1st grade · Reading & Literature

What a 1st grade student learns in Reading & Literature

Grade 1 reading and literature centers on mastering foundational phonics, decoding, and fluency so students can independently read grade-level texts, while developing literary comprehension of stories through key details, characters, settings, events, central messages, and simple comparisons.

The skills for the year

  • 1Distinguish long vs. short vowel sounds in spoken single-syllable words
  • 2Blend and segment individual phonemes (including consonant blends) in spoken single-syllable words
  • 3Know spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh)
  • 4Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words
  • 5Apply final -e and common vowel-team conventions for long vowel sounds
  • 6Determine syllable count and decode two-syllable words using basic patterns
  • 7Read words with common inflectional endings (-s, -ed, -ing)
  • 8Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled high-frequency words
  • 9Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression
  • 10Ask and answer questions about key details in literary texts
  • 11Retell stories including key details and demonstrate understanding of the central message or lesson
  • 12Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story using key details
  • 13Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses
  • 14Explain major differences between storybooks and informational books
  • 15Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text
  • 16Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events
  • 17Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories
  • 18Read prose and poetry of appropriate grade-1 complexity with prompting and support

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