"That's the wonderful thing about first grade for me. It's not, 'Take a test to see whether you pass or not.' It's, 'Do an assessment to see if you've got that down solid, or not yet.' It's that 'not yet' expectation that embodies the developmental aspect." — Char Soucy
The Students
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In the spring of 2003 nineteen first grade students undertook the Animal Research Report.
10 Boys, 9 Girls
6 Students qualify for Title I reading services
1 Special Education
3 Students receive services for speech and language.
68% Free and reduced lunch (13 of 19)
Mobility - Throughout the year Char gained 2 students and lost 1. One student joined the class midway through the project.
Ages on the first day of school ranged from 5 years 11 months to 7 years 3 months
Transition to First Grade
For many students at Fernan, first grade is their first year of formal education. Kindergarten is available, but is not mandatory in Idaho. Char seeks to make the classroom a safe and productive environment for learning. She is aware of the range of children in the class, and the need to provide opportunities that address their potential.
"All of the things I do in the classroom are carefully considered, based on the needs of first graders. I'm setting the tone for their whole school career. I want it to be fun and light and a safe place to be. I use music a lot because it appeals to another domain, not just the cognitive domain. Having music to get their attention enables me not to have to talk above them and raise my voice. An adult voice can sound threatening, even if you don't mean it to be. This is much more pleasant. In using movement and music I'm really seeking to accommodate all the developmental needs and needs of all the learners in the class." — Char Soucy
The Classroom Schedule
The schedule below shows a typical day in the classroom. During the first four weeks of the project students worked on it as part of the 90 minute morning reading and center time. Students needing more time to work had opportunities at various times during the following two weeks.
9:00 - 9:15 Warm Up Entry Task
9:15 - 9:35 Calendar and Morning Activities
9:35 - 10:10 Small Group Reading and Centers
10:30 - 10:45 Recess and Snack
10:50 - 11:30 Small Group Reading and Centers
11:30 - 12:15 Special Classes
12:20 - Lunch
1:05 - 2:00 Math
2:00 - 2:05 Clean Up
2:05 - 2:20 Recess
2:20 - 3:00 Super Readers and Independent Reading
3:00 - 3:15 Closing Activities and Clean Up
3:15 Dismissal
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