First grade teaching tips

65 Tips, Tricks & Ideas

First grade is a year full of adventure! First grade learners begin to see themselves as readers, writers, mathematicians, scientists, and more. To help make it the best year ever, we’ve scoured our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook and the web for some of the best tips and ideas for teaching first grade. While it by no means covers every possible topic, we hope this list of gems will inspire you whether you are a brand-new teacher or a veteran. And we’ve organized the list by topic to make it easy to cruise for ideas!

Getting Your Classroom Ready

1. Create an inviting classroom

Need ideas? We’ve gathered real-life first grade classrooms for you to browse!

2. Gather all the supplies

Not sure what exactly you need for the first grade classroom? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with this list of essential first grade classroom supplies.

3. Welcome your students with a big, colorful bulletin board

Image source: Doodlebugs Teaching

Seeing their names up on the wall will help students instantly feel at home, and the bright colors will create a festive mood in the classroom. Check out these bulletin board ideas.

4. Get a jump start on lessons

In first grade, teacher planning and prep time are precious! It makes life a lot easier when you can purchase existing lessons, bundles, books, and pages. And why not support other teachers while you do it? Check out our favorite Teachers Pay Teachers sellers for first grade.

5. Put together an irresistible classroom reading nook

Image source: Polka Dot Teacher

Your first graders are well on their way to becoming readers, so make this time extra special for them by setting up one of these awesome reading nooks.

6. Fill your classroom library with these classic first grade books

Here are 50 of our favorite first grade books.

7. Set up sensory tables

Early childhood teachers know that hands-on learning is essential. Sensory play encourages open-ended thinking, language development, and collaboration, and builds fine motor skills. Sensory materials are magically both engaging and calming. Here are our favorites!

The First Days of School

8. Introduce yourself creatively

If you’re teaching 1st grade, you have the honor of being one of the first teachers a child will meet! Make day one memorable by introducing yourself in a creative way, such as sending postcards over the summer! For creative ideas, check out 30 Unique Ways To Introduce Yourself to Students This Year.

9. Get to know one another with icebreakers

Get the kids mixing and moving as they get to know one another. Click here for lots of great ideas.

Create a Classroom Community

10. Start the day with Morning Meeting

Morning Meeting is an engaging way to connect with your students at the beginning of each day. An objectives and agenda board, along with a morning message, will help your students start off on the right track. For more morning meeting ideas, check out Responsive Classroom.

11. Establish a culture of kindness

Print these free downloadable posters to remind your students that kindness matters most of all.

12. Teach citizenship

Image source: First Grade Wow

Read the story of Johnny Appleseed with your students, then analyze the qualities that make Johnny a good citizen. Help students brainstorm ideas about how they might show these characteristics in the classroom and at home.

13. Teach the difference between reporting and tattling

Image source: Mrs. Warner’s Learning Community

Save yourself a lot of headaches by teaching your students the difference. Read the Child Mind Institute’s Is It Tattling or Telling?

14. Assign jobs

Give your students ownership of the classroom and teach responsibility by assigning jobs. Remember the saying: Many hands make light work! Here are 38 Ideas for Flexible, Fun Classroom Job Charts to choose from.

15. Read stories that build your students’ social-emotional skills

Learning how to be in school and be a good friend are a huge part of being a first grader. Share these stories that will not only teach lessons but start conversations.

Ideas for Language Arts

16. Incorporate daily writing prompts

We’ve gathered 25 writing prompts that you can download and use to get your first graders practicing their writing skills.

17. Stock up on fun tools to use for guided reading

Image source: Miss Van Maren’s Fantastic First Grade

Learning to read is hard work! Make it as fun as you can with the great ideas found at the blog Guided Reading: A Little Novelty Goes a Long Way. For more information on guided reading, check out What Is Guided Reading?

18. Encourage critical thinking with writing prompts

First grade teacher Heather M. shares, “I give students questions that take more thought than our simple carpet discussions—questions that they had to apply what they know to answer. It helps them get away from answering without thinking just to be first.” Here are 37 suggestions from Journal Buddies to get you started.

19. Differentiate reading instruction

“Read Works is an incredible resource for teaching reading!” says first grade teacher Kellie P. “At least once a week, I use a reading passage and question set in either ‘guided reading’ or ‘read to someone’ for small-group practice. I can easily differentiate because they provide the Lexile levels. I found this resource to be very helpful, especially with nonfiction, to integrate science and social studies concepts into Daily 5.”

