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Grade 1 Language Arts

WATERFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM

GRADE K

IMPLEMENTATION

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

Read aloud

Shared reading and writing

Flexible guided reading and writing groups that supports all levels of literacy development (i.e. Early, emergent, transitional and fluent readers)

Independent reading and writing

Explicit handwriting instruction

Phonemic awareness and phonics instruction

Writer’s workshop that supports each student's developmental writing stages.

STRAND 1

READING AND RESPONDING

Estimated Time Range:

Throughout the School Year

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS

The student will understand that:

1.	Spoken words consist of individual sounds.
2.	Written words consist of individual sounds.
3.	Spoken and written words convey meaning.
4.	Responding to text is an interactive process.

REQUIRED ASSESSMENTS

a) Alphabet identification list

b) Letter/sound identification check list

c) Grade level sight word list

d) Hearing and recording sounds in words (sentence dictation)

e) Concepts of Print checklist (CAP)

f) Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) by the end of the school year

g) Phonological / Phonemic Awareness Inventory (district developed)

SAMPLE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS

The student will:

Create individual alphabet books representing letter/sound/picture correspondence

Create class books of environmental print accompanied by matching text sight words (e.g., I see the corn.)

Retell a story orally or by an illustration.

Provide an initial and final letter sound in a cloze type activity i.e. "Daily Message" activity

Use magnetic letters to match upper and lower case letters.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

1.	What is the purpose of oral and written language?
2.	Why is it important to respond to text?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The student will be able to:

1.

Demonstrate the ability to understand phonemic awareness and phonological awareness by: a. distinguishing words that rhyme and words that do not rhyme b. verbally producing rhyming words and pairs of rhyming words c. blending, substituting, segmenting sounds to produce new words understanding the concepts of onsets and rimes. d. Recognizing that sentences are composed of words. e. Identifying the two words in a compound word f. Isolating and blending syllables in a word g. Identifying individual phonemes (sounds) in a word. h. Blending individual phonemes ( sounds) in a word (c-a-t) i. Identifying the initial and final consonant sounds of a word.

2.

Demonstrate letter/word analysis by: a. Matching likeliness and differences in colors, shapes, designs, directionality, size, letters and words. b. Identifying all upper and lower case letters c. Matching all upper and lower case letters d. Producing initial sounds e. Matching initial sounds with objects f. Matching initial consonant sounds with pictures g. Matching initial consonant sounds with words h. Begins to demonstrate letter/sound awareness for long and short vowels i. Recognizes final consonant sounds j. Recognizes grade level sight words.

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES

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

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

Multi-sensory materials that support literacy (i.e. Sandpaper, clay, magnetic letters, etc.)

Enlarged print format of interactive charts to support emergent literacy development

(i.e. Finger plays, poems, nursery rhymes, songs, etc.)

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

Class and student written books.

TEACHER RESOURCES

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

Phonemic Awareness by Jo Fitzpatrick, Creative Teaching Press, 1997

I Can Read! I Can Write! Pre K- 2, Creative Teaching Press

SUGGESTED CONNECTIONS

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

Class written book that compares a both fiction version of a text with an expository text that is on the same topic or subject.

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, etc.

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, and revising/ editing and publication to ensure effective communication.

REQUIRED ASSESSMENTS

Comprehension survey of early literacy skills

Hearing and recording sounds in words (sentence dictation)

Student writing samples

SAMPLE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS

The student will:

Participate in interactive writing experiences (i.e., lists, thank you notes, etc.)

Label an illustration using emergent writing skills.

Write in a journal on a weekly basis.

Use grade level sight words to compose a simple sentence.

Use any other words that the students is able to write either unassisted, assisted or both.

Illustrate a written page for a class book for a new version of a story.

