Description First Grade English Language Arts integrates reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language. The major focus is learning to comprehend text through systematic instruction of lettersound correspondence, word analysis, and reading strategies. Students apply these skills and strategies in a variety of quality literature, leveled text, and informational text. The writing process and six-trait writing provide the foundation for writing instruction. Credits Prerequisites Textbooks/Resources Focus Instructional Framework Word Study Handwriting Print and Digital Text- Building Book Rooms and Classroom Libraries Instructional Material Curriculum Companion, CESA 7 Phonics Lessons: Letters, Words, and How They Work, Heinemann Book of Minilessons, Teacher Resources Binder, and Teaching Resources CD- ROM, ISBN# 978-0-325-01062-5 Handwriting Without Tears My Printing Book Teacher Edition, ISBN# 978-1-891627-65-1 Variety of quality literature and informational text Required Assessments District-wide standards-based assessments identified Board Approved June 2012 Revised Board Approved: June 2012 Page 1
AASD Guiding Principles for Teaching and Learning for K-12 Students: Every student has the right to learn. Instruction must be rigorous and relevant. Purposeful assessment drives instruction and affects learning. Learning is a collaborative responsibility. Students bring strengths and experiences to learning. Responsive environments engage learners. AASD Foundations for English Language Arts: English Language Arts is an integrated discipline. English Language Arts instruction builds an understanding of the human experience. Literacy is an evolving concept, and becoming literate is a lifelong learning process. Critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity are aspects of effective English Language Arts instruction and attributes of AASD graduates. Literacy, language, and meaning are socially constructed and are enhanced by multiple perspectives. AASD English Language Arts Goals for K-12 Students: AASD students who are college and career ready in English Language Arts will Demonstrate independence. Build strong content knowledge. Respond to the varying demands of audience, task, purpose, and discipline. Comprehend as well as critique. Value evidence. Use technology and digital media strategically and capably. Come to understand other perspectives and cultures. Board Approved: June 2012 Page 2
Reading: Foundational Skills 1. Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print. (RFS.1.1) a. identifies the distinguishing features of a sentence (e.g., first/last word, capital letter, ending punctuation). Students will use a rubric to selfassess a sample of writing Teachers will select a writing sample to assess 2. Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). (RFS.1.2) a. identifies words in a spoken sentence. b. breaks words into syllables. c. distinguishes differences between the sounds of spoken single-syllable words. d. orally produces single-syllable words by blending sounds (phonemes), including consonant blends. e. segments and pronounces initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in spoken single-syllable words. Provide students with picture cards from Phonics Lessons of one syllable words. (e.g., feet, cow, cup, moon, night, goat, six) The students will sort the cards into groups of pictures that have a long vowel sounds and pictures that have a short vowel sounds. Students will take turns naming the pictures with short vowel sounds and long vowel sounds During Interactive and/or independent writing the teacher will ask students to orally produce singlesyllable words that contain consonant blends. The students will need to orally produce the word by blending the sounds of the word the teacher or student is writing Students will listen to the teacher as he/she pronounces a word. Students will be asked to pronounce each sound in the spoken word (e.g., the word is dog, teacher will ask students to tell the initial/beginning sound /d/, medial/middle vowel sound /o/ and the final/ending sound /g/) See Grade One Phonics Lessons Board Approved: June 2012 Page 3
Reading: Foundational Skills 3. Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. (RFS.1.3) a. uses diagraphs (th, sh, ch, wh). b. decodes regularly spelled one-syllable words. c. reads final -e and common vowel combinations for representing long vowel sounds. d. uses knowledge that every syllable must have a vowel sound to determine the number of syllables in a printed word. e. decodes two-syllable words following basic patterns by breaking the words into syllables. f. reads words with inflectional endings. g. recognizes and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words. The students will engage in a digraph sorting activity. The teacher will provide groups of students with selected digraph cards (e.g., ee and ea ). The students will read the word together. The group members will take turns laying the card on top of the matching picture. After the matching has taken place, the students will place all the word cards face down. Using a response sheet, the students will write the name of the picture under the correct digraph Using magnetic letters, the teacher will direct students to select specific letters. Students will then blend the sounds to decode and read regularly spelled onesyllable words. Students write the word they made Provide students with magnetic letters. Using the letters, the students will make a short vowel word then add an e to the end to make a long vowel word. (e.g., hop hope, tap, tape) Students will record the new words on a recording sheet Students will identify how many syllables they hear in words during shared reading and small group lessons Provide students with a list of gradeappropriate base words and a list of inflectional suffixes. Students will be directed to read the base word and name as many words as they can by adding an inflectional ending to the words, (e.g., play, plays, played, playing,) See Grade One Phonics Lessons Board Approved: June 2012 Page 4
Reading: Literature / Informational Text 4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. (RFS.1.4) 5. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. (RL.1.1/RI.1.1) Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text. (RI.1.4) a. reads grade-level text with purpose and understanding. b. reads grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression. c. uses context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. a. uses writing and/or speaking to identify key details. b. uses writing and/or speaking to monitor for understanding by asking and answering meaningful questions. c. identifies unknown words and phrases and utilize strategies to create meaning. Daily Running Records Write or verbalize a question related to a text Given a question, find an answer in a text and write/verbalize the answer Students work together to generate questions a bout key details in their text selections (e.g., Who are the character? What is the setting? What happened at the beginning, middle, and end of the story?) Students will complete a graphic organizer to help them locate and record the key details or facts in an independent level text or text that has been read aloud Board Approved: June 2012 Page 5