20. Have your students create personal word walls

Image source: Cara Carroll

Instead of having one massive class word wall, have students create and post their own personal word walls in your classroom. Your first graders will love showcasing their skills! Check out the Just Cara Carroll for a free personal word wall template.

21. Have fun with literacy centers

We love this big list of ideas for grades K-2.

22. Make things interesting with foldables

Image source: Mrs. T’s First Grade Class

Foldables are a great and easy way to make any literacy activity more fun. The one above helps students group words with the same blend.

23. Teach them how to retell a story

Use these reading comprehension anchor charts to review stories with your first graders and strengthen their recall skills after reading.

24. Use paint strips to work on CVC words

Image source: Serving Pink Lemonade

Practice making new words by adding word parts to different beginning letters and letter sounds. And check out these other fun ways to use paint strips!

25. Teach sight words

Image source: Make, Take, and Teach

Check out these 43 sight word activities for the classroom!

26. Make phonics fun

Phonics is the foundation for reading success. Breaking words into their constituent sounds helps kids understand and build their literacy skills, bit by bit. Check out these 20 phonics activities.

27. Use games to teach blends

Image source: The Measured Mom

Check out these six free, low-prep games for teaching blends.

28. Introduce interactive notebooks

Image source: Teaching With Love & Laughter

First grade teacher Lori shares, “Using interactive notebooks is a great way for children to learn and interact with new information, as well as review and practice skills already introduced. They really took pride in their notebooks and were very proud to share their work with others. Unlike completing worksheets or other printables, which go home right away, these books are always available to the children.”

Ideas for Math

29. Keep your math manipulatives organized and easy to access

Check out these creative ways to use math manipulatives.

Plus, here are some additional ideas from first grade teachers:

“Use labels with words and pictures on bins. We take actual pictures of the materials.” —Amy L.
“I give my kids the things they use the most, like counters and linking cubes, in a ziplock baggie to keep in their desks. When we need them, I just tell them to take out their math tools. It saves a lot of time passing them out every time they are needed.” —Diane D.
“I put my manipulatives into clear shoe boxes and label them with words and pictures. I have a set of shelves in my back room where the kids can access them. ” —Kelly H.
“Save baby wipe tubs and give each student their own set of place value books to keep in the desk.” —Ann M.

30. Keep math journals

Image source: Miss Van Maren’s Fantastic First Grade

Making a chart that connects the numeral, word, and picture for each number will help reinforce number concepts with your little ones. Check out this article for more great examples of how to use math journals!

31. Differentiate math work by using online resources

There are tons of online resources for differentiating math work. For a huge list of suggestions, check out our best math websites for teaching and learning math.

32. Play math games

Here’s a big list of math games that are just right for first grade.

33. Watch math videos

Making math more engaging for kids can be difficult. But teaching math will be anything but boring when you introduce students to some of our favorite subtraction and addition videos on YouTube.

34. Teach shapes

Learning shapes is one of the earliest concepts we teach kids. Shapes ready them for geometry in the years ahead, but it’s also an important skill for learning how to write and draw. Get started with these activities.

35. Count the days of school and celebrate when you reach 100!

There are so many different fun ways to celebrate the 100th day of school. We’ve got a whole collection of activities for you.

36. Have “Number Talks”

You can build mental math and computation skills with Number Talks.

First grade teacher Stephanie W. shares, “Our students need to be able to explain their thinking on math assessments, so this is a perfect way to get them comfortable with reasoning aloud. They learn to explain clearly and logically. It also helps them to see their errors since you write down the problem exactly the way they explain it. If they can’t see the errors, other students can help clarify. It also gives value to working problems in different ways. As children develop a deeper number sense, they decompose and manipulate numbers in more complex ways.”

37. Get to know the hundreds chart with number puzzles

Image source: Mrs. T’s First Grade Class

These easy-to-make games will help students see what one more, ten more, one less, and ten less look like.

38. Share math word problems daily

We’ve got 50 free math word problems for your first grade class! Use them for math word problems of the day or a warm-up whenever you need it.

Ideas for Science

39. Create “apple eruptions”

Image source: Growing a Jeweled Rose

Conduct an apple-volcano science experiment. Fun and yum! Click here for step-by-step instructions. Plus, check out these apple science activities.

