First grade (called Grade 1 in some regions) is a year of primary education in schools in the United States and some other countries. It is the first school year after kindergarten. Students are usually six to seven years old.
In mathematics students may learn about addition and subtraction of integers, and about measurement. Basic geometry and graphing may be introduced. Clock and calendar time and money may also be in curriculum.
In language first graders are taught the fundamentals of literacy, including reading sentences, writing very simple statements and mastery of the alphabet, building on what the students have learned in kindergarten or other forms of pre-school (although, due to the fact that first grade is the first compulsory level of education in many states in the Union, the level of literacy in incoming students can vary wildly).
Students are also typically introduced to the concept of social studies with an emphasis on establishing the idea of history, both personal and in a larger sense; often the very basics of American history and patriotism are taught, with a focus on the founding fathers and the time period surrounding the American Revolution.