Grade 1

Strategies

Questioning/ Think Alouds

while reading...

I wonder what would happen if the author...

Retelling basket- Have an object or paper cut out that represents a key concept/character from each chapter or part of a book/story.

Use a chart with cells for title, characters, setting, key events (beginning, middle and end) Assess understanding by having children fill in their own chart

How does the author use words to make us feel a certain way?

Use different voices for the different characters in a story.

Use elbow macaroni to show where quotation marks are and remind children that means that someone is speaking.

Create pairings of fiction/non-fiction books. How do the two books connect to one another? How are they the same/different?

I Spy

I spy a non-fiction book.

I spy a non-fiction book that might have a (map, table of contents, glossary, photographs) in it.

Create a Fable Story Chart to add to each time a fable is read

Create Informational Text Chart

Who What Where Why When How

ABC books are not always easy to understand. Generate as many questions as possible about each page.

Chart (for Jenkins books)

• Animal name
• Habitat
• What eats
• Interesting Fact

Ask children to write one of the above on a sticky note after reading. Use chart and sticky notes to create oral and written sentences about the animals.

Unknown words- Think Aloud

Look at illustration or graph

Use background knowledge regarding the subject

Look at sentence before or after

Use root words, prefixes, suffixes

Create a 2- column chart

What can we learn from illustrations? List information learned from the illustrations in column 1, and from text in column 2.

Supporting Details- How do we know....

Cause and Effect

Cause Wind Effect Kites Fly

Cause Wind Effect Whips up Fun

Class ABC Book

Come up with a big class question

Is it possible to create an ABC book with 'Games to Play' as our title?

Brainstorm ideas... insects, things in the sky, things underground, plants, authors, etc. Research

Expression-

Yo! Yes? Ask children how the words would be said. Boys read the first page, girls read the second.

Write Opinion Pieces about a topic or book:

• Introduce
• Name of the book, topic etc.
• State an opinion
• Supply a reason for the opinion
• Closure

Write Informative or Explanatory Piece:

• Introduce topic
• Facts regarding topic
• Closure

Example: Give prompt- Children should eat healthy foods, exercise, and take care of their bodies. Choose one of the topics and supply facts about it.

Write Narrative:

• Recount two or more appropriately sequenced events.
• Include some details regarding what happened.
• Use temporal words to signal event/time order (first, last, following, next)
• Closure

Teacher model functional writing

Note-taking

Thank you notes

Graphic organizers

Timelines

Powerpoint, Kidspirations, etc to publish writing

Choose topic or question to be answered

Teacher creates rubric and/or checklist

example:

• Topic
• Two facts about it
• Tell why others might want to learn about
• Provide matching illustration

Use ART pieces such as Children's Games by Pieter Brueghel to generate good questions about what they see

Choosing interesting words- Imagine you are really happy, such as when Dorothy is walking down the yellow brick road. How would you walk? Have a student show how they would walk and make a list of the verbs generated. (skip, run, bounce, dance) How would they walk if they were sad or discouraged? (trudge, drag) What words can we think of to use instead of "walk?"

Cinderella- students draw the scene in which Cinderella tries on the slipper as if it were happening right now where they live. Scan pictures and make slide show. Let students explain

Functional Writing Poster-

Read about electricity, create a list of rules for safety. Divide rules between kids, and create a safety poster for each one. Require writing the rule neatly and show application of the rule in the illustration.

Are You My Mother?

What word is funny because of the context or way it is used? snort

Take turns retelling the story with as many details/sequence as they can remember. Use the book if they get stuck.

Use words in Are You My Mother to sort into categories

Use real-life connections... places in story that might be cozy

Masks from different countries. Describe the masks, and think about what part or character the mask could be used to play in a story