What does reading look like in first grade?
There are many facets of reading instruction and practice in the first grade classroom. Each child practices targeted skills to climb the steps toward greater proficiency as a reader. Each reader strives toward their individualized reading goal at their own pace, with their own unique interests and motivating factors guiding them along.
In L10, we think of it like a staircase. Each step represents a 'level' of reading proficiency that can be characterized by the types or titles of books that are "just right" for that reading level. For example, a child who is independently reading (i.e. can fully understand the story while reading fluently and accurately) a "just right" book along the lines of "Fox & Friends" will select books for their independent practice that are at or close to the same level of difficulty as this series.
There are many facets of reading instruction and practice in the first grade classroom. Each child practices targeted skills to climb the steps toward greater proficiency as a reader. Each reader strives toward their individualized reading goal at their own pace, with their own unique interests and motivating factors guiding them along.
In L10, we think of it like a staircase. Each step represents a 'level' of reading proficiency that can be characterized by the types or titles of books that are "just right" for that reading level. For example, a child who is independently reading (i.e. can fully understand the story while reading fluently and accurately) a "just right" book along the lines of "Fox & Friends" will select books for their independent practice that are at or close to the same level of difficulty as this series.
Concurrently, this same child is reading books slightly above that level of difficulty with guidance from a teacher in the context of book club, or guided small group reading instruction.
The multiple forms of reading that occur during the language arts periods in our daily schedule include:
- Partner reading - a strategically chosen partner tracks the words as the student reads and acts as a coach, and vice versa
- Whole-class reading instruction - all students practice a similar skill but within their own reading levels, e.g. "stop & jot" (every so often while reading the student stops and jots down their thoughts, questions and reactions to the text on a sticky note)
- Read-alouds - the teacher reads a book that is potentially well above the student's independent reading level and guides their understanding of the story. Read-alouds are often utilized for pure enjoyment, and with attention to bigger picture themes in high quality literature. They also lend themselves to context-based vocabulary instruction
- One-on-one reading with a teacher - in our class we call these 'reading meetings' where I confer with the student on their progress toward their reading goal, giving a specific objective to work on after listening to their reading with this in mind
- Guided reading - referred to as 'book club' in our class, offers teacher-guided practice in a small group setting. Students read copies of the same text, chosen specifically for the elements it contains that serve the shared goals of the group. For example, a group with the goal of deepening their reading comprehension works on identifying character traits and predicting outcomes while reading "My Father's Dragon." Another group works on enhancing their fluency by paying deliberate attention to punctuation and dialogue while reading "Uncle Elephant".
The role of motivation in reading
Many factors go into motivation to read. I have taken a keen interest in this aspect of teaching reading. There are a few lessons I've learned (so far) as an elementary teacher about this:
1) Children are motivated by choice. There is research to support that students achieve higher levels of success in reading when they are supported in pursuing their personal interests.
2) Children are motivated by relevancy. We (teachers) must select texts that are engaging to the students in front of us. This means staying on top of current trends and interests of young children today, and continuously refreshing our book selections to reflect what is relevant, interesting and attractive to our students.
3) Children are motivated when they believe their teachers value them for who they are. This means that as a teacher, the more I listen to, observe and appreciate the student as an individual, the better I can individualize their learning experience at school and nurture an environment of fun in the classroom.
4) Students are better motivated when they own their current reading level, take part in formulating their goals, and take pride in their strengths. Supporting this process starts with the first day of school and is ongoing all year long. Students sometimes enter first grade with the notion that they are not a reader yet, when in actuality they are able to read (and are therefore a reader!) When students focus solely on the next step (e.g. I'll be a reader when I read chapter books, or when I read Harry Potter on my own), they miss the opportunity to celebrate their current reading abilities and reflect on how far they've come. It has been helpful to provide visual support with this in the form of the staircase metaphor. For example, if a student has read "Frog and Toad" for the first time, I might show this book title as a middle step on the staircase, and show a less challenging book the child was reading at the beginning of the year as a step further down. The conversation might sound something like this:
Teacher: "See how you went up two steps already? You are working hard at practicing and it is paying off!"
Student: "I didn't think I could read that book when I was just starting first grade. Now I can read it!"
To summarize, reading takes many forms in the first grade classroom. We look at reading proficiency like a puzzle, where the pieces include decoding, accuracy, fluency and comprehension. We structure reading instruction in many ways, each offering its own ways to practice certain skills or to enjoy reading for different purposes. We cultivate a lifelong love of literature by planting these seeds early in the child's education journey.
Happy reading everyone!
Many factors go into motivation to read. I have taken a keen interest in this aspect of teaching reading. There are a few lessons I've learned (so far) as an elementary teacher about this:
1) Children are motivated by choice. There is research to support that students achieve higher levels of success in reading when they are supported in pursuing their personal interests.
2) Children are motivated by relevancy. We (teachers) must select texts that are engaging to the students in front of us. This means staying on top of current trends and interests of young children today, and continuously refreshing our book selections to reflect what is relevant, interesting and attractive to our students.
3) Children are motivated when they believe their teachers value them for who they are. This means that as a teacher, the more I listen to, observe and appreciate the student as an individual, the better I can individualize their learning experience at school and nurture an environment of fun in the classroom.
4) Students are better motivated when they own their current reading level, take part in formulating their goals, and take pride in their strengths. Supporting this process starts with the first day of school and is ongoing all year long. Students sometimes enter first grade with the notion that they are not a reader yet, when in actuality they are able to read (and are therefore a reader!) When students focus solely on the next step (e.g. I'll be a reader when I read chapter books, or when I read Harry Potter on my own), they miss the opportunity to celebrate their current reading abilities and reflect on how far they've come. It has been helpful to provide visual support with this in the form of the staircase metaphor. For example, if a student has read "Frog and Toad" for the first time, I might show this book title as a middle step on the staircase, and show a less challenging book the child was reading at the beginning of the year as a step further down. The conversation might sound something like this:
Teacher: "See how you went up two steps already? You are working hard at practicing and it is paying off!"
Student: "I didn't think I could read that book when I was just starting first grade. Now I can read it!"
To summarize, reading takes many forms in the first grade classroom. We look at reading proficiency like a puzzle, where the pieces include decoding, accuracy, fluency and comprehension. We structure reading instruction in many ways, each offering its own ways to practice certain skills or to enjoy reading for different purposes. We cultivate a lifelong love of literature by planting these seeds early in the child's education journey.
Happy reading everyone!