Reading: Literature / Informational Text 6. Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson. (RL.1.2) Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text. (RI.1.2) a. utilizes strategies, writing and/or speaking, to retell a story with key details (tell the story in a way that makes sense without telling too much). b. using writing and/or speaking, identifies a central message or lesson, a main topic, and key details to support the main topic. Students draw/write/cut & paste (pictures from story provided) story elementary, character, setting and events Students complete flow chart (4 boxes) beginning, middle and end to retell events Students retell a story they have heard or read by including key details about the story The teacher divides the class into two groups, one to identify the topic and one to identify the details of an informational read-aloud text The teacher reads the story and afterwards prompts the students with wrong information concerning the topic and main idea. The teacher will ask the groups to orally provide the correct information about the topic and key details of the text by requiring them to provide details explicitly stated in the text Board Approved: June 2012 Page 6
Reading: Literature / Informational Text 7. Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details. (RL.1.3) Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text. (RI.1.3) a. describes characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details. b. explains connections between pieces of information in a text. Have students complete a writing activity that will require them to write about what they have read by describing the characters, setting and major event in the story. Encourage students to use the words character, setting and major events in their writing 8. Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses. (RL.1.4) Performance will be satisfactory when the student : a. identifies examples of words and phrases that produce feelings. b. identifies sensory details. Select a poem or mentor text that will support a discussion about feelings and senses. For example, after reading aloud Alexander and the Horrible No Good Very Bad Day, invite students to participate in a discussion about why Alexander s day was horrible. Guide students in naming other words for horrible. List these words on chart paper for students to read Board Approved: June 2012 Page 7
Reading: Literature / Informational Text 9. Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types. (RL.1.5) Know and use various text features (e.g., headings, table of contents, glossaries, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text. (RI.1.5) 10. Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text. (RL.1.6) Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text. (RI.1.6) 11. Uses illustrations and details in a text to describe its characters, setting, events and/or key ideas. (RL.1.7/RI.1.7) a. explains the differences between literature and informational texts. b. uses various text features to locate key facts or information in a text. a. uses writing and/or speaking to name who is telling the story. b. uses writing and/or speaking to gather information from pictures/illustrations and words in a text. a. supports their thinking of story elements with examples from the text. Students use a graphic organizer comparing and contrasting literature and informational text Engage students in a Scavenger Hunt to locate various text features in an informational text. Students will work together in groups to locate the index, table of contents, charts, photographs, etc. As the features are located, students will tell where they located the text feature and its importance in locating key facts or information in a text During independent reading students will identify who is telling the story in the book they are reading and/or by writing in their reading response journals. After exploring the relationships between images and words by looking at illustrations in informational text, students will provide words for illustrations which are missing the words and will provide illustrations when only given the words Students will participate in a book talk to share their book with the class. As students share their stories, they will describe the character, setting, and events in the story by using the illustrations and information from the story. Students will share an informational text with the class, using text features to describe key ideas from the text Board Approved: June 2012 Page 8
Reading: Literature/Informational Text 12. Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text. (RI.1.8) 13. Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories. (RL.1.9) Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures). (RI.1.9) a. recognizes that authors write with a purpose. b. identifies the author's supporting reasons. a. using writing and/or speaking, identifies the characters in a story, events/experiences of story characters, and the topic of a text. b. using writing and/or speaking, compares/contrasts events and characters. c. using writing and/or speaking, makes text to text comparisons. Student will work in groups using various picture books to determine the author s purpose, and identify the main idea and supporting details for a text. The group will share their findings with the rest of the class Read aloud two or more versions of the same story by different authors. Students will work in groups to complete a graphic organizer to identify similarities and differences in the main character from the two versions of the story The teacher reads aloud to the class two texts on the same topic by different authors. Students use a graphic organizer to compare and contrast the two texts looking at the illustrations, etc. 14. With prompting and support, read prose, poetry, and informational texts of appropriate complexity for grade 1. (RL.1.10/RI.1.10) a. reads and makes meaning of appropriately complex text. Benchmark Use F&P Continuum of Literacy Learning o Copy of Guided Reading Level-reading behavior goals o Highlight what child can do with prompts o Highlight what child can do independently Observe students reading their selected text with purpose and understanding Students will share their text orally or in writing Students add illustrations to their writings Students will create written responses about informational text to share with others Board Approved: June 2012 Page 9
