Rising 1st graders: Using vowel Power to Read

This unit was developed to review and strengthen students' ability to use sounds in words for both reading and writing. A specific emphasis will be placed on reading CVC words in continuous text. They will be immersed in read alouds, interactive reading, and oral rehearsal activities. They will revisit texts in search of specific words, sound combinations and word patterns. Children will:

• focus on the super power skills students learned in Kindergarten to read decodable texts

• label pictures in familiar story books with increasing number of sounds including medial vowels

• Students will read highly engaging books that will provide ample opportunities for them to practice reading words with blends and digraphs

• investigate stories in search of words with specific sounds, letter patterns as well as high frequency snap words.

Building Good Reading Habits

This unit will support the children after the summer in remembering all that they learned as Kindergarten readers. Children will…

• engage in classroom routines to build their independence and stamina

• be reminded of good reading habits learned in kindergarten

• learn habits for before reading (such as previewing a book, studying the front and back cover)

• learn habits for after reading (retell/reread before moving on)

Word Detectives

In this unit, students will become word detectives. They will use prior knowledge and learn new strategies to decode words while building their snap word vocabulary. Children will…

• learn to look closely at words and read through them slowly to the end (slow check)

• use knowledge of snap words (high frequency words) to figure out larger words and to sound smoother

• learn to look at all parts of the word to solve tricky words (beginning, middle, end, syllables, consonant blends)

• learn that vowels make many sounds. They will try it two ways (long and short vowels)

• learn contractions and compound words

• reread to make their voices sound smoother

Learning About the World

This unit is a nonfiction reading unit. Students will push themselves to learn about the nonfiction topics they read about. Children will…

• deepen their comprehension and fluency

• build their stamina (read for longer periods of time and more books)

• learn to use the whole page (pictures, labels, etc.) to learn more about what they’re reading

• learn new vocabulary related to the topics they are reading

Readers Have Big Jobs to Do

In this unit, the children will learn to understand when they make mistakes and how to correct them. Readers will comprehend higher level texts while reading fluently. Children will…

• try many strategies to solve tricky words (check the picture, flip the vowel, break the word apart)

• do a triple check. (Does it look right? Does it sound right? Does it make sense?)

• think about what is happening in the story and what word would fit to solve a difficult word

• use all they know about letter sound combinations and snap words to solve tricky words

• reread, make pictures in their mind and keep track of who’s talking in order to comprehend the story

use illustrations and other words in the story to understand unfamiliar words

Meeting Characters and Learning Lessons: A Study of Story Elements

This is the second unit that focuses on getting to know characters. The children will use what they learned during the previous character unit with more difficult books and more complex characters. Children will…

• learn to preview books and make predictions before reading

• learn to retell what they’ve read and to revisit the book in order to notice more

• learn to think deeply about the characters in their books

• read and reread to make their voices sound smoother

• talk about their books with a partner and offer their opinion

Show and Tell-From Labels To Pattern Books

This unit will reinforce previously taught writing skills. The unit focuses on oral rehearsal as a means to help students generate their ideas so that they can write more. Students will practice using labels, writing in complete sentences and build greater fluency when writing snap words. Children will:

• engage in classroom routines to build fluency.

• apply phonics and word knowledge skills to write snap words and decodable words with increasing accuracy

• match the printed word with illustrations

• apply basic writing conventions previously taught in Kindergarten

Small Moments: Writing with Focus, Detail, and Dialogue

This is a narrative writing unit. The children will write many personal small moment narratives (stories about their own lives). This builds on routines learned from the Kindergarten Writing Workshop. Children will…

• engage in classroom routines to build their independence and stamina

• generate their own ideas, draft, revise, edit and publish

• bring stories to life (making characters talk and move)

• use authors as mentors to mimic their craft moves in their own writing (pop out words, ellipses, exact actions, etc.)

How-To Books

This is a procedural writing (nonfiction) unit. Students will be writing pieces to teach. This builds on the procedural writing unit from Kindergarten. Children will write…

• many teaching books

• a materials page to go with their how-to book

• their steps across pages

• in a teaching voice using time order words (First, you need to…)

• with more detail (elaboration)

Nonfiction Chapter Books

This is a nonfiction writing unit. Children begin the unit writing nonfiction picture books and end the unit writing a nonfiction chapter book with multiple chapters on one topic. Children will…

• follow the writing process (generate ideas, draft, revise, edit, publish)

• write with an informational voice and structure

• use all they know to spell even better

• need to practice all of their snap words/word study

• create table of contents to add to their writing

• add nonfiction text features to their writing

Writing Reviews

This is the first official writing unit in which the children will be writing reviews. Children will…

• write their opinions with reasons

• write an opening and closing

• write reviews of their collections, restaurants/local places, and books

• learn to agree and disagree with someone else’s opinion

From Scenes to Series: Writing Fiction

This unit is a narrative writing unit. Students will write realistic fiction stories. Children will…

• create characters and write about problems they encounter

• write a series of books about the same character

• add more details to make their narrative writing even stronger