Good First-Grade Education. I also agree with everyone who suggested reading, reading, reading, especially the Caldecott Award Winners - just ask your librarian to point them out.

We get a list with our children's report card on the last day of school of what to expect for the next year. I would talk with your daughter's teacher and see what she/he can recommend for your daughter this summer.

I have used the Summer Bridge activities with mine. All the teacher stores have them and so do the large chain bookstores.
Join the library's book club.
Read, read, read!!!
Have her help you make cookies and either double or half the recipe.
Count at the dinner table, by ones, twos, fives, 10s.
Talk your road trips out loud, say we are going to Grandma's she lives one hour away and we are driving 60 mph. How long will it take for us to get there.
Let her pay for things with cash, even if it's just a candy bar with a dollar bill.
Play the alphabet game anytime you are in the car.
Play Bingo on long car trips.
Play Scrabble
Always challenge her, she will rise to the occasion.