then, don’t buy workbooks!!!! Workbooks are not teaching.

If you really want to prepare, go and visit classrooms and observe.

If you really want to buy something, begin purchasing good literature…to build your own classroom library. If you are unsure what good literature is for beginning readers, ask for a list from a library.

Enjoy, teaching is a wonderful and rewarding profession.

1. You haven’t been to college yet for education (I’m assuming from your post). You may change you mind about what you want to teach once you get going in the courses. Many people go in all set to teach something, and come out doing something totally different. When I entered college, I was going to be a French teacher. I am now a high school English teacher. So all that work I did to gather materials for teaching French is out the window.

2. When you graduate from college you will likely be certified to teach a few elementary grades (for example, here in NY, you can be certified to teach 1-6). When you’re first looking for a job, if they offer you a 3rd grade or 6th grade, you take it. You’ll have to sort of “pay your dues” and wait for a 1st grade position to open up. Don’t bank on the fact that you’ll get out of college and immediately go into teaching 1st grade.

3. I’ll be honest with you, I’ve bought many of the resource books available at places like Walmart and Staples, and other stores…and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve used them in 5 years of teaching. They became nothing more than books that took up space on a bookshelf and had to be moved when I moved. My best advice, if you’re really into getting materials, do some internet searches for free materials. There’s always a ton of stuff for elementary students (it’s us secondary people who get the shaft in this area). You can go on and get some great stuff for free. Print a bunch of it off and start compiling a binder of materials. That way if you use it wonderful, if not, that’s okay and you’re not out any money.

I wish you much luck in your education! I think from the amount of enthusiasm you’re showing here already, you’ll be a wonderful teacher! 🙂 Good luck! :):)

As far as what 1st graders learn is adding, subtracting, time, money, reading, comprehension, writing for various purposes etc.