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.	Listen attentively when others speak.
2.	Respond appropriately to questions.
3.	Use developmentally appropriate language and grammar/sentence structure.
4.	Express ideas, needs and experiences clearly.
5.	Maintain a topic of discussion.
6.	Recite words to songs, finger plays and poem.
7.	Use illustrations to communicate thoughts and ideas for a variety of purposes.
8.	Engage in interactive writing activities, including dictation, shared writing and retelling.
9.	Locate known letters/words within the classroom as a reference .
10.	Identify letters, words and initial consonant sounds in a variety of classroom print or text.
11.	Conference with the teacher to discuss developmentally appropriate revisions to writing
12.	Illustrate the beginning, middle and ending parts of a story.
13.	Begin to form the upper and lower case letters correctly and uses spaces between letters and words.
14.	Writes first name correctly
15.	Apply phonics-based and/ or conventional spelling to convey meaning for a variety of purposes.
16.	Writes about a personal experience.

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES

Classroom library which includes texts that meet the early, emergent and transitional and the developmentally appropriate reading levels of all students.

Classroom library which can include class written books or student illustrated/written books.

TEACHER RESOURCES

A Blueprint for Literacy Success-Building A Foundation for Beginning Readers and Writers by Sandra Iversen, The Wright Group, 1997

Zaner Bloser modified letter formation for upper and lower case letters

Handwriting Without Tears by Jan Olsen

SUGGESTED CONNECTIONS

Locating known words in charts, poems, songs that related to content area subjects (science, etc.)

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 texts

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.	Writing has a variety of purposes and varies to the purpose, audience and specific task.

REQUIRED ASSESSMENTS

Writing sample

Concepts of print checklist (CAP)

Letter /sound identification checklist

Grade level sight word identification list

SAMPLE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS

The student will:

Identify language syntax errors in the teacher written “Daily New” or “Morning Message” format or during any teacher written piece that encourages student participation.

Provide the correct word during a cloze reading activity where the teacher strategically pauses to encourage students to supply key vocabulary word/s.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

1.	Why are standard language conventions important?
2.	How is language influenced by setting and context?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The student will be able to:

1.	Apply knowledge of phonic concepts and conventional spelling to convey meaning and produce a written word that uses temporary or correct spelling.
2.	Begin to use ending punctuation (period, question mark, exclamation point) in their own writing
3.	Begin to use basic mechanics of capitalization in daily writing activities including: capitalization of the first word of a sentence capitalization of a student's name capitalization of the pronoun " I "
4.	Contribute relevant ideas during brainstorming activities and group discussions using oral language. Express own needs and ideas Retell personal experiences and responds to text which is read aloud Contribute to conversations with peers and adults Maintain topic in a conversation Participate in choral speaking activities (chants, songs, and poems, etc.) Participate in role playing, dramatizations and Reader's Theater activities
5.	Demonstrate appropriate listening skills including: Following two-step directions Demonstrates respectful and appropriate listening behaviors Listening to a variety of auditory sources including poetry, taped stories or technology activities and responds to comprehension questions (either orally or by drawing/writing)
6.	Listens to and discuss stories from a variety of cultures and time periods to make comparisons, etc.

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

Chart stand/easel and chart paper to model for students correct letter formation, interactive writing experiences and any other appropriate writing experiences.

Word walls that are displayed in the classroom that are interactive and are resources when students are writing.

Zaner Bloser alphabet frieze displayed in the room and access to individual copies of the alphabet for students.

Pocket chart for retelling, writing, etc.

Tape recorder and head phones for center activity

Classroom library that has a variety of genres including poems, chants, multicultural versions of familiar books, tec.

SUGGESTED CONNECTIONS

Use of the morning message to record cross curricula connections from other units of study

(i.e. Adding new information or data to a class chart to record how much a plant grew)

Collecting a variety of versions poems, songs, etc. that focus on the same topic and make a comparison of the versions. List the similarities and differences)

Sorting and categorizing new ideas and information with concepts that have already been taught.

STRAND 4

EXPLORING AND RESPONDING TO TEXTS

Estimated Time Range

Throughout the School Year

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS

The student will understand that:

1.	Literature represents, recreates, shapes and explores human experience through language and imagination.
2.	Literature is a resource used to explore and respond to ideas and issues.
3.	Readers respond in a variety of ways to the aesthetic elements of literature.

REQUIRED ASSESSMENTS

Student written writing samples

SAMPLE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS

The student will:

Listen to a song, poem or musical version of a story and respond with creative movements or role-playing opportunities.