Georgia Performance Standards is a curriculum that specifies what students are expected to know in each subject and grade level. Additionally, the state’s standardized tests, the Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) for grades 1-8, must be aligned with that curriculum.

The state’s curriculum is a guideline for instruction that helps teachers, students, and parents know what topics must be covered and mastered for a particular grade level. The curriculum establishes the minimum standards. Here at Ithica Elementary, the administration and teachers believe that students should be taught not only their own grade level’s curriculum but also as much of the forthcoming grade level’s curriculum as possible as students are ready. It is our belief that students should be overly prepared when moving to the next grade level to ensure success.

	Language Arts		Math
	Science		Social Studies

Compass Learning is a computer program that assesses students and prescribes a learning path for individual weaknesses. Your child can participate in this individual instructional opportunity at home. Just click on the website below and log in using the student’s first name space and last initial. Students' lunch numbers are their password. The program tracks students' work every time they log on, so it is essential that they do these activities independently.

Log on to Georgia’s practice site for the CRCT. It contains sample questions and reading passages. It also grades practice tests and explains wrong answers. Log on and start practicing today!

CRCT Practice Website

In First Grade, sight words are still a critical part of learning to read. Knowing sight words helps students build fluency in their reading. Sight words should be practiced at least three times a week. The best practice in learning sight words is to make flashcards and do them in small groups of ten. Once your child has learned ten sight words, you add ten more to your word cards until he/she has mastered all the words on the list.

Every Student at Ithica Elementary is encouraged to read daily. At this level in their school career, students should read at least one book a night. It is important for them to understand what they read. You can help them accomplish this goal by asking lots of questions about the book as they read. Click below to print out an IES Reading Log to track your progress toward the goal of reading every day. Good luck!

All Students at Ithica Elementary use a reading program called Accelerated Reader (AR). This program tests reading comprehension on almost any book you can imagine. Students choose books from the media center, classroom library, home library, or guided reading books. After reading the book, students log on to the AR website and complete the test for the book they read. The program awards individual points according to the difficultly of the book and the number of questions answered correctly. The program keeps a running total of all tests taken and points earned. Students must earn at least 25 points by the end of the year to attend the IES Annual AR Luau. To use the AR program at its full potential, students must read in their reading zone. This information is provided to students by teachers and is identified on their media check out card. The more students read the better they get. That is why AR is an essential part of our reading program here at IES.

With our new Math textbook adoption our school receives some excellent on-line assistance. The first service is parent support. All you have to do is log onto the website below to keep up with what students are learning in class. The website provides parents with key vocabulary, an online glossary, examples of essential skills that students should master, and activites that will extend your child’s understanding of all unit concepts. There are also eGames that help students have fun while they practice essential math skills. This is an excellent tool to assist you in helping students master the Georgia Perfomance Standards for First Grade.

Another awesome on-line tool with our new math textbook adoption is eBook. If you click on the website below and log in by entering ithicatitansgrade1 and entering the password titans, you can view your child’s Math textbook on-line. You can view or print any page from the textbook. What an outstanding tool when your child forgets his/her textbook or is struggling and needs some extra practice!

Another great on-line tool with our new Math textbook adoption is Math-o-roma. This link is fun for students. It has brain teasers, extra practice, eGlossary, extra help, test prep, test taking tips, eManipulatives, and eGames. Every link is connected to helping students understand the Georgia Performance Standards for First Grade which is the state curriculum being taught in your child’s classroom. Log on today to help your child master the essential skills for First Grade!

Addition is a big math skill for first graders. Students not only have to understand what addition means and perform it with and without manipulatives, but they must also do them with fluency. Our standard for adding with fluency is 100 problems in six minutes. If students accomplish this goal, they are considered Masters of Addition and receive a medal on the IES Morning News from an administrator.

To practice these facts click on one of the links below.

Once your child has mastered the addition facts, he or she should begin working to be a Master of Subtraction. The requirements are the same as addition. You have to answer 100 problems in six minutes.