40. Get hands-on with science

Science is the perfect subject for kids to get down and dirty in. Try these 35 first grade science projects for inspiration.

41. Try daily STEM challenges

These STEM challenges are designed with your first graders in mind. Try one each day or each week to get their minds thinking outside the box.

42. Use a science journal to teach the seasons

Image source: Today … in First Grade

Students will draw trees in each season, describe what they wear during the different seasons, and journal about what makes winter, spring, summer, and fall different as they fill in this science journal.

43. Look for resources from an old friend

Check out these awesome lesson plans for teaching first grade science in the kitchen, on the playground, and throughout the day from PBS Kids.

44. Take a field trip

There’s something about the first grade field trip that’s so special. We’ve rounded up our favorite first grade field trips that students will remember forever.

Ideas for Classroom Organization

45. When it comes to decorating your classroom, less is more

Anyone teaching first grade is going to have the urge to decorate, but check out these HELPLINE readers’ thoughts on why simplicity rules:

“I have learned to start with a blank slate and let the students ‘decorate’ the classroom through the year with their work. ” —Sarah H.
“I made the mistake of covering every wall with decor and then had nowhere for anchor charts!” —Ann M.
“You will see people go overboard with themes. Don’t bother! I saw the cutest classroom where the teacher had bought a pack of plain borders with various colors, and she just alternated the colors on the wall with alternating butcher paper. Go simple.” —Suzanne H.

Plus, check out our minimalist guide to classroom design.

46. Keep paperwork organized with labeled three-drawer bins

Image source: Learning to Teach

Hurray! No more messy piles everywhere when teaching first grade! For more organization tips, read Ten Teaching Hacks That Make You Go Duh!

47. Create classroom mailboxes for students

Image source: The Teaching Thief

Use mailboxes to return work and have students write and deliver letters to one another! Personalize them to match your classroom decor.

48. Craft milk-crate seats with built-in storage

Image source: The Apple Tree Room

These adorable seats can double as bins for easy materials storage. Check out other creative ways to use milk crates in your classroom.

49. Use “absent folders” to help students catch up when they return to school

Image source: Teaching With Terhune

Partner students at the beginning of the year. When one student is absent, have their partner put work in the Absent Folder for them. When the student returns to school, send the folder home. Total time-saver!

Ideas for Classroom Management

50. There’s a chart for that

These classroom management anchor charts tackle every possible issue.

51. Use a snappy call-and-response to get their attention

For fun ideas for quieting a noisy class, check out these attention-getters.

52. Take a brain break

Check out these 25 brain-break videos, gathered just for your first graders.

53. Reduce stress during dismissal

Dismissal time doesn’t have to be chaotic. Check out these great tips on handling dismissal time.

54. Let students pick their own seats (carefully)

Teaching first grade is part of easing kids into the school experience. Let them practice their independence with these tips for letting students choose their seats.

55. Have students use colored sticky notes to communicate their understanding of a concept

Image source: Love, Teach, Inspire

Students signal if they’re struggling, stuck, or solid on a concept they’re learning! You can use sticky notes or colored index cards.

56. Set up a “Calm Down Corner” and toolbox

Image source: Creatively Teaching First

The calm-down spot is a classroom space where students go to regulate their emotions and redirect their behavior. Stock these spaces with tools students can use to help them calm down and make better choices. Learn more about Why Safe Spaces Are Critical in Today’s Classrooms.

Need more inspiration? Here are 8 Types of Learning Spaces to Consider Including in Your Elementary Classroom.

Other Ideas

57. Use

all the anchor charts

Here are 22 anchor charts for teaching first grade.

58. Build relationships with your students’ parents

Check out these 11 Teacher-Tested Ways to Make Your Classroom Parents Adore You.

59. Make art

Check out these 45 art projects are just right for first graders.

60. Set the tone for work time with background music

From Piano Guys to Afrobeat to the Jingle Punks Hipster Orchestra, you can find a Pandora station for every occasion.

61. Play with your kids

First graders are hilarious! Don’t forget to have fun with them. Here are a bunch of old-school recess games you can teach your students.

62. Use technology to organize classroom volunteers

Sites like SignUpGenius are free and user-friendly. You could also assign one of your classroom volunteers to manage the content and delegation of any project or extra hands needed using this service. If you are looking for more ways to use classroom volunteers, here are 6 Tricks to Get the Most Out of Classroom Volunteers.

