Reading

Language Arts


By the end of 1st grade, all students are expected to
• Understand the relationships between sounds and letters and patterns in words, such as consonant 
   and vowel sounds, consonant blends, and word families (-ake, -at, -ed);
• Use grade-appropriate grammar and spelling skills in writing;
• Acquire skills to become lifelong readers and writers, such as self-selection of books, self-
   monitoring to correct errors when reading and writing, and talking with and listening to peers about
   one’s reading and writing; and
• Use reading and writing to communicate through listening, speaking, and viewing.

How will reading be taught?
We will use guided reading to teach reading.  Guided reading is a strategy that helps students become good readers. The teacher provides support for small groups of readers as they learn to use various reading strategies (context clues, letter and sound relationships, word structure, and so forth).

What is its purpose?
When the proper books are selected, students are able to read with approximately 90% accuracy. This enables the students to enjoy the story because there is not an overwhelming amount of "road blocks" that interfere with comprehension. Students focus on the meaning of the story and application of various reading strategies to problem solve when they do hit a road block in their knowledge or reading ability. By providing small groups of students the opportunity to learn various reading strategies with guidance from the teacher, they will possess the skills and knowledge required to read increasingly more difficult texts on their own. Independent reading is the GOAL - guided reading provides the framework to ensure that students are able to apply strategies to make meaning from print.
  How do I do it?

1. Students will be divided into small groups (4-6 students).
2. Guided reading lessons are to be about 15-20 minutes in duration.
3. Appropriately leveled reading materials will be selected for the group and each child will have his/her own copy of the literature.
4. Pre-Reading: The teacher establishes a purpose for reading.  We see what is in our schema to help us understand the story, make predictions, make connections, review vocabulary and keywords in the story, anything to set up them up successfully for reading.  We also always review the strategies we can use to help us when we come to a word we do not know.  We have a poster of reading strategies to help us throughout the story. 
5.  Reading: The teacher observes the students as they read the text softly or silently to themselves. The teacher provides guidance and coaching to individuals based on her/his observations by providing prompts, asking questions, and encouraging attempts at reading strategy application.
6. Post Reading: The teacher asks questions to ensure that the text has been comprehended by the readers and praises their efforts. Further, the teacher may observe gaps in strategy application and address these gaps following the reading in a mini-lesson format.
7. What do all the other students do during while the teacher is working with a small group? All other students will make a free literacy choice using the Daily 5 program.  What does that mean?  They can choose to read a book to themselves, read a book to someone, listen to reading, work on writing, or work on words activity.  Students will choose a literacy goal from the Daily CAFÉ menu.  The menu consists of various literacy strategies students will use as they choose to read a book to themselves, read a book to someone, listen to reading, work on writing, or work on words activity.
8. Share Time: All students will come back to the whole group and share their experiences during the guided reading session.

Note on group formation: To ensure students are grouped and regrouped in the proper instructional groups ongoing observation and assessment will be done.

What will my child learn during the 1st 9 Weeks?

Reading: Literature

1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

5. Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.

9. Read prose and poetry of appropriate complexity for grade 1, with prompting and support.

 Reading: Informational Text

10. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

19. Read informational texts appropriately complex for grade 1, with prompting and support.

 Reading: Foundational Skills

20. Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print. a. Recognize the distinguishing features of a sentence (e.g., first word, capitalization, ending punctuation).

21. Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

a. Distinguish long from short vowel sounds in spoken single‐syllable words.

b. Orally produce single‐syllable words by blending sounds (phonemes), including consonant blends.

22. Know and apply grade‐level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

b. Decode regularly spelled one syllable words.

23. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

a. Read on‐level text with purpose and understanding.

b. Read on‐level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.

c. Use context to confirm or self correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.