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1st Grade Back to School Resources

32 1st grade back to school resources: 12 worksheets, 9 activities, 5 flash cards and more. How teachers use these

1st Grade Back to School Resources

32 1st grade back to school resources: 12 worksheets, 9 activities, 5 flash cards and more. How teachers use these

Flash Cards
Flash Cards1st GradeSchool Subjects Word Wall

These school subjects word wall flash cards pair a picture with each subject name for Preschool through 2nd Grade readers. Answer key included for the practice page.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeGood Classmate Worksheet

A good classmate worksheet that has 1st graders sort six classroom behaviors into kind and unkind, then choose the kind response to two real situations. Answer key included for fast, no-prep character practice.

Workbook
Workbook1st GradeCharacter Reading Comprehension Workbook

UsingCharacter Reading Comprehension Workbook, students can have all of the passages about different character traits all in one workbook.

Workbook
Workbook1st GradeHolidays Reading Comprehension Workbook

This Holidays Reading Comprehension Workbook is a fun way to teach your kids about the Holidays while learning reading comprehension skills, literacy, and test-taking skills.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeAll About Me Worksheet

A back-to-school All About Me worksheet where 1st graders draw a self-portrait and finish five friendly sentence starters about their favorite things. A no-prep, first-day icebreaker that helps students share who they are.

Flash Cards
Flash Cards1st GradeBack to School Behavior Flash Cards

These back to school behavior flash cards show preschool to 3rd grade children twelve classroom expectations with clear pictures and simple words. Answer key included, so every child starts the year knowing what to do.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeSchool Supplies Reading Comprehension Worksheet

Students read a fun story about a girl packing her school supplies, then answer questions to practice comprehension. This first grade School Supplies Reading Comprehension Worksheet includes an answer key to build confident early readers.

Curriculum
Curriculum1st GradeFirst Grade Curriculum

This Free First Grade Curriculum plan gives you everything you need to teach every First Grade subject and skill for one year.

Flash Cards
Flash Cards1st GradeBack to School Classroom Jobs Flash Cards

Set up a picture job chart with these back to school classroom jobs flash cards for preschool to 2nd grade. Sixteen job cards show one child doing each job, and a card list key is included.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeAbout Me Timeline Worksheet

A back to school About Me Timeline Worksheet where 1st graders draw, date, and write four big events from their own life. A fun, no-prep way to teach sequencing and timelines.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeMy Address Envelopes and Letters Worksheet

This My Address Envelopes and Letters Worksheet has first graders read a sample address, write the city, state, and ZIP code, then address their own envelope. Answer key included, with no prep beyond printing.

1st GradeSchool Hallway Clinic Passes

Using this School Hallway Clinic Passes, teachers can quickly write hallway passes so they can keep track of students who go to the nurse, library, or other parts of the school.

Bundle
Bundle1st GradeFirst Grade Back To School Pack

Use this First Grade Back to School Pack to help your students during the first week of school. This back to school pack includes lots of teaching resources, including worksheets, activities, songs, videos, etc. for teaching English, Math, Reading, Science, Social Studies, and Writing. Sign up for a Have Fun…

Activity
Activity1st GradeGet to Know Your Super Classmates Back to School Activity

Partners spin, ask and color in this get to know your super classmates back to school activity for 1st to 3rd grade, with 20 interview cards that build friendships.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeGraphing School Tools Worksheet

This graphing school tools worksheet has 1st graders count 18 backpacks, markers and rulers, color a bar graph from their own count, and answer three questions about it. Answer key included for fast, no-prep data practice.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeMy Address Write and Draw Worksheet

The My Address Write and Draw Worksheet gives first grade students four labeled lines for their street, city, state, and zip code, plus a big frame to draw the place they live.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeSummer Vacation Letter Worksheet

This summer vacation letter worksheet gives first graders a themed page to write about a fun summer day, with roomy lines and bright summer pictures to spark ideas.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeWriting about School Worksheet

This writing about school worksheet gives 1st grade students a large drawing frame and six writing lines for telling about one thing that happened at school. Every response is the child's own.

1st GradeSchool Theme Classroom Signs

These School Theme Classroom Signs can be used as part of your schedule so your students know what happens next in the day.

Flash Cards
Flash Cards1st GradeSchool Supplies Flash Cards

Using these School Supplies Flash Cards, students improve their school supply vocabulary by describing the colorful flash cards.

From our teachers' playbook

New lunchbox, new friends, big kids now!

What do 1st graders learn during back to school?

The first weeks of first grade are about routines, friendships and a gentle warm-up of kindergarten skills. Kids learn how the day flows, how to be a good classmate, and how to take care of shared supplies. They share all about themselves, practice their address and phone number, and ease back into reading and writing with simple sentences like I like to read. The click moment comes when a child walks in, unpacks, and starts the morning job without a single reminder.

Our favorite ways to start first grade strong

Routines taught in September pay off all year. These are the moves we use to build a happy, calm classroom fast.

Build the classroom community

On day one, have kids find classmates who match each box on the activity, like "has a pet" or "loves pizza." Then share a few fun finds in a circle. Kids who know each other's names feel safer taking risks in reading and math later.

Why it works: kids understand an idea best when they touch it, then draw it, then write it, the order the U.S. Department of Education recommends for elementary math.

Get to Know Your Super Classmates Back to School ActivityTry it withGet to Know Your Super Classmates Back to School ActivityActivitiesOpen it →

Picture the expectations

Show one behavior card at a time and act it out together: the right way and the silly wrong way. First graders remember what they see and do. Post the cards where kids can point to them instead of you repeating the rule.

Why it works: pairing a picture with each word gives kids two ways to remember it, a well-tested principle of how people learn (Mayer, 2009).

Back to School Behavior Flash CardsTry it withBack to School Behavior Flash CardsFlash CardsOpen it →

A little "me" every day

Spread the All About Me page over the first week: name and age Monday, family Tuesday, favorites Wednesday. Short daily chunks keep stamina realistic for six-year-olds and give you a writing sample to compare later.

Why it works: short practice spread over several days beats one long session, according to a large review of learning research (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).

All About Me WorksheetTry it withAll About Me WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Questions teachers and parents ask

What should 1st graders do the first week of school?

Focus on routines, names and community: where things go, how to line up, how to ask for help. Mix in light review of letters, sight words and counting so kids feel successful right away.

How do I help my child get ready for 1st grade?

Practice the morning routine a few days early, read together every day, and talk about what's new, like longer days and more independent work. Knowing their address and a parent's phone number is a great bonus skill.

What are good back to school activities for 1st grade?

All About Me pages, classmate scavenger hunts, class graphs and simple reading passages about school are perfect. They build friendships while warming up reading, writing and math.

How long does it take 1st graders to learn classroom routines?

Most classes settle in within two to three weeks when routines are taught, practiced and praised every day. Revisit them after long breaks because they slip, and that's normal!