APPROACHES TO LEARNING

Grade 1

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Listening ● Listen to and follow multi-step directions

● Listen attentively to others in the group and to the teacher
● Listen to presentations/stories/movies/guest speakers
Speaking ● Begin to express ideas clearly and logically
● Begin to express opinions with guidance
● Independent presentations to class
Reading ● Begin to read a variety of sources for information and pleasure
● Retell a story
● Make predictions and conclusions about a book
● Begin to make inferences in simple texts
Writing ● Record simple information and observations
● Write simple reports
● Write a summary of a simple story
● Can keep a journal or record
Non Verbal ● Recognise the message of common signs in their immediate
Communication environment
● Begin to understand that icons carry meaning
● Begin to use body language as a means of communication
● Use role play to express themselves

RESEARCH SKILLS

Formulating Questions ● Brainstorm in groups

● Learn how to ask questions about topics
Observing ● Conduct simple experiments with assistance
● Use all senses to notice relevant details
Planning ● Discuss and describe what is to be done
Collecting Data ● Start to recognize keywords for searching books
● Select resources by browsing
● Identify areas within the resource center
● Use the automated library system
● Begin to select useful information resources
● Understand that CD’s, VCD’s, newspapers and the Internet can be
sources of information
● Begin to develop dictionary skills
Recording Data ● Use appropriate medium to record information
● Recall and memorize simple information and facts
Organising Data ● Begin to organize information in a logical way
● Organise data in a variety of graphic organizers with assistance
Interpreting Data ● Identify icons on a desktop
● Begin to interpret a variety of graphic organizers and make statements
about them
Presenting Research ● Use multimedia tools for presentations
Findings ● Begin to present information in a logical manner so that it is
understood by the intended audience
● Cooperate with peers to present work
● Contribute to discussions
SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLS

Gross motor skills ● Run, dodge, leap, jump, hop, skip, gallop, side-step, slide, crawl and
creep
● Lift and carry equipment
● Handle manipulative equipment
● Balance, rock and roll
Fine motor skills ● Form all letters and numbers properly
● Hold a pencil properly
● Manipulate a mouse effectively
● Manipulate a variety of drawing/painting tools to create pictures with
some detail
Spatial awareness ● Identify boundaries
● Aware of the relationship between body parts
● Aware of personal space
Organisation ● Retrieve and return materials independently
● Able to task-define materials
● Stays on task for each activity
● Begin to organize and plan own tasks
● Take responsibility for all belongings
Time management ● Complete work in a specified time with assistance
Safety ● Adheres to all safety rules
● Know where, when and how to seek assistance in emergency situations
Healthy lifestyle ● Begin to understand the importance of personal hygiene and exercise
● Begin to understand the importance of healthy eating
● Begin to understand the importance of rest
● Wash hands after the toilet and before eating
● Cover mouth when coughing or sneezing
● Follow class and playground rules
Codes of behaviour ● Understand that there are different rules for different situations
● Adheres to all rules
● Understand the importance of rules
Informed choices ● Take appropriate action based on own understanding
● Begin to justify own decisions

SOCIAL SKILLS

Accepting ● Contribute to the group

responsibility ● Understand that every member has to take on a share of the work
● Uses quiet voice
● Stay with group until the work is finished
● Encourage members of the group
Respecting others ● Begin to understand that people can have different opinions
● Listen to others
● Begin to take into consideration the feelings of others and act
accordingly
● Begin to display and understanding of fairness
● Begin to understand that people have different values
Cooperating ● Begin to work cooperatively in any given situation
● Work together in a group
● Share materials and take turns
● Listen to others in the group
● Contribute to the group
Resolving conflict ● Listen to others in a conflict situation
● Begin to discuss how to solve problems with peers
● Begin to choose appropriate behaviour when solving conflicts
● Begin to make compromises
Group decision making ● Listen to others’ ideas when working in a group
● Actively ask questions of group members
● Begin to discuss ideas and strategies before starting
● Begin to try and obtain consensus when working in a group
Adopting a variety of ● Take on either a leading or a following role when encouraged
group roles ● Begin to understand what behaviour is appropriate in a given situation

THINKING SKILLS

Acquisition of ● Remember and recall facts and central ideas from Units of Inquiry
knowledge taught
● Continue to expand own vocabulary
● Recount new information in own words
● Express ideas from facts learnt
Comprehension ● Understand the central ideas from Units of Inquiry taught
● Identify main ideas
● Begin to make inferences
● Retell stories, information and events
● Begin to understand why we learn
● Begin to make generalizations and draw conclusions
Application ● Use and understand KWL, Venn diagrams, retrieval charts and concept
webs
● Begin to use and understand flow charts
● Participate in brainstorms
● Begin to use knowledge learnt to make informed choices
● Suggest consequences based on knowledge
● Begin to hypothesize
Analysis ● Brainstorm key words
● Begin to branch off from key words with more than one idea
● Categorize objects and information
● Make statements about graphic data
● Explain relationships between objects and between information
(simple)
● Continue patterns
Synthesis ● Begin to explain common features of things
● Present information
begin to plan to present
● Begin to draw conclusions
● Begin to make generalizations and summaries about information learnt

Evaluation ● Set own criteria

● Can self-assess work
● Can set goals
● Begin to assess peers
● Begin to identify strengths and weaknesses
● Begin to suggest ways to improve and begin to understand what they
need to improve
● Work towards class/teacher standards
Dialectical thought ● Understand that people can have different points of view
● Begin to listen to other people’s point of view
● Begin to construct arguments for own point of view
Metacognition ● Begin to self-assess learning, abilities, progress and behaviour
● Begin to question learning, abilities, progress and behaviour
● Begin to self-correct own learning and behaviour