WATERFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM

GRADE  1

 

IMPLEMENTATION

Teachers must plan a comprehensive language arts instruction that supports the diverse learning needs of all students.  A minimum of at least ten (10) hours per week should be planned for and should include the following components:

*      Read aloud

*      Teacher modeling and mini- lessons

*      Shared reading and writing

*      Flexible guided reading and writing groups that support all levels of literacy development  (ie.  Early, emergent, transitional and fluent readers)

*      Independent reading and writing

*      Phonological awareness, phonics instruction and spelling

*      Writer’s workshop to include planning, first draft, revision, conferencing, editing and publishing.

*      Ongoing assessment both formal and informal to guide instruction.

 

STRAND: 1

 

READING AND RESPONDING

 

Estimated Time Range:

Throughout the School Year

 

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS

 

The student will understand that:

1.

Spoken and written words consist of individual units of sounds.

2.

Spoken and written words convey meaning.

3.

Responding to texts is an interactive process.

 

REQUIRED ASSESSMENTS

a.     Text Reading (Running Records) (as needed)

b.     Grade Level word checklists

c.     Comprehension worksheets or activities

d.     Hearing and Recording sounds in words. (Sentence Dictation),  1 per marking period

e.     Letter Identification Checklist (as needed)

f.      Developmental Reading Assessments (DRA),-1 per marking period

 

SAMPLE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS

 

The student will:

*      The students will match rhyming words.

*      Using “Morning Message”, students will take turns circling or highlighting sight words that have been imbedded into the sentences, identifies phonetic patterns, etc.

 

 

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

1.

What is the purpose of oral and written language?

2.

Why is it important to respond to texts?

 

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 

The student will be able to:

1.

Demonstrate  the ability to recognize and manipulate sounds auditorily and visually (phonological/phonemic awareness/structural analysis) by:

a.     Naming upper and lower case letters.

b.     Identifying initial, final, and medial consonant sounds.

c.     Blending orally presented phonemes (sounds) into a correct one-syllable word.

d.     Segmenting one-syllable spoken words into phonemes.

e.     Decoding words with short vowel sounds.

f.      Decoding words with long vowel patterns such as ai, igh, ay, ea, etc. and silent “e”.

g.     Decoding words with common letter patterns, such as sh, th, ch, oi, oy, oo,ow, etc.)

h.     Decoding words with r-controlled vowel patterns (ar, er, ir, or, ur).

i.       Using strategies for decoding such as identifying common letter patterns (“chunks”), compound words, base words and contractions.

j.      Decoding words with common inflectional endings (s, ing, ed, er, es,).

k.     Identifying abbreviations for days, months, titles, etc.

l.       Discriminating between rhyming words (auditory and visual) and substituting initial consonants to produce word families (onset/rime)

m.   Using the language of superlatives and comparatives to describe and categorize objects (big, bigger, biggest, etc.)

2.

Demonstrate fluency and accurate word identification by:

a.     Applying known reading strategies while reading in context:

  1. Using initial sounds, visual cues, picture cues and/ or meaning to predict and confirm.
  2. Finding meaningful word chunks to decode unfamiliar words.
  3. “Skip it” and read to the end of the sentence, then reread to cross check for meaning.

b.     Recognizing sight words and content vocabulary taught as a part of the first grade curriculum.

c.     Monitoring comprehension while reading in context and self-correcting inappropriate errors.

d.     Attending to punctuation during oral reading (pausing at commas and periods, etc).

e.     Reading aloud with accuracy any text appropriately designed for the skill level of the reader.

f.      Reading aloud with increasing fluency, phrasing and expression.

g.     Applying reading strategies to sustain independent reading (10-20 minutes).

3.

Demonstrate comprehension by:

a.      Understanding the teacher’s and author’s purpose for reading and writing.

b.     Recognizing basic concepts of print, such as:

1.     Left-to-right/top-to-bottom  directionality, return sweep

2.     Cover of the book, author/illustrator information, title page

3.     Specialized text features, such as bold or varied print, italics, speech or thought bubbles, dialogue, table on content, etc.

