Reading Instruction
In first grade we read nonfiction and fiction read-aloud books to teach students nine different comprehension strategies while they learn to read and think at a high level. Our curriculum uses a dual academic and social focus that encourages students to work together, appreciate others’ ideas, disagree respectfully, and take responsibility for their own learning and behavior. Ask your child what he/she talked about with his/her reading partner this past week!
Guided Reading/Individual Conferencing
The first few weeks of school are spent getting your first grader into a Reader's Workshop reading routine, while each teacher assesses each child's reading skills. Once we complete our assessments, we will begin Guided (Small Group) Reading and Individual conferencing with your first grader.
Daily Five
We know each year in your child’s schooling presents new expectations and routines for you and your child to become familiar with. Our goal is to introduce classroom routines and structures in a way that removes all of the guesswork from the children and allows them to concentrate fully on learning. In reading, the classroom structure we use is called "Daily Five". Soon your child will be talking about "The Daily Five" at home. The purpose of this section of our website is to explain to you what The Daily Five is and what you should expect to see at home.
The Daily Five is a literacy structure that teaches independence and gives children the skills needed to create a lifetime love of reading and writing. It consists of five tasks that are introduced individually. When introduced to each task, the children discuss what it looks like, sounds like, and feels like to engage in the task independently. Then, the children work on building their stamina until they are successful at being independent while doing that task.
The five tasks include:
1. Read to self
2. Read to someone
3. Listen to reading
4. Work on writing
5. Word work
So far, the children are learning how to Read to Self.
When the children are fully engaged in reading and writing activities, we are able to work with small groups and confer with children one on one. This structure is effective, the results are amazing, and the children really look forward to Daily Five time.
Ask your child about reading time and see what he/she has to say. We anticipate your child will tell you about the class stamina, how we are working towards independence, and maybe you will even hear about some of the fantastic things your child has written, read, or listened to during our structured reading time.
The Daily Five is a literacy structure that teaches independence and gives children the skills needed to create a lifetime love of reading and writing. It consists of five tasks that are introduced individually. When introduced to each task, the children discuss what it looks like, sounds like, and feels like to engage in the task independently. Then, the children work on building their stamina until they are successful at being independent while doing that task.
The five tasks include:
1. Read to self
2. Read to someone
3. Listen to reading
4. Work on writing
5. Word work
So far, the children are learning how to Read to Self.
When the children are fully engaged in reading and writing activities, we are able to work with small groups and confer with children one on one. This structure is effective, the results are amazing, and the children really look forward to Daily Five time.
Ask your child about reading time and see what he/she has to say. We anticipate your child will tell you about the class stamina, how we are working towards independence, and maybe you will even hear about some of the fantastic things your child has written, read, or listened to during our structured reading time.
Word Study
Word Study provides students with opportunities to investigate and understand the patterns in words. Students also use these word patterns to puzzle out meanings of words that help them understand content area vocabulary. Words Their Way is an alternative to traditional spelling instruction. It is based on learning word patterns rather than memorizing a list of unconnected words. Knowledge of these patterns means that students don’t learn to spell just one word at a time; rather, they learn to spell a group of words that follow a pattern. Reading, writing and spelling are closely connected, so utilizing word study instruction helps students develop literacy skills that will be used when reading and writing.
Word Sorts
During instruction, pictures, words or vocabulary are sorted in hands-on learning activities that require children to examine, discriminate, and make critical judgments about sounds, spelling patterns, and word meanings. Students compare and contrast categories of word features to discover similarities and differences between categories. The features students learn during sorts are applied to new words in writing and reading.
How can parents help their child with their word study at home?
Parents should be an active participant during the weekly word sorts at home. Begin the week by reviewing the sort words or pictures with your child. As they show you the headings or categories, have them explain what each one means. Also review the meanings of words, especially homophones & homographs. After the child sorts their words or cards, have your child verbally explain why they have sorted them in this particular way. Finally, have your child read through the pictures or words to make sure there are no errors.
What should parents do when children make mistakes?
If your child makes a mistake, you could prompt him or her by saying, "I see a word in this column that doesn’t look right to me." Encourage the child to identify the mistake independently. If there is still confusion, help the child make the correction.
Here are the types of sorts we are doing at school:
Closed Sort
The student lays out the headers and sorts their words or pictures according to the categories the headers create.
Blind Sort
The headers are laid out in front of the child. A parent reads the words or pictures and the child points to the correct category- they do not see the word or picture until it is laid down. After all the words/pictures are read, the child and their parent read through each column to check the word. If there is a mistake, the child moves the card to the correct category.
Written Sort
Before this activity begins the students label their paper with the features they are studying. The parent picks up one card at a time and reads the word aloud without showing it to the child. The student writes the word in the correct corresponding column for that feature. This activity reduces a student’s reliance of visual cues.
Word Hunt
During a word hunt students search through text they have already read to find words similar to the patterns they are studying. The goal of the hunt is to take isolated word work and link the target features to a connected text. Students then write the words they find under the correct feature headings.
Speed Sort
The sort is the same as the regular sort except that the child sorts the words as fast as he can. Students check their work, then sort again to try to beat their own time.
Click on the button below for more ideas on how to sort words with your first grader!
How can parents help their child with their word study at home?
Parents should be an active participant during the weekly word sorts at home. Begin the week by reviewing the sort words or pictures with your child. As they show you the headings or categories, have them explain what each one means. Also review the meanings of words, especially homophones & homographs. After the child sorts their words or cards, have your child verbally explain why they have sorted them in this particular way. Finally, have your child read through the pictures or words to make sure there are no errors.
What should parents do when children make mistakes?
If your child makes a mistake, you could prompt him or her by saying, "I see a word in this column that doesn’t look right to me." Encourage the child to identify the mistake independently. If there is still confusion, help the child make the correction.
Here are the types of sorts we are doing at school:
Closed Sort
The student lays out the headers and sorts their words or pictures according to the categories the headers create.
Blind Sort
The headers are laid out in front of the child. A parent reads the words or pictures and the child points to the correct category- they do not see the word or picture until it is laid down. After all the words/pictures are read, the child and their parent read through each column to check the word. If there is a mistake, the child moves the card to the correct category.
Written Sort
Before this activity begins the students label their paper with the features they are studying. The parent picks up one card at a time and reads the word aloud without showing it to the child. The student writes the word in the correct corresponding column for that feature. This activity reduces a student’s reliance of visual cues.
Word Hunt
During a word hunt students search through text they have already read to find words similar to the patterns they are studying. The goal of the hunt is to take isolated word work and link the target features to a connected text. Students then write the words they find under the correct feature headings.
Speed Sort
The sort is the same as the regular sort except that the child sorts the words as fast as he can. Students check their work, then sort again to try to beat their own time.
Click on the button below for more ideas on how to sort words with your first grader!
Sight Words
Sight words are words that appear frequently in most of the text kids read, but can't easily be sounded out. Learning to recognize sight words through—you guessed it—sight is the easiest and quickest way for early readers to progress and become confident.
The four sight words we learn each week not only words that first graders should recognize on sight by the end of the year, it also includes words that they should be able to read, write and spell.
Click on the button below for ideas on how to help your first grader learn to recognize and spell common sight words!
The four sight words we learn each week not only words that first graders should recognize on sight by the end of the year, it also includes words that they should be able to read, write and spell.
Click on the button below for ideas on how to help your first grader learn to recognize and spell common sight words!