8 Essential Tips for Teaching First-Grade Students on the First Day

The key to teaching first grade is to genuinely love the profession, have a deep commitment, and of course, to treat your students as if they were your own children. Only then will you see results.

For the more stubborn students, it's essential to show both affection and firmness through your gaze, facial expression, and words. Show your love and trust in them.

No matter what teaching method you use, the first thing to do is to connect with the students so they feel warm and trust you, ready to share anything with you... even things they might not share with their parents. Once that connection is built, you can begin teaching them letters and knowledge. When this bond is established, it will be much easier for teachers to guide the students effectively.

The fastest way to help children feel comfortable in a new environment is to have friends. Therefore, first-grade teachers need to know how to foster connections among students in the classroom. You can divide them into groups for study sessions, organize games during breaks, and other activities to encourage bonding.

Children interacting with each other will inevitably experience disagreements. They might argue or even fight when teachers are not around. Therefore, first-grade teachers should be mentally prepared to handle such situations fairly, ensuring the satisfaction of both students and parents. Parents often tend to support their own children, so balancing this dynamic is essential.

Establishing a set of common symbols with students can make teaching easier. For example, hand gestures, clapping, counting, or symbols to signal speaking loudly, quietly, being orderly, listening, playing a game, or specific group activities. Later, when teaching reading, teachers can also use symbols for spelling, syllabification, fluent reading, or analysis... Symbols like +, G for the board, b for a small board, v for notebook, S for a book, and T for a game can be very useful.

To ensure effective teaching, it's crucial to manage the classroom well. Teachers should regularly communicate with parents, keep a record of phonics and syllables learned, and provide each student with a copy. Encourage students to practice reading aloud five times a day. To maintain order, create a sense of friendly competition among the groups by rewarding the loudest readers, the fastest writers, or the neatest handwriting. You can call these students to the board to demonstrate their skills as examples.

According to the experience of many teachers, on the first day of class, it’s better not to rush into teaching letters. Instead, take time to talk with the students and observe those who can help manage the class for leadership roles. Focus on teaching the class rules: how to line up, when to use the bathroom, how to ask for permission, raise hands, and agree on symbols for things like order, using small boards, books, and notebooks. Particularly important is teaching how to express opinions respectfully while listening and speaking. Establishing a few rules and encouraging the students to follow them with a spirit of friendly competition between groups will lay a strong foundation. Once everything is in order, then start teaching letters. The rule is: First teach manners, then teach knowledge. This approach will ensure a smoother teaching experience later. If you do well with first-grade teaching, you’ll surely excel with all elementary grades.

Rèn đọc, chữ viết, nghe viết, toán tính, giải toán, mỗi thứ cô đều phải rèn thường xuyên cho học sinh. Không cần nội dung dài mà rất cần em nào cũng được trải nghiệm. Em nào tiếp thu nhanh thì giao việc, em nào tiếp thu chậm phải kiên trì dẫn giải rõ, dần dần thành kỹ năng. Với học sinh lớp 1, giáo viên đừng giao nhiều bài, chỉ giao ít mà phải thường xuyên.

To achieve success, a teacher must be dedicated and persistent. Especially at the start of the school year, instead of resting during breaks, use that time to help the struggling students improve.

For first-grade students, it is common for them to get easily distracted. Try to avoid leaving empty spaces in the classroom, as that can lead to noise. The content taught in first grade is relatively simple, so it only takes your full attention and patience. For slower learners, don’t expect instant results—focus on gradual progress instead, and avoid comparing them with faster students. Address the areas where they are falling behind. For example, if they struggle with reading, allow them more practice, regardless of the subject, and give them opportunities to read. If they are slow in math, let them work on the same type of problem multiple times until they grasp it and understand it better.

For instance, you can prepare the charts and phonics tables they’ve already learned and review them regularly. Customize your approach based on each student’s needs. By remaining persistent, the results by the end of the year will be excellent, with the entire class making progress together.