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Grade 1: Language Arts

Literacy Overview

First grade is a time of growth in which students' literacy skills develop in stages along a developmental learning continuum. Our young learners engage in discussion with one another about text, read shared texts together, and learn to read independently. Students focus on decoding strategies and learn how to think within the text, beyond the text and about the text. Reading is taught through interactive read-alouds, literature discussion, shared and performance reading, and guided reading. Independent and home reading is also emphasized. Students extend their understanding through a variety of writing genres and compose and write their own examples of various genres for varying purposes and audiences. Students learn about the relationship of letters to sounds, as well as the structure of words to help them in reading and spelling. Whole class and small group forums for writing and discussion help develop oral language and communication skills.

Literacy Goals

The goal is for each child to develop a love of reading. Students are introduced to basic phonics skills such as consonant and vowel sounds, onsets and rhymes, digraphs, blends, and recognition of high frequency words. These skills are learned through a variety of mediums, such as poetry, word building, and letter/word activities. Comprehension and fluency are gained through oral and silent reading in whole class, small group, and independent forums. Successful readers use decoding and comprehension strategies to help them create meaning from text. Independent reading is encouraged through daily student- and teacher-led interactions with literature, as well as regular visits to the library.

English Language Goals

The improvement of oral and written communication is the main English language goal in grade one. Each day, children participate in oral language activities, engage in a variety of writing activities and are supported in speaking orally in class. To improve listening skills and to cultivate an appreciation of the written word, teachers read aloud a wide range of texts including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Oral language development is also encouraged through participation in reader's theater and dramatic play.

Resources:

• Building Blocks for Grade One: Patricia Cunningham and Dorothy Hall
• Making Meaning Program: Developmental Studies Center
• Phonics Grade 1: Fountas and Pinnell
• The Continuum of Literacy Learning: Fountas and Pinnell
• Guided Reading: Fountas and Pinnell
• Developmental Continuums: Bonnie Campbell Hill
• Guided Reading leveled books: Scholastic and Rigby
• Leveled classroom libraries and Big Books
• Developmental Reading Assessment K-3: Pearson
• Units of Study for Primary Writing: Lucy Calkins

Students who successfully complete the grade one language arts program will be able to:

• Apply phonetic rules and decoding strategies in reading and writing
• Read aloud with fluency
• Read independently
• Comprehend text
• Write across various genres (functional, narrative, informational, poetic)
• Apply new vocabulary words to reading and writing
• Use age-appropriate grammar and punctuation
• Appreciate language through listening, reading, writing, and dramatization
• Demonstrate listening skills
• Use the classroom environment and resources to aid in reading and writing