4.     Initial capital, final punctuation marks, first and last words.

5.     Simple sentences.

6.     Matching oral words to printed words.

7.     Specialized non-fiction features (table of contents, index, captions, labels, glossary

c. Listening and responding to literal, inferential and critical questions about grade-appropriate books read aloud by the teacher or read independently.

d. Generating questions before, during, and after reading.

e. Defining and utilizing grade-level appropriate vocabulary.

f. Identifying the sequence in a story (beginning, middle, and end).

g. Applying comprehension strategies, such as summarization, prediction, main idea, and supporting details to grade-level appropriate stories read aloud by teacher or read independently by student.

h. Using prior knowledge to aid the comprehension of fiction and non-fiction texts.

i. Classifying words into categories.

j. Reading and understanding simple written instructions.

k. Distinguishing between reality/fantasy, non-fiction/fiction.

l. Identifying the parts of a story: setting, characters, problems, solutions.

m. Comparing and contrasting information from stories.

n. Reading aloud and understanding appropriate text which is selected by the teacher.

p. Identifying cause and effect, elements in a story or text.

d.     Drawing conclusions and making judgements from a story or text.

e.     Using graphic organizers to categorize, to analyze, understand and comprehend stories and a variety of texts (i.e. maps, charts, Venn diagrams, and character attribute webs, etc.)

f.      Summarizing and retelling the important elements of fiction and nonfiction texts.

4.  

 Develop investigation, research, and presentation skills by:

a.     Locating information from a variety of sources, including technology.

b.     Understanding alphabetical order to the first letter.

c.     Listening and responding to a variety of media.

d.     Using the specialized features of non-fiction texts (table of contents, index, etc.) to locate information.

 

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

 

INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES

*      Big books for shared reading experiences, read alongs, teacher modeling, etc.

*      Graphic organizers for retelling, supporting reading comprehension and the understanding of text structure

*      Multisensory materials that support literacy (i.e. Magnetic letters, etc.)

*      Interactive charts to support developing literacy skills and fluency

*      Word walls that display familiar words, theme related words, word families, etc.

*      Class and student written books.

TEACHER RESOURCES

*      Teacher guides for big books and shared reading experiences

*      Kid Writing by Eileen Feldgus and Isabell Cardonick, The Wright Group, 1999

 

SUGGESTED CONNECTIONS

*      Cross curricular sorting activities using similarities and differences, attributes, beginning and ending sounds, word substitutions, etc.

*      Class written book that compares a fiction and nonfiction text that is on the same topic or subject.

*      Class written book that is a rewrite of a book that has been used for instruction.

*      Developing a class graph or chart using math concepts and writing a class summary of the collected data.

*      Word walls that are developed based on a theme, subject, topic or interest.

 

 

 

 

STRAND 2

 

PRODUCING TEXTS

 

Estimated Time Range:

Throughout the School Year

 

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS

 

The student will understand that:

1.

Communication is used to express, develop, and substantiate ideas and experiences.

2.

Writing and speaking are two forms of communication that serve a variety of purposes and audiences.

3.

Writing is a process that requires planning, reflecting, drafting and revising, editing, and publish to ensure effective communication.

 

SAMPLE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS

 

The student will:

*      The student will participate in a research project on animals. (Teachers can use thematic units/science or social studies topics to provide guidelines for the topics. A sample project packet will be included with the curriculum guide for adaptation by research individual teachers.) Each student will self-select an animal, formulate questions, locate resources, take notes, and write first drafts with family and teacher support. Final drafts will be written in class. The student will present the report and any visual aids created for the project to the class.

*      The student will write a personal letter, thank you note, invitation, greeting card, or advertisement poster to demonstrate authentic writing skills.

*      The student will participate in district –wide writing prompts, sentence dictations, and writing process samples for inclusion in the portfolio.

 

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

 

1

How can communication be effective?

2.

What are some of the purposes of writing?

3.

How can a written text be improved?

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 

The student will be able to:

1.

Speak, write, or draw using a variety of genres (stories, expository, poetry, etc.) to communicate meaningfully to an audience.