63.

Display student work from the ceiling

Image source: Kroger’s Kindergarten

This is the perfect solution for teaching in first grade classrooms with limited wall space, which is the case in most classrooms. Dangle student work from the ceiling! Check out more clever ways to display students work in the classroom and online.

64. Get acquainted with running records

What are running records? When used meaningfully while teaching first grade, running records can really help you move the needle. Running records are a valuable reading-assessment tool used in many primary classrooms.

65. Grab inspired dry erasers

Image source: @kinder_charm

This is one of the best money-saving hacks I’ve seen in recent years! After all, inspiration can come from all sorts of places. They’re perfect for little hands and they really get the “erasing” job done. Bonus: They’re cute too! Check out more of our favorite money-saving classroom hacks.

What are your top tips for teaching first grade? Come share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, check out our guide to teaching in a first grade classroom.

The Very Best First Grade Classroom Management Tips and Ideas

With a year of kindergarten under their belts, first graders should be pretty familiar with what school is all about. These first grade classroom management strategies help reinforce what they already know, and create a learning environment where every student can succeed!

1. Agree to the classroom rules.

First grade classroom management starts with a set of clear rules for kids to follow. Give your students a sense of ownership by asking them to agree to the classroom rules. Discuss the purpose of each rule, then have them sign the poster. If they break the rules, you can use this visual to remind them of the promise they made the very first day of class.

Learn more: Anna Schmitdt, Student Data Resource Folder

2. Review good and bad choices.

This simple sorting activity helps reinforce what your students learned in kindergarten when it comes to making good and bad choices. Talk about how each of the choices fits in with your classroom rules; for instance, if one of your rules is “Be nice to each other,” they should recognize that “interrupting” is a bad choice for that rule, while “raise your hand” is a good one.

Learn more: Mrs. Ricca’s Kindergarten

3. Assign classroom jobs or pick helpers.

Firsties are definitely old enough to start taking responsibility for some of the tasks around the classroom. You can do this by assigning and rotating jobs (passing out papers, running errands, distributing supplies, etc.). Or, simplify your life and just pick a couple of new helpers each week. These students can take care of whatever needs to be done.

4. Save your voice with a doorbell.

Source: We Are Proud Teachers/Instagram

Wireless doorbells have become a huge teacher favorite, and they’re a must-have for first grade classroom management. Use them for transitions, attention-getters, cues during group work, and so much more. Find out how teachers are using wireless doorbells here.

5. Post your daily schedule.

Save yourself the hassle of “What are we doing next?” or “When is recess?” by posting your schedule each day. A set of interchangeable cards on magnets or Velcro dots makes it easy to move things around. Add clocks too, since firsties are usually still working on telling time. If your schedule is mostly the same every day, simply post notes to the side indicating changes like special events.

6. Teach them to Give Me 5.

When they’re not at their desks, kids tend to have a harder time getting ready to pay attention. Teach them the five things they need to do with this cute free printable. Then, anytime you say “Give Me 5!” kids should automatically do all five steps and raise their hand high in the air. It’s a quick and clever way to re-focus their attention.

Learn more: Proud to Be Primary

7.

Use call-and-response attention-getters.

Where would teachers be without attention-getter phrases? These are a quick and clever method for getting kids to focus on you. Perennial favorites include: “Hocus Pocus: Time to Focus!” and “Chicka Chicka: Boom Boom!” Find a free printable poster of 25 terrific attention-getters here.

8. Introduce hand signals.

Consider using hand signals as part of your first grade classroom management strategy. These are especially useful during quiet working periods, but they also allow you to respond quickly from across the room as needed. Hand signals can be helpful for kids who might otherwise be shy about speaking up, too.

Learn more: Primarily Speaking

9. Try a movement code word.

It’s an all-too-familiar scene: You’re giving a set of directions for your next activity, and before you get a full sentence out of your mouth, kids are already heading off to gather supplies or get into groups. They miss those important instructions! Curb this behavior with a movement code word. You’ll choose a word and tell students they need to stay still and listen until they hear you say that word. (It’s a little like Simon Says.) Change up the word occasionally just for fun!

Learn more: Primarily Speaking

10. Flip for good behavior.

Recognizing good behavior is an important part of first grade classroom management. Help your students understand that they’re all part of a community by rewarding them as a group as well as individually. The unique method here results in a reward—for instance extra recess. You start by posting letter cards with the letters upside-down. Then, as you see good behavior worth recognizing, flip the letters right side up, one at at time. When all the letters are flipped, the class earns its reward!

