Reading Curriculum

First Grade uses a variety of literature selections to support the reading program. Guided reading books are generally based on the literacy theme (Friendship, Global Marketplaces, Traditions, Going West, Japan), but Open Court Reading selections are also integrated into the reading program. In addition, students read supplemental materials such as The Scholastic News and National Geographic Explorer. Eachfirst grade has a well stocked classroom library for independent in-class reading and DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) at-home reading. Students engage in many kinds of reading during the day. Shared reading is generally taught whole class, guided reading is taught in small groups, and read to self is independent reading. Please read the entries below for more information regarding the reading and phonics instruction in first grade.

Writer's Workshop

Under the guidance of Jennifer Jacobson, lower school teachers have adopted Writer's Workshop as a format for teaching writing. Writer's Workshop provides a structure for writing instruction and the students appreciate the independent aspect of Writer's Workshop. Because students choose their own topic, they are more invested in their writing. They feel like REAL WRITERS!

There are several components to Writer's Workshop: Teachers generally begin by reading a children's book as part of a mini-lesson. The class would then think about the book, focusing on one of these traits: Ideas and Content, Word Choice, Organization, Conventions, Sentence Fluency, and Voice. The class might then write a short story together, look at other writing samples, or participate in an activity designed to allow for practice in identifying and applying the trait. Next comes the kids' favorite part of Writer's Workshop - QUIET TEN. During this time soft music is playing and all students write. This is uninterrupted writing time, and it is a magical time of day in the first grade classroom! After this writing time most students continue to write independently, but some children will also be conferring with teachers or participating in a small group lesson. At some point during the day we also have Author's Chair - an opportunity for students to share their writing. Kids might share at any point in their writing - not just when a piece is considered to be "done". This allows peers to give feedback and ask questions that might prompt the author to improve his/her story in some way.

The Phonics Dance

The Phonics Dance is not actually a "dance", but a program that uses movement and rhyme to teach students individual sounds and letter combinations. Ginny Dowd, creator of the Phonics Dance, stresses Six Steps to Literacy Learning in the Primary Grades:
Sound Attack ~ Daily review and introduction of consonants, short and long vowels, and variant vowel sounds
Word Wall ~ Daily review and introduction of high frequency words in association with Language Arts concepts
Creative Writing ~ Student writing (both fiction and non-fiction) composed on a daily basis in correlation with weekly themes
Student/Teacher Conferencing ~ Revising and Editing - immediate feedback on student writing with emphasis on structure, spelling, and punctuation
Treacherous (unreliable) Word Training ~ Teaching the eyes to look for big "hunks" and "chunks" and parts of words in the decoding process
Reading ~ Daily practice - guided, independent, choral or partner reading with literature that is teacher chosen or student selected

Daily 5 and CAFE

Daily 5 is the independent portion of literacy learning. The structure of the Daily 5 encourages students to take responsibility for their own reading and writing experiences. Teachers teach mini-lessons, and conference with students both individually and in small groups, then the children are expected to put these lessons into action. The 5 components of Daily 5 are: Read to Self, Read to Someone, Listen to Reading, Work on Writing, and Word Work. Realistically 1D students will do more of a Daily 3, but throughout the week each student will work on all of these components at some time. Read to Self is a daily expectation. To learn more about The Daily 5, you can check out this website: Daily 5

The literacy CAFE menu provides a way to assess students participating in the Daily 5, and it uses the acronym CAFE to help children understand four important components of literacy learning. The CAFE "menu" lists specific strategies to help children improve in each of the these 4 areas.

C ~ Comprehension - I understand what I read.
A ~ Accuracy - I can read the words.
F ~ Fluency - I can read smoothly with few errors and understand what I read.
E ~ Expand Vocabulary - I know, find, and use interesting words.