Kim Madison, a teacher at Oak Grove Elementary in Peachtree City, Ga., loves teaching 1st graders because they are so thrilled when they catch on to something abstract. Writing is also important as students learn to put together complete sentences and even full paragraphs, though their handwriting may be sloppy and spelling may be.creative. Today’s 1st grade students employ different strategies based on their learning style, but the goal is for them to become proud, confident, and happy readers. Many 1st graders will also be taught to recognize dozens of familiar words just by sight. Students may also learn to look for clues in the illustrations and elsewhere in the passage to figure out unfamiliar words, a method called whole language. This method, known as phonics, enables kids to figure out a word when there are no context clues. The reading curriculum will vary depending on the state, school district, principal, and teacher, but most 1st graders will be taught to break down words by learning the sounds each letter and combination of letters makes. This is a great opportunity to work on critical thinking skills, and it helps the child get used to a homework routine and ready for the day when homework becomes a more solitary endeavor. In 1st grade, teachers often assign short homework tasks to be completed with help from a parent. After reading the classic fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears, for example, Fernandes Williams would ask, “Should Goldilocks have gone into the house?” Such strategies help children learn to be critical thinkers, she says, noting that while it’s important to figure out the words on the paper, it’s even more important to process what they mean. She says 1st graders like to make up new endings for stories and share their opinions about what characters should have done. “It gets their young minds ready for the words.” Is it fiction? Is it an informational article? “Be explicit,” Fernandes Williams says. Students also respond well to discussions about the type of story. “Talk about what they think is going to happen,” Fernandes Williams suggests. Parents can seize on that to motivate their kids to read.
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