2.

Use emergent/early strategies to write words, such as hearing and recording sounds in words, spelling most words correctly, making accurate substitutions, and using appropriate resources to locate needed words.

3.

Write their first and last name correctly.  Demonstrates accurate letter formation and spatial orientation between letters and words. 

4.

Write for different purposes and to a specific audience or person (i.e. thank-you notes, letters, stories, journal entries, descriptions, etc).  Writes about a personal experience.

5.

Compose readable first draft which include:

*      Appropriate sequence.

*      Ideas that are related to the selected topic

*      A clear beginning, middle, and ending when composing a narrative piece

*      Ownership of the written piece

6.

Generate questions for gathering data from appropriate resources and use the data to produce a written piece (i.e. a research project).

7.

Use a variety of graphic organizers to plan, organize, and sequence a written piece (such as story maps, group- generated lists, webs, charts).

8.

Conference with teacher, individually or with peers, to discuss the strengths and identify revisions within a written piece such as:

b.     Using descriptive words and details in the text.

c.     Identifying “on and on” sentences (3 or more sentences connected by “and”)

d.     Writing complete sentences.

 

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

 

INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES

*      Classroom library which includes texts that meet the developing reading needs of the class and includes a variety of genres and materials.

*      Classroom library which can include class written and illustrated books.

TEACHER RESOURCES

*      A Blueprint for Literacy Success- Building a Foundation for Beginning Readers and Writers by

*      Sandra Iverson,The Wright Group, 1997

*      Zaner Bloser modified manuscript letter formation for upper and lower case letters

 

SUGGESTED CONNECTIONS

Locating known words in charts, poems, songs, big books that are related to content area subjects.

Class written books that use the interactive writing model to complete a book on a specific subject.

Students respond to questions that compare both fiction and nonfiction text.

Developing a chart or graph which can be used to record information.

 

 

STRAND 3

 

APPLYING ENGLISH LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS

 

Estimated Time Range:

Throughout the School Year

 

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS

 

The student will understand that:

1.

There are standard language conventions necessary for effective communication.

2.  

Language varies according to purpose, audience and task and is influenced by time and culture.

 

SAMPLE ASSESSMENTS

*      The student will respond to teacher created and district-wide writing prompts, sentence dictations, and create original stories throughout the year. Teacher will save samples periodically.

*      The student will spell the first grade words correctly in an end-of-year cloze activity (sample included in the curriculum).

*      The student will read and compare stories from different cultures by using a graphic organizer and presenting to a small group or class.

 

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

1.

Why are standard language conventions important?

2.

How do setting and context influence language?

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 

The student will be able to:

1.

Apply basic rules of spelling in daily writing including:

a.     Recognizing that there is a conventional way to spell words and trying to spell correctly whenever possible.

b.     Correctly spelling words taught as a part of the first grade curriculum.

c.     Using appropriate resources to locate words which are needed for writing.

d.     Generating new words based on common letter patterns (i.e. at, it, etc.).

e.     Applying knowledge of spelling in everyday writing activities.

2.

Apply  basic mechanics of punctuation in daily writing activities including:

a.      Identifying punctuation marks in a given text (such as commas, quotation marks, ending punctuation).

b.     Using ending punctuation (period, question mark, exclamation point)

c.      Using commas in a friendly letter.

3.

Apply basic mechanics of capitalization in daily writing activities including:

a.     Pronoun “I”

b.     Names of people

c.     First word in a sentence

d.     Months, days, and holidays

4.

Speak and write using conventional syntax and diction including:

a.     Using  developmentally appropriate language and grammar to:

1.     Express own needs and ideas.

2.     Retell personal experiences.

3.     Take part in conversations with peers and adults.

4.     Share relevant information in group discussions.

5.     Maintain topic in a conversation.

6.     Respond appropriately to questions.

7.     Participate in choral speaking and reading activities (chants, songs, and poems).

8.     Participate in brainstorming activities, group discussions, role playing, dramatizations, Reader’s Theater, etc.