Physical Needs
Children of six and seven years old grow rapidly, although, not all of them develop with the same speed and at the same time. Some of the children will start having more advanced memory, reaction or motor skills sooner than others. This also will be noticeable in the way the children look, especially in their height differences. Children will develop physically, become more energetic and athletic, they need a great deal of play time in order to be able stay focused at school.
Emotional Needs
Children of six and seven years old will develop capacities to cope with their emotional tantrums more successfully. At the same time, the teacher should be ready for emotional break downs when children experience various fails such as losing in a game or getting a bad mark. It is also common for the first graders to feel insecure and uncomfortable about spending too much time away from home (Lee, par. 5).
Academic Needs
Children of this age are very good at learning; they absorb new knowledge and materials quickly and are able to comprehend large amounts of new information (Middle Childhood, par. 3). This is why their daily schedule should include assignments of all types – writing, reading, listening, math, science, history and art.
Daily Schedule
- 7.45 – 8.15 Arrival, breakfast in class
- 8.15-9.00 Calendar, morning meeting, oral language
- 9.00-9.45 Math
- 9.45-10.30 Writing
- 10.30-11.10 Speaking
- 11.10-11.55 Recess/Lunch
- 11.55-12.40 Read aloud
- 12.40-13.25 Reading practice
- 13.25-14.10 Social Studies/ Science
- 14.10-14.55 Snack time
- 14.55-15.15 Dismissal
Homework Policy
It is important to remember that the students of the first grade are just getting used to having long days at school. Their days have to include a balanced combination of academic and cognitive activities. At school they spend a lot of time sitting and learning, at home they need to release the accumulated energy and play. This is why their homework should not take a very long time. Homework time should not be longer than half an hour. Reading practice should take at least half of this time. The rest of the tasks may vary; it could be writing, listening or an art project. The parents should provide guidance and help when needed, but they should not do the homework for the children.
Rules and Procedures
- Respect peers and teachers.
- Participate in classroom activities.
- Never distract other students from learning.
- Listen and be silent when the teacher is talking.
- Use a quiet voice at school.
Consequences
The strategies used in the classroom in order to achieve discipline include such stages as reinforcement, which means giving positive feedback and encouragement for the effort; reminding, which implies a gentle verbal address in case the student is getting distracted from the task; and redirecting that is used when a child needs to be stopped from continuing to behave inappropriately.
In case the student breaks the rules, the following measures will be taken:
- Verbal warning or a reminder about the rule that is being broken.
- The child is removed from a group activity until they perform proper behavior.
- A time out that is used in order to employ a more significant warning. The student will be sent to sit on a “thinking chair” for ten or fifteen minutes. The child may ask for a permission to re-join the rest of the class if he or she feels able to demonstrate better behavior.
- If neither of these measures worked and the student continues to misbehave, the teacher has the right to speak with the principal and register the misbehavior.
Works Cited
Lee, Katherine. About. 2014. Web.
Middle Childhood. CDC. 2014. Web.