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Elementary (Grades TK-4)

TK and K

First Grade

Reading skills are fundamental to success in all subject areas throughout a student's school career. The first grade curriculum at First Lutheran School focuses on building strong fundamental phonetic skills and comprehension strategies. Children become more capable readers through the Imagine It, a reading program aligned to Common Core standards. Students in first grade explore math, science and social studies with a “hands-on” approach. Writing skills are developed and integrated into all subject areas. Students learn about their community and the natural world, and these units are enriched with field trips to Madrona Marsh, The LA Zoo, and the Aquarium of the Pacific.

1stgrade

Second Grade

In second grade at First Lutheran School, children develop many academic and social skills to prepare them for the upper elementary grades. Using the Open Court Reading program, students begin to read longer stories and learn how to discuss both fictional and non-fictional selections. Their math skills are sharpened through a Common Core math program that introduces adding and subtracting large numbers among other essential math concepts. Social Studies and Science,are explored through "hands on" experiments and reinforced with field trips to the Natural History Museum, Discovery Science Center, and the La Brea Tar Pits. Writing skills are taught through cross curricular projects and culminate with a research project showcased at our OPen House. Family participation in learning is also encouraged through our year long Flat Friend project.

Third Grade

Third grade is a year of transition, during which students are building on the skills acquired in prior grades. The comprehensive reading and language arts program in third grade emphasizes increasing vocabulary, making inferences and predictions, building comprehension and fluency, and learning and refining grammar skills. Third-graders further develop their writing skills to expand upon details in the five-paragraph essay for fiction and non-fiction genres. Students also greatly expand their vocabulary, adding 600 new words through spelling and vocabulary lessons. Third graders at First Lutheran are also expanding their mastery of mathematical skills. Instruction in math focuses on students learning multiplication and division facts. The third-grade science curriculum introduces new concepts, including about outer space, chemistry and the different biomes on our planet.Our third graders learn more about what it means to have a relationship with God and others, and they add to their knowledge of the Bible by learning 30 more verses.

Fourth Grade

A multidisciplinary approach in the fourth-grade classrooms allows students to demonstrate understanding through various means, including writing, oral presentation, art, music and technology. Subjects are integrated and writing extends across the curriculum. Fourth graders are moving from learning to read to reading for learning. Students learn several multiplication and division strategies as they continue their mastery of these vital skills in fourth-grade. The students also work to solve real-world multi-step problems. Music education progresses in the fourth grade with the instruction in reading and playing a musical instrument. Students are introduced to the fundamentals of playing instruments by professional music teachers in weekly lessons during the regular school day. With greater independence, students are learning to take responsibility for their behavior, manage long-term assignments, and assume leadership roles with younger students. Learning extends beyond the fourth-grade classrooms as students explore community resources and California history.