Writing 15. Write opinion pieces, informative/explanatory texts, and narratives. (W.1.1, W.1.2, W.1.3) a. writes an opinion piece that contains the following: statement of topic, reasons to support, and a sense of closure. b. writes an informative/explanatory piece that contains the following: a topic, interesting information/facts about the topics, and a sense of closure. c. writes a narrative piece that contains the following: two or more appropriately sequenced events, descriptive details and feelings, transition words (first, next, then, after that ), and a sense of closure. On-demand writing Read aloud to students a text that supports persuasive writing (e.g., Click, Clack, Moo by Doreen Cronin; the animals are trying to persuade the Farmer to give them electric blankets). Allow students to work in groups to select one of the animals in the story to write about. Students will state their opinion about the farmer s demand, supply a reason for their opinion and provide a sense of closure to their writing Students may also write opinion pieces about something they would like to change at school (e.g., class rules, less homework, more recess, etc.) All About Book Students will select and read informative books. Following the reading of the text, students will write explanatory pieces about one of the seasons of the year. Students will name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide a sense of closure to their writing. Students will add illustrations to their writing Personal narrative (shared experience) The teacher will conduct a read-aloud with the class. After the reading has been completed, the teacher will guide the class in completing a class graphic organizer which focuses on the use of the sequence of events. After the graphic organizers have been completed, the students will use the information to independently write a narrative. Students will share their narratives with the class Board Approved: June 2012 Page 10
Writing 16. With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic, respond to questions and suggestions from peers, and add details to strengthen writing as needed. (W.1.5) 17. With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including collaboration with peers. (W.1.6) a. revises with support from adults and peers to improve the writing. b. writes legibly and fluidly in print. Students select a draft piece of writing to share with the class. After the writer has shared his/her draft, the students will be encouraged to ask questions and make suggestions and to add details to strengthen the writing as needed. This task could be done over a period of a week during writing instruction a. uses digital tools to enhance writing. The teacher will allow opportunities for students to work in collaborative groups to create electronic books 18. Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of how-to books on a given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions). (W.1.7) a. actively participates in shared research and writing processes. b. explores several types of media about a given topic. c. uses graphic organizers. d. notices similarities between information presented. e. writes based on research. Students complete graphic organizer within small groups. Students may be given roles in completing the organizer The teacher will guide the students in shared research and writing projects. Students will explore a number of how-to and/or allabout books on a given topic. Students will conduct the research using a variety of resources to gather information and write about their topic. Once the projects are completed the students may publish their work to share with others Board Approved: June 2012 Page 11
Speaking & Listening Writing 19. With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. (W.1.8) 20. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. (SL.1.1) 21. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. (SL.1.2) a. responds (with support) to a question using prior knowledge and/or research. a. follows agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion). b. builds on others talk in conversations by responding to the comments of others through multiple exchanges. c. asks questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion. a. asks and answer questions about what they have seen or heard. After listening to and reading stories about dogs, students will complete a writing activity to answer a question about a topic (e.g., What do you want to know about dogs?). Inform students that they will recall information from their experiences with dogs and gather information from a variety of sources (picture dictionaries, Internet, books, etc.) to gather additional information about dogs that will help them answer the question The students will participate in a class discussion building on the conversations of others During a large or small group discussion about a topic, students will ask questions to clear up any misunderstandings about the topic Observational records o Turn and talk o Centers o Free choice Students will ask the speaker questions to help them gather additional information or clarify something that they did not understand in order to complete a writing activity Board Approved: June 2012 Page 12
Speaking & Listening 22. Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information or clarify something that is not understood. (SL.1.3) 23. Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly. (SL.1.4) Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings. (SL.1.5) a. listens attentively. b. asks and answers questions to gather information and/or clarify. c. uses conversational etiquette. a. clearly expresses ideas and feelings and use relevant details to describe people, places, things, events. b. creates drawings/displays to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings. Students will ask the speaker questions to help them gather additional information or clarify something that they did not understand in order to complete a writing activity Use ipad to record students asking questions Students work with a partner. Each pair is given an index card with a familiar place in the school listed on the card. Partners will describe the familiar place by including important details, expressing feelings and ideas clearly Have students add drawings to their writing to express thoughts and feelings 24. Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation. (SL.1.6) a. verbally produces complete sentences. b. identifies tasks/situations which require the use of speaking in complete sentences. Teacher will have a set of prewritten sentence strips containing complete and incomplete sentences. The teacher will show one strip at a time to the class. Students will read the sentences out loud. Students will show a thumbs up if the sentence is complete and a thumbs down if the sentence is incomplete Students may work together in groups to write complete and incomplete sentences to share with the class and have them determine if the sentences are complete or incomplete Observe recorded dialogue Board Approved: June 2012 Page 13
