As a first grade teacher, your word list might look like this: dab, did, dad, sad, lid, slid, list, slit, bid, bits, tad, dill, lad, cat, cast. Notice that not every word includes the target sound, as many sounds as possible have been used, and both simple and complex syllables are included. Your lesson should also include a sentence or two to practice reading fluently with real text.

Let’s look into Ms. Bains’ classroom to see how she introduces a new sound to her students:

If your district’s reading program includes devices to help children remember sounds, use them.Although it might be appealing initially to use more linguistically descriptive or intuitive devices, avoid doing so. Your students probably have prior knowledge with the devices used in their program and will probably use them the following year. It is probably best to introduce your own devices only in the absence of any such assistance built into your reading program.

Kindergarten teachers use a variety of methods to teach students this skill, including discussing letters found in children’s names, examining letters individually and talking about their features (some letters are written with circles and others are written with sticks, for instance), having students trace the shape of formations (with pencil and paper, in the air, with their finger on sandpaper cut-outs), and always connecting the visual representation of the letter with its name (A, B, C, etc.).

Blend Syllables

eaching the alphabetic principle (the idea that written spellings represent spoken words

many children will need review of the most complex of these

Have students read the same passage re peatedly to improve rate and accuracy

accuracy and fluenc

Before reading, you should develop your students’ prior knowledge by allowing them to share their knowledge of the subject and giving the class important information they will require to make sense of the text.

develop strategies for utilizing the steps of the writing process so that their final product displays their ideas in the best manner possible

develop strategies for utilizing the steps of the writing process so that their final product displays their ideas in the best manner possible

the teacher can plan backwards

It is your responsibility to catch your students up to state and district standards,

Kindergarten ers should come to under stand that print carries meaning and that they are rapidly becoming ca pable of determining what that meaning is.

key task of the kindergarten teacher is to build students’ motivation to read books

For many children, first grade is the time when they move from “pretend reading” to conventional reading.

First graders should write complete sentences that employ basic punctuation and capitalization.

he mid-elementary teacher’s challenge therefore is to quickly identify those students who need remediation

have access to standardized test data

Phonological Awareness Tests

Phonics Surveys.