Learn more: One Sharp Bunch

11. Take brain breaks.

First graders are expected to sit still and learn for longer periods than kindergarten kids, and that can be difficult for some. Give them regular breaks to get up and move; studies show it’s good for learning anyway.

Learn more: Proud to Be Primary

12. Tackle tattling vs. telling.

“Mr. Jefferson, Aaron took my scissors!” “Ms. Lacey, Emma stuck her tongue out at me!” For many kids the temptation to tattle is just too much. Help first graders understand when they need to get a grown-up involved (someone is being hurt or is in danger), and when they can handle something themselves or learn to let it go. This kind of thing takes time and practice, but social-emotional learning is definitely a key part of first grade classroom management.

Learn more: Create-Abilities

13. Control noise levels with visual cues.

Source: Miss Tech Queen/Instagram

Tap lights have lots of uses in the classroom, and one of the most popular is as a way to signal to kids the appropriate voice level for the current activity. You can also try a noise monitoring app, which provides instant feedback to kids on their noise levels. Never raise your voice again!

14. Set up a Calm Down Corner and toolbox.

Replace “time outs” with this first grade classroom management option. Calm Down Corners give kids a safe place to go when they need to check their emotions and re-direct their behavior. Stock these corners with tools that students can use to help them calm down and make better choices. Include items like books, fidget toys, stuffed animals, and strategy cards.

Learn more: Creatively Teaching First

15. Consider numbers vs. name tags.

Some folks absolutely hate the idea of labeling things with numbers instead of student names, but there can be some real benefits. Number systems allow you to see at a glance what’s missing. You don’t need to re-label everything year after year. It’s easy to use numbers to divide kids into groups (evens and odds, etc.). So give it some thought; it’s possible this system could make your first grade classroom management a little bit easier. (If numbers just aren’t your thing, find more great classroom organization hacks here.)

Learn more: Adrienne Teaches

Get more first grade classroom management inspiration in this list of 50 Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for Teaching 1st Grade.

Plus, 15 Awesome First Grade Blogs and Teachers to Follow.

Tips 1st grade

Memo for parents

List of documents required for admission to grade 1

• Parents' application
• Copy of the child's birth certificate
• Copy of the passport of one of the parents
• Certificate of medical examination medical card
• A copy of the medical policy

Is it necessary for a child to be able to read and write by grade 1?

Optional.

• The ability to put words together from syllables is not yet the ability to read. Many children have difficulty mastering this complex mental operation - do not push them! The skill of reading and writing should be formed according to special methods (there are ideas about speech, sounds and letters).
• The main reading skills are reading comprehension, analysis of the described situation, answering questions after reading.

Is school uniform compulsory in 1st grade?

Yes.

• Uniform disciplines children, it is an attribute that distinguishes a preschooler from a student. Namely, as a rule, this is what all children dream of in the first place when they enter school - they are now first graders.

Where and what textbooks should I buy for a first grader?

• All textbooks are given to schoolchildren free of charge from the library fund.
• The teacher may recommend that students buy additional supplies. This issue is discussed at the parent meeting.

Are there any peculiarities in the daily routine of first graders?

• Of course, first-graders should have a special daily routine. Lessons last 35 minutes, in the middle of each lesson 1-2 minutes of physical education are held. At first, there are only 3 lessons in the schedule of first-graders, so that it would be easier for them to get used to a new type of activity - educational.

What is "extracurricular activities"?

Additional education is represented by 6 areas:

Sports and recreation-2 hours
Artistic - aesthetic - 2 hours
Scientific and educational - 2 hours
Military - patriotic - 2 hours
Socially useful activity - 1 hour
Project activities - 1 hour

How do first graders eat at school?

• As a rule, hot breakfasts are organized for first-graders after the first lesson
• After the fourth lesson, children have lunch

What does a student need to buy for 1st grade?

