AGES 6–7 · GRADE 1
The year they learn to read and work on their own
Grade 1 is the year a child learns to read and write, and the first year they begin to carry out a piece of work by themselves. Our programme is built so that each child crosses both of these thresholds at their own pace, without being rushed.
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A personalised approachNo two children move at the same pace, and the programme is adjusted to match.
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Ethical valuesHonesty, respect and responsibility are learned by living them through the day.
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Professional guidanceA child who is struggling is noticed, and is not left to cope alone.
01OVERVIEW
Grade 1 is where school life really begins
Grade 1 is an exciting year in which children start to build their reading and writing skills. At this age a child meets more structured academic subjects for the first time, and learns that a lesson has a beginning, a middle and an end.
It is also the year they first begin to work independently. Opening their own exercise book, keeping track of homework, finishing a task instead of abandoning it halfway, and judging when to ask for help are all gains of this year. They last longer than any piece of academic knowledge, because the child goes on using them in every year that follows.
For a child coming up from kindergarten, this is a big step. They are moving from a day built around play to one that asks for longer stretches of concentration. We treat that move as a gradual handover rather than a sharp break: play and movement stay inside the programme in Grade 1 too.
02CLASSROOM FOCUS
The seven areas we focus on in Grade 1
These are not separate timetabled lessons but areas of work that run through the whole programme. Below we explain how each one shows up in the classroom.
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Individualised Learning
One child cracks the letters in November, another in February. Both are normal. Because our classes are small, the teacher sees that difference and gives each child work that starts from their own level. Nobody has to wait, and nobody has to scramble to catch up.
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Foundations of Literacy
We work through sounds, then syllables, then words, then sentences, in that order. The aim is not to read quickly but to understand what has been read. So after every reading activity we ask the child what they understood and invite them to retell it in their own words.
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Numeracy Skills
Numbers should not stay abstract at this age. We work on addition and subtraction with objects, with games and with everyday situations. The child understands what they are doing and why before they carry out the calculation, so what forms is understanding rather than memorisation.
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Problem Solving
We do not hand the child a ready-made solution. When they get stuck, we ask: "how else do you think it could work?" We count a wrong attempt as part of the process, because a child who finds their own solution does not forget it again.
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Character Development
Honesty, respect and responsibility are not lesson topics but situations that come up during the day. When a disagreement breaks out, a promise is not kept or a mistake is made, the teacher does not gloss over the moment; they use it as a chance to teach the child something.
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Technology in the Classroom
At this age technology is a tool, not an aim. Rather than extending screen time, we use it where it makes a topic easier to show. What the child really learns is that technology is an instrument for getting a job done.
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Creative Expression
Work in visual arts, music and drama widens the ways a child can express themselves. A child who finds it hard to explain something in words may be able to show it through a drawing or through movement. This is a source of confidence that sits apart from marks and lesson results.
03SUBJECTS
The Grade 1 subject programme
We teach the Turkish curriculum in full. None of the subjects below is dropped from the programme or watered down.
- Turkish Language and LiteratureReading, writing, listening and self-expression
- MathematicsNumbers, operations, measurement and the basics of geometry
- Science and TechnologyObservation, experiment and discovery through curiosity
- Social StudiesFamily, environment, society and the place we live in
- Religious Culture and EthicsIslamic education for Muslim pupils, Ethics for non-Muslim pupils
- Fine ArtsVisual Arts and Music
- Physical Education and SportMovement, balance and team games
- Citizenship and Human RightsRights, responsibilities and living together
04READING AND WRITING
How learning to read actually progresses
This is what parents ask about most in Grade 1. The process moves through five stages, and every child passes through them at their own pace. A child who starts later is not a child who has fallen behind.
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Recognising sounds
Sounds come before letters. The child learns to pick out which sound a word begins with. This stage is done by ear, not in an exercise book.
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Letters and handwriting
Sounds are matched to letters. We work on how the pencil is held, how the line is followed and how each letter is formed correctly. Having the hand muscles ready matters at this stage.
