In 1st grade children begin to recognize that numbers are all around them. Your child knows his birthday, phone number, and address, and he may even understand that many numbers, such as his age, represent a quantity. This is also the year that children really begin to explore aspects of physical science, such as plants, animals, and weather. Here are some specific math and science milestones you can expect your first grader to reach. Keep in mind that educational standards vary from state to state (even from one school district to the next) and that children develop at different rates, so your child may not do everything on this list.
The teacher will help your child understand that numbers and math have practical applications in real life. She will use graphs and charts to communicate information and encourage an understanding of fractions by cutting up a pie, for instance. She may tackle the subject of measurement by having your child fill up different containers with water or sand.
To foster a love of science, the teacher will encourage your child to observe and explore. She may tell the class about great scientists and what they discovered, to teach your child the basics of scientific thought and experimentation. She will also set up lots of experiments that allow your child to observe the physical world. For instance, she might ask your child to plant two lima beans in two cups and compare how they grow when one is placed in a dark cupboard and the other on a bright windowsill.
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