Grade I English

Annual Academic Calendar for Grade 1 (ESL)

April – Welcome and Everyday Conversations

• Theme: Introducing Myself and My Surroundings
• Language Focus: Greetings, self-introduction, classroom rules
• Vocabulary: Name, age, school, teacher, friends, hello, goodbye
• Activities:
  • Role-play self-introductions
  • Flashcards with common phrases
  • Classroom tour and naming objects
• Assessment: Oral introduction and recognition of classroom vocabulary
• Reading Assignment - "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle

May – Alphabet and Phonics

• Theme: Letter Sounds and Simple Words
• Language Focus: Recognizing letters, phonics (A-M)
• Vocabulary: A-M words (ant, bat, cat, dog, egg, fish, etc.)
• Activities:
  • Alphabet song
  • Phonics matching games
  • Letter formation practice
• Assessment: Identifying letters and their sounds
• Reading Assignment - "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak

June – Phonics and Sight Words

• Theme: Building Word Recognition Skills
• Language Focus: Phonics (N-Z), high-frequency words
• Vocabulary: Common sight words (the, and, is, it, in)
• Activities:
  • Word wall display
  • Phonics bingo
  • Read-aloud sessions
• Assessment: Sight word identification
• Reading Assignment - "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle

July – Colors, Shapes, and Numbers

• Theme: Exploring the World Around Us
• Language Focus: Describing objects using colors and shapes
• Vocabulary: Red, blue, square, circle, numbers 1-20
• Activities:
  • Shape hunt around the school
  • Sorting objects by color and shape
  • Counting and number recognition
• Assessment: Identifying and naming colors, shapes, and numbers
• Reading Assignment - "Amelia Bedelia" by Peggy Parish

August – My Family and Myself

• Theme: Family and Relationships
• Language Focus: Talking about family members and relationships
• Vocabulary: Mother, father, sister, brother, grandparent
• Activities:
  • Family tree project
  • Drawing and labeling family members
  • Simple conversations about family
• Assessment: Oral presentation about family
• Reading Assignment - "Henry and Mudge" by Cynthia Rylant

September – My School and Community

• Theme: School and Community Helpers
• Language Focus: Naming school facilities and professions
• Vocabulary: School, teacher, nurse, doctor, police, fireman
• Activities:
  • Community helper role-play
  • Labeling parts of the school
• Assessment: Identifying and describing school and community members
• Reading Assignment - "Biscuit" by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

October – Food and Healthy Habits

• Theme: My Favorite Foods
• Language Focus: Healthy and unhealthy food choices
• Vocabulary: Fruits, vegetables, breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Activities:
  • Food sorting activities
  • Creating a healthy meal plate
• Assessment: Oral discussion about favorite foods
• Reading Assignment - "Elephant & Piggie" series by Mo Willems

November – Animals and Their Homes

• Theme: Animal Kingdom
• Language Focus: Names of animals, their sounds, and homes
• Vocabulary: Lion, cat, bird, fish, nest, den, farm, zoo
• Activities:
  • Animal charades
  • Storytelling with animal characters
• Assessment: Naming and categorizing animals
• Reading Assignment - "Aesop’s Fables" (retold versions for young readers)

December – Seasons and Weather

• Theme: Weather and Seasonal Changes
• Language Focus: Talking about weather and clothing choices
• Vocabulary: Summer, winter, rainy, hot, cold, sunny
• Activities:
  • Dressing up for different seasons
  • Creating a weather chart
• Assessment: Recognizing seasons and their characteristics
• Reading Assignment - "The Three Little Pigs" (various retellings)

January – Safety and Good Manners

• Theme: Being Safe and Polite
• Language Focus: Using polite expressions and learning safety rules
• Vocabulary: Please, sorry, thank you, excuse me, stop, look, listen
• Activities:
  • Traffic light game
  • Storytelling about good manners
• Assessment: Responding to polite phrases
• Reading Assignment - "The Little Red Hen" (various retellings)

February – Storytelling and Expressing Ideas

• Theme: Telling and Retelling Stories
• Language Focus: Story sequencing and comprehension
• Vocabulary: Once upon a time, first, then, finally, happy, sad
• Activities:
  • Puppet shows
  • Picture story creation
• Assessment: Retelling a short story with pictures
• Reading Assignment - "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein

March – Revision and Year-End Review

• Theme: Reflecting on Our Learning
• Language Focus: Reviewing all key topics covered during the year
• Vocabulary: Revision of previous topics
• Activities:
  • Fun quizzes and revision games
  • Group discussions
• Assessment: Comprehensive oral and written assessment
• Reading Assignment - "Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown

Additional Elements Throughout the Year:

1. Daily Routines:
   • Morning greetings
   • Story time
   • Group discussions
2. Assessments:
   • Informal evaluations (observations, participation)
   • Simple worksheets and oral tests
3. Special Events:
   • Cultural celebrations (Diwali, Christmas, Independence Day)
   • Field trips to parks, zoos, or farms to enhance learning
4. Skill Development Focus:
   • Listening and speaking: Encouraging basic conversations
   • Reading: Picture books and simple sentences
   • Writing: Tracing letters and short sentences