1. School uniform (dark trousers, skirt, sundress, vest; light shirt, blouse, turtleneck (without inscriptions, plain), jeans are not allowed)
sneakers or sneakers)
3. Knapsack, bag for spare shoes
4. Notebooks in a narrow line 12 sheets (30 pcs.)
5. Notebooks in a cage 12 sheets (30 pcs.)
6. Covers for notebooks and textbooks
7. Sketchbook (preferably on a spiral), paints (honey watercolor)
8. Diary of an elementary school student
9. Pencil case ( soft)
10. Ballpoint pen 2 - 3 pieces
11. Pencil 2 - 3 pieces (TM), sharpener, eraser, ruler - 20 cm, compass
12. Colored pencils (12 pieces)
13. Brushes ("Squirrel "No. 3, No. 6, for glue)
14. Folder for technology
15. Colored paper, colored cardboard, PVA glue (not a pencil), scissors with blunt ends
16. Plasticine, board
17. Counting sticks
18. Book stand
19. Folder for notebooks
20. Drawing cup
21. Replacement shoes.

Can I bring a mobile phone to school?

• We do not recommend bringing a mobile phone to school for first graders - there is a great temptation to call their mother for the slightest reason or play an electronic game in class.
• In addition, an expensive phone can arouse the unhealthy interest of classmates.

Is it possible to give money to a child for school?

• If you think your child is not getting enough school meals, give them an apple or a sandwich to take with you. First-graders can spend the money received from you not at all on food. Spending money by children of this age should be under the control of parents.

Is there homework in Grade 1?

• No homework in 1st grade. However, if you want to develop high-quality writing, reading, and counting skills in your child, then do not refuse the training exercises that the teacher can offer - no one has yet been able to learn how to swim in the bath.

Why don't teachers give grades in 1st grade when parents would like to know about their child's progress?

• Grade 1 is truly gradeless. This is justified by the fact that the child is at the very beginning of the educational path. By the end of the first year of study, it is already possible to judge one or another degree of success of the younger student.

• In Grade 1, the emphasis is on acquiring learning skills. Verbal or conditional-sign evaluation is also often present in the work of a teacher with a student. It is important that it be positive.

In some families, children are paid money for successful studies. Is it correct?

• It all depends on what kind of people they want to bring up in the family. If it is customary for you to pay for your mother’s work for a cooked dinner, a cleaned apartment, a father’s trip to the store, then you are probably on the right track. We think that human relationships consist of people's obligations to each other. Explain to the child that studying is his responsibility, which he, like the rest of the family, must do well. In this case, the question you asked will not be so relevant.

What do children do during recess?

• Resting. Moreover, the rest should be active, because after the lesson, which involves the student staying in a monotonous working position, the child needs a discharge.

• Outdoor and board games are allowed during breaks (children play standing up). The main thing is that safety rules are observed during the game, and schoolchildren do not accidentally injure each other, imitating the aggressive actions of the heroes of modern films.

How to properly organize a student's workplace at home?

• Buy a first grader a desk. Then the child will be able to systematize and arrange school supplies in the drawers of the table and learn to maintain order in the workplace.

• Better if the lighting is on the left. Curtains should be moved aside - the main light should enter through the upper third of the window.

• You can buy a desk and a chair with adjustable height for a first grader, and bookshelves for school supplies.

• When purchasing furniture, be sure to consider your child's height. With a height of 1 m - 1 m 15 cm, the height of the table cover above the floor should be 46 cm, and the height of the seat of the chair should be 26 cm. With growth from 1 m 15 cm to 1 m 30 cm, the height of the table should be 52 cm, and the chair - 30 cm It is important that the student's feet are on the floor, his back touches the back of the chair, and his hand can pass between the desk cover and the child's chest.

Can I bring toys to school?

• Yes, you can!

• Playing activity is still significant for a child, a favorite toy often personifies a friend, you can play with it during recess with classmates.

• It is better if the toy is not bulky and without sharp corners.

Children often quarrel for any reason. What to do?

• The issue of conflicts between people is the most difficult and concerns not only children. Unfortunately, intervening in children's quarrels, adults often act so illiterately that they only aggravate the situation. Parents simply forbid the child to be friends with a friend. This is necessary only in the most extreme case, when the concept of friendship no longer corresponds to the existing relationship.

• If adults do not know the motives of the conflict, then one should listen to both sides in turn (sometimes there are more), not giving an assessment to the children's actions until the situation is clear. In any case, in a quarrel, the quarrelers themselves are most often to blame, who do not know how to give in to each other and do not want to compromise. You will have to teach the child the ability to communicate for a very long time, preferably by example. If you want to raise an honest person, then teach your kid to admit his mistakes, starting with the words "I'm to blame ...".