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Syllables and first words
Letters join up and the child reads their first word. This is the moment most families wait for with excitement. We try to build it soundly rather than to bring it forward.
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Sentences and fluency
Words turn into sentences. The aim is not reading speed but reading without stumbling and with the right stress. In writing, the child also begins to put together sentences of their own.
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Reading comprehension
This is the real goal. If the child can retell a text they have read in their own words and answer questions about it, then reading and writing have genuinely settled.
05OUR METHOD
How we teach
Our Grade 1 programme is built to support independent learning and critical thinking. Our teachers do not work with a single method; hands-on activities, group work and individual projects run alongside one another.
Group work teaches a child how to get something done together, while an individual project teaches them to take responsibility on their own. Both are needed at this age, and we do not put one in place of the other.
We are measured about homework. The point is not for the child's day to carry on from school to a desk at home; it is for them to work enough to consolidate what they have learned, without their enthusiasm being worn down.
English supported by CLLC. As an optional programme, we offer English themes prepared with the twenty years of experience of the Canadian Language Learning College (CLLC).
In Grade 1, English does not take precedence over reading and writing in Turkish. While a child is learning to read in their mother tongue, the second language is not loaded on top as extra weight; it finds its place in the day through games, songs and interactive activities.
06FOR PARENTS
What parents think about most in Grade 1
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Classes are kept small
The teacher notices which letter your child is stuck on in the first few days, not weeks later. A topic that has not been understood is not left behind.
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No child is compared with another
We measure your child's progress against their own starting point, not against another child's. We do not set up rankings or races inside the classroom.
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Progress is shared regularly
You find out where your child stands without waiting for report-card time. If support is needed in some area, we tell you in good time.
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Emotional development is not left out
Social and emotional learning stays inside the programme in Grade 1 as well. The child goes on learning to pause when angry and to settle a disagreement by talking.
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The transition is gradual
A child coming up from kindergarten is not dropped straight into long lessons. Play and movement have a place in the Grade 1 programme too.
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We do not choose a teacher by their qualifications alone
Academic credentials are the starting condition. After that we look at how the teacher speaks to a child, at their patience, and at the way they go about understanding a child.
07FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What parents ask us most
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What happens if my child learns to read later than the others?
In Grade 1 the point at which reading and writing settle can differ from child to child by several months, and that is entirely normal. What matters is that the process moves along correctly. If your child stays at one stage for longer than expected, the teacher notices, plans extra work for them and keeps you informed. In that situation we do not single the child out in front of the class, and we do not apply pressure to speed things up.
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How much homework is there?
A measured amount. In Grade 1 the purpose of homework is to consolidate what was learned that day, not to stretch the day out. We do not think it is right for a child to spend the whole evening at a desk; play, rest and time with the family are needs of this age too.
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Does English get in the way of reading and writing in Turkish?
No. Reading and writing in Turkish is the priority of the programme, and English is not arranged in a way that would come before it. English is optional; a child who does not take it loses nothing from the Turkish curriculum. For the children who do take it, the language at this age moves forward through games and songs rather than through a textbook.
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How will I keep track of my child's progress?
Through regular feedback and parent meetings. You find out which stage your child is at, what they do easily and where they need support without waiting for the end of term. When something is on your mind, you do not have to wait for a set time to reach the teacher.
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Will a child who went to kindergarten elsewhere settle in?
Yes. We plan a separate settling-in process for children joining us from outside. In the first weeks the teacher pays closer attention so that the child gets used to both the classroom routine and the group of friends. We also work out in those first days where they are starting from with reading and writing.
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How does the admission process work?
Filling in the application form is all you need to do. We then call you and meet at the campus on a day that suits you. During the visit you walk round the classrooms, meet the teachers and ask your questions face to face. We would also like to get to know your child at that meeting.
Don't decide before you have seen the classrooms
How a school runs its Grade 1 can only be seen in the classroom. Fill in the application form, let us call you, and let us meet at the campus on a day that suits you. You will walk round the classrooms, meet the teachers and ask your questions face to face.