Language Arts

Reading Goals:

The goal for each child is to develop a love of reading. Students are introduced to basic phonics skills such as consonant and vowel sounds, onsets and rimes, digraphs, blends, and recognition of high frequency words. These skills are learned through a variety of mediums, such as poetry, word building, and letter/word play activities. Comprehension and fluency are gained through oral and silent reading selections in whole class, small group, and independent forums. Successful readers use decoding and comprehension strategies to help them create meaning from text. Independent reading is encouraged through daily student and teacher led interactions with literature as well as regular visits to the library.

English
Language Goals:

The main English Language goal in Grade One is to improve communication skills both written and oral. Each day, children engage in a variety of writing activities and are encouraged to participate in class discussions. To improve listening skills and to cultivate an appreciation of the written word, teachers read aloud a wide range of texts including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Oral language development is also encouraged through participation in school productions.

Texts:

First Grade Celebrate Reading (Scott Foresman & Co.)
Early Chapter Books
Fountas and Pinnel Phonics Program

Students who successfully complete the Grade One Language Arts program will be able to:

• Apply phonetic rules and decoding/encoding strategies in reading and writing
• Read aloud with fluency
• Read independently and comprehend text
• Demonstrate listening skills
• Apply new vocabulary words to reading and writing
• Use age-appropriate grammar and punctuation
• Appreciate language through listening, reading, writing, and dramatization
• Use the classroom environment and resources to aid in reading and writing