Language 25. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. (L.1.1) a. writes with all upper- and lowercase letters. b. uses common, proper, and possessive nouns. c. uses singular and plural nouns with matching verbs in basic sentences (e.g., he hops; we hop). d. uses personal, possessive, and indefinite pronouns (e.g., I, me, my; they, them, their, anyone, everything). e. uses verbs to convey a sense of past, present, and future (e.g., Yesterday I walked home. Today I walk home. Tomorrow I will walk home.). f. uses frequently occurring adjectives. g. uses frequently occurring conjunctions (e.g., and, but, or, so, because) to signal simple relationships. h. uses determiners (e.g., articles, demonstrativesthat, those). i. uses frequently occurring prepositions (e.g., during, beyond, toward). j. produces and expands complete simple and compound declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences in response to prompts. On-demand writing Observe student use of correct grammar during whole group, small group, and turn and talk discussions, as well as in their written work. The teacher may create a rubric or checklist to assess Record and assess student conversations through the use of an ipad Supply the students with three different colored squares. Explain that the red represents a common noun, blue a proper noun, and yellow a possessive noun. While reading a preselected book aloud to the class, students will hold up the different squares when they hear a common, proper, or possessive noun. Using a big book, have students use color highlighting tape for common, proper, and possessive nouns During a read aloud the teacher will help the students generate a list of personal, possessive and indefinite pronouns. After the read aloud is complete, the students will select two of the pronouns from the list and write their own sentences to share with the class Students will work with a partner and read a text. As they are reading they will make a list of conjunctions and determiners found in the text. Students can then create sentences using the conjunctions and determiners from their list Students may create a poem or write sentences using the prepositions from the story. Students share their poems Board Approved: June 2012 Page 14
Language 26. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. (L.1.2) a. capitalizes proper nouns. b. uses end punctuation for sentences (.!?). c. understands meaning of quotation marks. d. uses commas in dates and to separate single words in a series. e. uses conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and for frequently occurring irregular words. f. spells untaught words phonetically, drawing on phonemic awareness and spelling conventions. On-demand writing Students will help to correct the writing on a chart by capitalizing when appropriate. Select a book that has been read aloud to the class Provide students with sentences from a book written on sentence strips without end punctuation. The students will read the sentence aloud. The students will determine which punctuation needs to be added to the sentence. Once the punctuation is added the student will reread the sentence 27. Uses a variety of strategies to determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words/phrases. (L.1.4) a. uses context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase at the sentence level. b. uses frequently occurring prefixes and suffixes as a clue to the meaning of a word. c. identifies frequently occurring root words (e.g., look) and their inflectional forms (e.g., looks, looked, looking). Show a picture with a sentence containing a vocabulary word and context clues. Ask student to determine the meaning Write a sentence on the board. Guide students to use the steps above to identify the unknown word based on how it is used in the context of the sentence. After students have figured out the meaning of the unknown word, they will write a sentence using the word Board Approved: June 2012 Page 15
Language 28. With guidance and support from adults, demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings. (L.1.5) 29. Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and responding to text, and being read to. (L.1.6) a. defines words by category and attributes (e.g., A duck is a bird that swims. A tiger is a large cat with stripes.). b. identifies real-life connections between words and their meaning (ex. Shuffle to the door like the old woman in the story.). c. distinguishes shades of meaning among verbs differing in manner (e.g., look, peek, glance, stare, glare, scowl) and adjectives differing in intensity (e.g., large, gigantic). a. acquires words and phrases, including frequently occurring conjunctions, in a variety of ways (conversation, reading, being read to). b. uses acquired words and phrases from one context in a different context. Provide students with a variety of picture/word cards. Have student sort the picture/word cards into meaningful groups. Once the words have been sorted, the students will explain why they sorted their picture/words cards into certain groups Provide picture word cards for students to sort by category and attributes (e.g., animals, modes of transportation, clothing, etc.) After the sorting has taken place, students will tell why they sorted the cards in certain categories and what attributes were used Provide students with a list of descriptive words to describe characters from various stories they have read or heard (e.g., kind, smart, thoughtful, likable, helpful, friendly, etc.) The teacher will list words such as large, gigantic, peek, stare, etc. on separate sheets of paper to be placed in a small box for students to select by hand without looking. The students will act out the word selected During a response to literature activity ask students to talk or write about their favorite part of the story or tell why they liked a particular character Board Approved: June 2012 Page 16
Resources and learning activities that address essential learning objectives: Many classroom assessment ideas adapted from the Georgia Department of Education. Board Approved: June 2012 Page 17