1. First Grade Language Arts

2. In First Grade Students learn to read and comprehend what they have read. • Read a variety of texts in different settings. • Respond to texts in different ways. • Use conversational and literary language to express themselves. • Begin to develop effective listening and speaking skills.

3. First Graders develop and apply strategies and skills to read and write. • Count syllables in a word. • Blend letters to identify words. • Change the beginning, middle, and ending sounds to produce new words. • Create and identify rhyming words that may include consonant blends (e.g., flag, brag).

4. Generate the sounds from all the letters. • Recognize high frequency words. • Read compound words and contractions. • Read inflectional forms (e.g., -s, -ed, -ing) and root words (e.g., looks, looked, looking). • Read appropriate word families.

5. First Graders will develop and apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed. • Read aloud independently with fluency and comprehension designed for emergent readers. • Demonstrate familiarity with a variety of texts (storybooks, short chapter books, newspapers, poems, word plays). • Read and comprehend both fiction and nonfiction text appropriate for grade one (and know the difference between the genres).

6. Connect prior knowledge and experiences (self, world, and text). • Predict and explain what will happen next in stories. • Know how to locate the author and illustrator. • Answer what, when, where, and how questions about the story. • Discuss and explain response to how, why, and what if questions in the story. • Read and understand simple written instructions.

7. First Grade Reading Benchmarks

8. Benchmark Level D (5-6) On Grade level at the Beginning of the Year

9. Benchmark level F (9 – 10)On Grade Level at the Middle of the Year

10. Benchmark Level I (15 – 16)On Grade Level at the End of the Year

11. Examples of Assessment Questions FICTION NONFICTION • What is the author’s message? • Has this ever happened to you? • What does this story remind you of? • What do you now know about ________ that you did not know before reading the book? • What else would you like to know about ___________?

12. Additional information: • Students will bring home books nightly and should read at least 15 minutes. • They are responsible for being able to comprehend and retell the story.

13. Accelerated Reader • Accelerated Reader is a reading program in which students read a book and take a computerized test. This test includes basic comprehension questions. • Students will be encouraged to reach a goal determined by their teacher each nine weeks. • Students will have a comprehension goal of 80% correct and a points goal. • Incentive parties each nine weeks will be awarded to students meeting their goals.

14. Accelerated Reader Levels

15. Resources for AR books • Accelerated Reader books can be checked out in our school library. • About 90% of the books in the library are AR books. AR books have a leveled color code on the binding of the book. All other books do not. • A list of AR books can be accessed on our school website under the heading “Media” - click on files. • The Onslow County Public Library has a wide variety of AR books – just check our school list first to make sure we have an AR test for specific books.

16. Suggested Summer Preparation • Place letter magnets on your refrigerator and play “Letter Sounds” with them. • Play “I Spy” – Say, “I spy something that begins with the [m] sound. What is it?” • Finger paint the alphabet using sand or soil at the beach. • Read to your child and let your child read to you. • Point out printed words in the places you go, the grocery store, library, mall, etc. • When you travel, bring along a cookie sheet and some magnetic letters – make a game of it. • First Grade Summer Academy – Aug. 6-9th @ 9:00-12:00. Pre-register by June 15, 2012.

17. See you next year! • Orientation – August 23rd - 5:00-7:00 • First Day of School – August 27, 2012 *You will receive information in the mail concerning the class your child will be assigned to. Do you have any questions? Have a great summer!