My DD's first-grade experience was in line with your expectations. The spelling lists had monosyllabic words with the vowel sound of the week. The reading was of the "Dick and Jane" variety. DD's school had a G/T program available to her beginning in first that sent her to a daily pull-out for ELA and math, so she was able to avoid it.
To get a feel for your own DD's prospective school, I suggest you go to their website, locate the first-grade teachers, and go to their individual sites. We find that several of our school's teachers post their spelling lists weekly. That'll give you a first-hand glimpse into the class level.