Should a child be punished for lack of academic success?

• This is not recommended, because the first grader has not yet learned anything.

• Disobedience can be punished. However, remember that you can not punish with labor or deprivation of a walk.

• A sloppy task needs to be redone, but not late at night.

• Try to instill confidence in your child, cheer him up and tell him how best to do the task.

• Praise your first grader even for the smallest successes, and then you won't have to think about punishment.

From the age of six or seven, should a child be sent to the 1st grade?

• It is impossible to answer this question unambiguously, since it is necessary to take into account a number of factors that determine a child's preparedness for learning. It is on how developed the child is physically, mentally, mentally and personally, as well as what the state of health of the child, and it will depend on what age he needs to start school. The whole complex of factors that determine the level of development of the child is important, at which the requirements of systematic education will not be excessive and will not lead to a violation of his health.

• Recall that for children who are not prepared for systematic education, the period of adaptation (adaptation) to school is more difficult and longer, they have various learning difficulties much more often, among them there are significantly more underachievers, and not only in the first grade.

Conclusions

• Teaching and educational activities at school cannot be successful without close contacts with parents.

• It is you who should become our best assistants, interested allies, and benevolent participants in a single pedagogical process.

• Two behavioral "patterns" of parents should be absent from the school: as a "delinquent student" and as an "accuser".

• There must be a third "model": parents with adequate behavior, assuming mutual understanding between parent and teacher for the benefit of the child.

• We teachers need parents!

how to prepare a child for elementary school

Preparing for school with the wrong distribution of workload can seem difficult for both the child and the parents. It will be difficult for the kid to understand what is interesting in the lessons, and for mom and dad - that learning does not take up all the family time.

Advice 1. Don't be boring

This means that you shouldn't put your child at the table and force them to write prescriptions - the child will quickly get bored. The same with the endless cramming of poems. It often happens that a first-grader who knows how to tell fairy tales and fables by heart has a low level of general psychological, personal maturity and communication skills.

Better choose the game format. You can study while sitting on the floor, lying on the couch or walking down the street. After all, watching movies, reading books, talking with adults and peers - this is all the knowledge of the world and yourself.

When preparing your child for school, pay attention to fine motor skills, that is, classes to develop the dexterity of the hands and fingers. This will help the child when he learns to write, and also has a positive effect on speech skills. A preschooler needs to be given simple and understandable tasks - for example, draw, sculpt, work with a designer, lay out pictures or applications from beads, toothpicks and other trifles. This is both fun and useful for future first graders!

Tip 2: Don't rush your preparations

Do not run ahead of the engine. Perhaps you want to make life easier for your child at school and, out of good intentions, rush to immediately teach the multiplication table or fractions. But the most natural and effective way to prepare for first grade is to learn what your baby is interested in.

If he asked about dinosaurs, buy a children's encyclopedia with illustrations. Interested in space - watch a children's documentary. It is important to do everything in moderation and not be afraid that you are wasting time.

To be successful at Foxford Online Elementary School, a child must have basic reading, writing, and arithmetic skills. There are no entrance tests and special preparation in the first grade of our school, but the family is offered a small test to check the readiness of the child.

Advice 3. Do not criticize

It is important to instill a correct and healthy attitude to learning - this is the basis of preparing a child for the first grade. If the mother quickly becomes angry and scolds for every mistake, the baby will develop a fear of school.

Praise the baby more often and demonstrate that there is nothing wrong with mistakes - everything can be corrected and not get upset in vain. It is also an important part of the learning process and the development of new skills. Parents who grew up in Soviet culture are accustomed to criticism - they may not notice how they say something offensive to the child, undermine his self-confidence and give rise to complexes.

Tip 4. Lead by example

A personal example works great with reading, for example. Many parents in the process of preparing for the first grade are worried that the baby has not yet learned or is doing it poorly. In fact, reading is not included in the list of required skills for a preschooler. But psychologists recommend that you set an example for your child and read more yourself if you see that the child is not too interested in books.

As soon as the baby notices that parents take up a book in their free time, he will involuntarily copy the behavior. Therefore, it is important to show the child that learning is cool and interesting. Let him adopt a positive attitude.

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Tip 5: Speak out feelings

Prep, first grade, school—it's all new, different, and can be scary. And not only the baby, but also the parents. That is why it is important to talk a lot, honestly and openly with your son or daughter.