1st Grade

How can I help my 1st grader learn to read?

First graders will continue to practice phonemic awareness (understanding words are made up of sounds) and make connections to phonics (understanding that written letters represent the sounds in words). See the kindergarten tab for lots of fun activities to practice phonemic awareness.

First graders will need lots of opportunities to practice reading: books, menus, grocery lists, street signs, and cereal boxes are just a few examples of things to encourage your child to practice their new reading skills. While reading, if your child encounters a word they have not been taught the sounds for yet, simply give them the word. If your child encounters a word containing a phonics pattern they have already worked on, first and foremost, encourage them to pay attention to the letters they see and what they have learned about those letters and patterns in words. Scholastic books often offer 'decodable books' to practice newly learned phonics skills. Ask your child's teacher for suggestions, or feel free to email me at: hcumello@salisburysd.org and I will share resources with you!

See below for a few definitions of terms used in first grade reading instruction:

What are trick words? Trick words are words that your child should learn by sight. These words are the most common words spoken and written in the English language. Learning these words will advance your child's reading skills quickly. These words may have letter combinations that do not follow the typical phonics rules, or may be words that your child will see often but they haven't learned these advanced phonics rules yet. Click here for the list of words learned in 1st grade ----> 1st Grade Trick Word List

First graders will begin their year focusing on CVC words (words that have a consonant, vowel, consonant pattern. Examples of CVC words are: cab, vet, hip, hot, tug. These words will be read with short vowels.

They will also continue to practice blends and digraphs. Blends are 2 or 3 letter combinations where each letter represents their individual sound but is blended quickly in words: cr, tr, st, pl, str. Digraphs are 2 letters that make 1 sound: wh, sh, ch, th, ph, ck

First graders practice reading words with short vowels first before learning to read words with the long vowels. Short vowels make the following sounds: /a/ as in the beginning sound of apple, /e/ as in the beginning sound of the name Ed, /i/ as in the beginning of the word itch, /o/ as in the beginning of octopus, and /u/ as in the beginning of the word up.

Long vowels will sound like you are saying the letter name: /a/ as in the word safe, /e/ as in the word/ Pete, /i/ as in the word pine, /o/ as in the word home, and /u/ as in the words mule and rule.

Syllables- Syllables are parts of words that can come out in 1 breath. Words can have 1, 2, 3, 4 or more syllables. Examples of 1 syllable words: car, plate, fish. Examples of words with 2 syllables: rocket (rock-et), cupcake (cup-cake), napkin (nap-kin). Examples of words with 3 syllables: microphone (mi-cro-phone), broccoli (broc-co-li), hamburger (ham-bur-ger)

As the year progresses, first graders will learn about closed and open syllables. Closed syllables will have 1 or more consonants following a vowel. The vowel will most likely be short: at, cash, stop. Closed syllables will end with a vowel and the vowel will most likely be long: me, hi, be.

Vowel-Consonant-e syllable- In spring, 1st graders will learn about words that have the v-e pattern. These words will have a vowel, followed by consonant, then followed by an e. These words will most likely have a long vowel. Examples: cape, like, bone, flute