First
Grade 
The first grade uses Houghton Mifflin's Invitations To Literacy as their reading program. The program provides a balance of phonics/decoding emphasis along with other cueing strategies reflected in the Virginia Standards of Learning. The program offers a balance of skill development and reading experiences with pieces of children's liturature. Daily writing practice is emphasized. Formal spelling instruction is a part of the program beginnning with Level 3.1 in first grade. Both whole and small flexible groups are used for instruction. Books are grouped into the theme units such
as "Growing and Changing," "The World Outside My Door," "Creepy Crawlies," and "Family Treasures."
The first graders at Tallwood Elementary School enjoy hearing and reciting nursery rhymes throughout the year.
In addition, our students are enthusiastic about spiders; therefore, two of their favorite nursery rhymes which we learn areThe Eency Weency Spider and Little Miss Muffet.
In January, two of our first grade classes participate in a nursery rhyme program. We dress up as our favorite nursery rhyme characters and recite rhymes for parents, other Tallwood students, and residents of Sentara Village. Sentara Village is one of our Partners-In Education.
The Eency Weency Spider Eency weency spider climbed the water spout,
Down came the rain and washed the spider out,
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain,
Now eency weency spider went up the spout again.
Little Miss Muffet
Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey;
There came a big spider,
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away.
Listed below are references for other nursery rhymes.
Mother Goose Selected and Illustrated by Michael Hague
Book of Nursery And Mother Goose Rhymes Selected by Marguerite de Angeli¹s
Mother Goose Rhymes Selected by Cyndy Szekeres¹
The Mother Goose Treasury Selected by Raymond Briggs
The Helen Oxenbury Nursery Rhyme Book Selected by Brian Alderson
Spider Facts from The Fascinating World of Spiders by Barron's Educational Series
Spiders belong to the class of animals known as arachnids. Spiders have eight legs. Spiders have two body parts. Most spiders have eight eyes. Spiders have a good sense of smell and touch, but they have poor eyesight. Spiders use their spinnerets to produce silk for making webs. Spiders eat insects such as grasshoppers, wasps, bees, and beetles.
TALLWOOD
