Starting To Plan A First Grade Reading Curriculum
Children ages five to six are at an incredible point intheir learning career. With some basicsof academic skills already under their belt, it is time to support theirconfidence as they really explorereading for meaning and begin to self-reflect.
As a past Literacy Specialist, Special Education, andElementary Education teacher, I share these ten tips to consider in planningfor a first grade reading curriculum. However, Iam a strong believer that all children learn in different modalities, withdifferent styles, at a different pace. Achild’s teacher, whether homeschooler, public, or private, knows their studentsneeds best.
Please note this is a guest post written by request for ahomeschooling audience beginning to prepare for a new school season. These tips, however, suit all childrenregardless of how they are schooled!
1. Provide areview of kindergarten skills after summertime vacations. This can be done primarily through gameformat as an engaging review that allows for many skills to be covered.
2. Encouragereflection early on. Ask children whatwas easy/hard about learning to read last year. Depending on the child’s own understanding, he or she may not be able toput this into words yet, and that’s okay. It’s a beginning of the reflection process.
3. Collect baseline data on “basics”. Use a check off sheet to determine whatletters, sounds, and sight words your child already knows!
4. Plan goals together: Show your child examples of skills they willlearn this year and ask what they want to learn about reading.
5. Gather a variety of trade books in a variety ofgenres. A used library summer book saleis a great place. Include expository,narrative, fairy tales, etc. Take yourchild with you!!
6. Plan a trip to your local library! Meet the children’s librarian and ask her fora list or location for top first grade read aloud books.
7. Explore websites that reinforce skills inadvance. I highly recommend Starfall,with supervision of course, for phonics practice.
8. Connect with other reading buddies. Set up a once a week buddy read to a youngerchild to help promote confidence and reading fluency.
9. Model reading, reading, reading. I can write this in every post, every time,and it’s still the best advice in helping raise a reader.
10. Plan for balance…to read books at higher levelmeans nothing without comprehension, in my professional opinion. One must have an understanding of phonics toread, but one must understand context to read and create meaning!
Please feel free to leave questions or comments, or list anotherspecific topic regarding schooling that I can explain more in other posts!! As a new blogger, I am just starting to write about schooling a little!
What tip have youfound most effective in PLANNING for the first grade reading curriculum? What has worked for you?
Blessings,
Michy
Michyis a Christian Stay At Home mother writing with passion about her loves: faith,parenting, and healthy living. She is a pastSpecial Education teacher and Elementary Literacy Specialist who
loveslearning. Please visit her on facebookor at her Loving Our Journey blog where she hosts Faithfully Friday ParentingLinky Party.
