First grade

This article is about academics. For the 2010 film, seeThe First Grader.For the 1984 Persian film, seeFirst Graders.

"Grade 1" redirects here. For other uses, seeGrade 1 (disambiguation).

First grade(also1st GradeorGrade 1)is the firstyearofformalorcompulsory education.It is the first year ofelementary school,and the first school year afterkindergarten.Children in first grade are usually 6–7 years old.

Examples by region

Asia

• InBahrain,the minimum age for the first grade is seven years old.
• InBangladesh,First Grade (known asprothom sreni) begins in January when a student is six years old.
• InChina,First Grade, known asNăm nhất(yī nián jí), begins in September when a child is six years old.
• InIndia,children start school at age six after the NEP 2020 Act.
• InIran,children start school at age seven.
• InIsrael,children enter the first grade (kita aleph) the year they turn six or seven.
• InJapan,First Grade, known asSống một năm(i-chi-nen-sei), begins in April when a child is six years old.
• InMalaysia's education system, First Grade (or most commonly, Standard or Year 1) begins at the age of seven.
• In thePhilippines,Grade 1 (Filipino:Baitang Isa) is the first year of Primary Level and Elementary School curriculum. Students are usually 6–7 years old, but some students, mostly females, can start at ages 5-6.
• InSingapore,First Grade (or more commonly, "Primary 1" ), begins when a child is six years old. Child at least 6 years old on 1 January of a given year gain admission to P1.
• InSouth Korea,First Grade, known as일학년(il-hak-nyeon), begins in March when a child is six or seven years old.
• InSri Lanka,children enter Class 1 or 2 when they are six or seven years old.

Europe

• InBelgium,children aged 6 or 7 years old enter intola première année d'enseignement primaire(French Community) or "eerste leerjaar"(Flemish Community) (first year ofelementary education).
• InBulgaria,the minimum age for first graders is 6 years old. TheBulgarianterm is 'първи клас' (purvi klas), 'first class'.
• In theCzech Republic,children aged 6 to 7 years old enter the first year of elementary school (první třída).
• InEstonia,children aged 7 to 8 years old enter first grade.
• InFinland,children are aged 6 to 7 at the beginning of this grade. Before first grade, children attendpre-school(first year after kindergarten) at age 5-6.
• InFrance,children aged 5 to 6 years old enter first grade, which corresponds to thecours préparatoire(preparatory course), more commonly calledC.P.
• InGermany,first grade corresponds toErste Klasse(literal translation:first class).
• InGreece,children are six years old at the beginning of first grade. The first school year ofprimary educationis referred to as First Grade of Primary (Proti Dimotikou - Πρώτη Δημοτικού).
• InIceland,children enter the first grade (1.bekk) the year they turn six.
• InIreland,the equivalent is known as "First Class" orRang a haon.Students are usually 6–7 years old at this level, and it serves as the 3rd year of primary school.
• InItaly,first grade corresponds toprimo anno di scuola primaria,also calledprima elementare.
• In theNetherlands,first grade corresponds to Group 3, the third year of primary education.
• InNorway,children enter the first grade the year they turn six.
• InPolandchildren enter their first year of school (klasa 1) aged seven (from 2012 to 2016 the entry age was six; prior thereto, it was also seven).
• InPortugal,children enter their first year of school (1º ano) aged five or six.
• InRomania,children start First Grade at 7 or 8.
• InRussia,children aged 6 to 8 years old enterпервый класс(pervyy klass, first grade).
• InSlovenia,children are aged 5 years and 8 months to 6 years and 8 months at the beginning of this grade.
• InSweden,children are 7 years old when entering first grade (första klass), and 6 years old when beginning "förskoleklass",the first year after kindergarten.
• InSpain,children are five to six years old when they enter the first year of elementary school (Primero de Educación Primaria).
• InUkraine,children aged six to seven years old enterперший клас(pershyy klas, first grade).

United Kingdom

InEnglandandWales,the first year of primary school is calledreception,withpupils4 to 5 years old. However, the first compulsory school year isYear One,when children are five. As most primary schools have a reception class which is treated like a compulsory school year, i.e. the children wear a uniform and have the same school hours, most children start school in reception. The first grade is the equivalent ofYear Two.

Scottishpupils usually enter the corresponding stage one year younger. InNorthern Ireland.they are two years younger. InScotland,first grade is equivalent to Primary 3. Pupils in Primary 3 are 7 to 8 years old. Scotland these grades primary school, as Primary 1 starts after kindergarten (nursery school) at 4 to 5 years of age. Primary school continues through Primary 7.

North America

Canada

Main article:Education in Canada

United States

Main article:Primary education in the United States

Inarithmetic,students learn aboutadditionandsubtractionofnaturalorwhole numbers,usually with only one digit or two digits, and about measurement. Basicgeometryandgraphingmay sometimes be introduced.Clockandcalendartime, as well asmoney,may also be in thecurriculum.

Inlanguage arts,first graders are taught the fundamentals ofliteracy,including readingsentences,writing very simple statements, and mastery of theAlpha bet,building on what they have learned in kindergarten or other forms of pre-school. Expectations for first grade have changed due toCommon Core Standards.The curriculum is typically based on standards developed by educators in each state. Most states use the Common Core Standards, so most schools across the country use similar curricula. First graders are expected to read and comprehend stories ranging in length and difficulty. They are also expected to show an improved fluency rate during the school year, with the ability to easily read stories by the end of the year.

Students are also typically introduced to the concept ofsocial studies,with an emphasis on establishing ideas of history orcivicsin either a personal or larger sense. Some states focus on the basics ofUS historyandpatriotism,with a focus on theFounding Fathersand the time period surrounding theAmerican Revolution;other states require social studies focus on family relationships in first grade, leaving community, state, and national studies to higher grades. Basicgeographyis also taught in the first grade. Focus on the school's municipal area and culture, along with basic state geography, is also be focused upon in first grade in some states. First-gradescienceclasses usually involve the discussion of matter, plant and animal science, earth materials, and balance and motion, along with thehuman bodyand basic health andnutrition.

Scienceas inquiry is taught and practiced in first grade classes. Students are encouraged to observe the world around them and begin asking questions about things they notice.

Africa

• InSudan,children usually start grade 1 at the age of 6 or 7.
• InSouth Africa,children start grade 1 at the age of 6 or 7, depending on their curriculum (whether CAPS or Cambridge schooling system, etc).

Oceania

In some states inAustralia,first grade is called Year 1. It is the second year of school after Kindergarten (called Prep in some states), and children are usually between 6 and 7 years old when entering.

InNew Zealand,first grade is called "Year 2." Children generally start this level when they are 6 or 7 years old.

South America

InBrazil,first grade is theprimeiro ano do Ensino Fundamental I.That is, the minimum age for first grade was changed from 7 (84 months) to 6 years (72 months) when the "Alpha betization" grade, called simply Alfabetização (literacy), was renamed first grade, with all following grades renamed as well. All students must be 6 years old before an assigned cut-off date.

InUruguay,first graders are usually six years old. However, regulations stipulate that students must be six years old before April 30 in that given year.

See also

• Educational stage