The first grade language arts curriculum will develop literate individuals through a balanced program that includes:

• An engaging and motivating curriculum that grows in complexity throughout the year
• A comprehensive curriculum that includes word study, reading comprehension, fluency, vocabulary development, grammar, writing, listening and speaking, literary analysis, and research skills
• Assessment based, differentiated instruction to meet the individual needs of students
• Our language arts curriculum inspires independent reading, critical thinking, writing and speaking

Reading

• Apply reading strategies such as comparing and contrasting, understanding cause and effect, distinguishing fact from opinion, responding to open-ended questions, drawing conclusions, inferring, identifying the main idea, clarifying for understanding, paraphrasing, identifying the point of view, predicting/evaluating, previewing, identifying the problem and solutions, questioning skills
• Explore a wide range of genres including traditional tales such as fairy tales, fiction such as fantasy, historical, realistic, multicultural, and non-fiction such as biography, informational, various forms of poetry, forms such as new articles and novels
• Increase reading fluency by developing accurate word recognition, increasing reading rate, understanding phrasing/chunking, and reading with expression
• While reading, identify the character, plot, conflict, resolution, setting, theme, sequence of events, and set a purpose for reading
• Use of a graphic organizer (e.g. visual maps, time lines, Venn diagrams)
• Understand literature by using figurative language such as alliteration/repetition, character/characterization, humor, imagery, and point of view

Word Study

• Continue to develop letter sound correspondence by naming the alphabet letters (e.g. upper and lowercase letters, initial, final, and medial consonant clusters)
• Continue to develop phonemic awareness skills including: blending and segmenting phonemes, counting syllables, rhyming words, isolating, substituting, and manipulating letter sounds
• Introduce digraphs, hard consonant sounds
• Recognize the difference between short, long, and r-controlled vowels
  Understand word patterns and word families
• Introduce word analysis and structural analysis skills through the examination of inflectional endings, plurals, and some contractions
• Broaden vocabulary usage through the continued study of compound words, high frequency words, sight words, classification of context clues
• Strengthen spelling skills by practicing and using developmental spelling, conventional spelling, and memorization of sight words

Writing

• Continue to participate in group writing by adding or deleting information to a class story, contributing ideas to a class story, using a graphic organizer, mapping ideas, using story structure (characters, settings, problem/solution, beginning, middle, end) and writing text that is related to a picture

• Composed well-organized and coherent writing through prewriting, drafting, revising, editing/proofreading, and publishing
  Introduce ways to develop a coherent paragraph by using a topic sentence, supporting details, concluding sentences, and transitions within paragraphs
• Introduce the following forms of writing: descriptive, narrative, expository, persuasive, extending literary text, letter writing/envelop addressing, poetry, rewriting a focused story and journal entry
• Introduce the following types of sentences: declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, complete/fragment, and run-on
• Understand the definitions of nouns and verbs and how they are used in sentences
• Introduce the following types of speech: pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs
• Introduce the mechanics and usage of language such as the apostrophe, capitalization, comma, exclamation point, and a question mark
• Understand the use of a period and a question mark
• Strengthen handwriting skills by teaching manuscript writing and practicing correct alignment, spacing, letter, formation, and slant

Informational Research and Study Skills

• Continue to increase visual literacy skills through the use of illustrations, interpretations, Venn diagrams, timelines, maps, charts, diagrams, graphs, and other graphic organizers
• Understand alphabetization, time management, and organization

Language Development and Communication Skills

• Identify and analyze factors that may impact listener and assume appropriate listening mode
• Continue to paraphrase and execute multi-stepped directions and content, and formulate relevant and focused questions.
• Continue to enhance verbal expression by adapting language to situations, contributing relevant information to discussions, staying on topic, using rules which govern spoken English, differentiating between formal and informal speaking situations, and taking turns in social interactions
• Continue to improve oral fluency through inflection, rate, tone, volume, clarity of speech, speaking opportunities, and body language
• Continue to improve response answers by asking clarifying questions, differentiating between a statement and a question, providing additional information to questions being asked, responding to comments made by others and using question building words