Teaching first graders to read is important to their education.The process of reading begins with learning phonemic awareness and ends with children being able to comprehend the meaning of the words they read.The skills your first graders need to read in groups and on their own will be improved by practicing sight words.
Step 1: Go over letters and sounds to strengthen phonemic awareness.
Kids need to know which sounds their letters make before they can form words.Take a look at each letter of the alphabet and say its name and sound.It is a good idea to do this individually with each student so you know which letters and sounds they need help with.Letter sounds include vowels and digraphs.You might say that the sound of the letter R is similar to that of a rat.
Step 2: Help students decode words by sounding them out.
First graders should be taught to string their sounds together when they see them form a word.If you show them how to start from the left, they will be able to complete the word.If your first graders are having trouble stringing each sound together to form the full word, encourage them to sing.It helps prevent pauses between them.
Step 3: First graders need to lear important spelling patterns.
There are a lot of special rules when it comes to reading.First graders should look at groups of letters, not just individual sounds.To teach them special rules that will allow them to recognize a written word like bake and know how to pronounce it.A silent "e" can turn a short vowel into a long one.When a syllable has 2 vowels in it, the first one is long and the second is silent, it's an example of an important rule.
Step 4: Word families can be taught to learn rhyming words.
It teaches them that there are patterns in words and that beginning sounds can change the meaning of words, as well as helping them learn word endings much more quickly.For example, words that end in "-un" might be run, sun, fun, bun, nun or spun.There are other words that families teach.
Step 5: It's a good idea to go over sight words.
Your first graders will encounter sight words a lot.Many of them don't follow traditional rules for spelling.To help first graders memorize, make flashcards or write sight words on the board.First grade sight word lists can be found online.First graders are able to say a sight word without hesitation or having to sound it out.Encourage your students to write these words and say them out loud when they are learning them to remember them more easily.
Step 6: Spelling should be incorporated into reading lessons.
Spelling is not the most important tool to teach reading, but it will help your first graders read the words correctly.Write out words that correspond with the rules you are learning, or have your child write down words they are having trouble reading.First graders can practice spelling and saying words by writing out each word in a word family.When your first graders are able to read sight words, say it out loud and ask them to write it down.
Step 7: Learning to read can be made more interactive with hands-on activities.
Getting kids more physically involved in reading will make them more excited to learn.Pull out letter magnets and use them with your first graders to teach sounds.Any activity that gets them moving or that they can manipulate will improve their reading skills.Give each child a few magnets and ask them to say each letter and its sound.They might be struggling to remember the special rules that are in the songs.Students can jump from one word to the next if they write different sight words on flashcards and place them on the floor.
Step 8: First graders should be given reading level assessments to choose from.
Before you pick out books for your first graders to read, it is important to know which level they are at so you are not choosing books that are too difficult or easy for each reader.If you use a reading level assessment like Reading A-Z, you can give each student a text based on their level of reading.If you are working with students in small groups, place students with similar reading levels in the same groups.If the reading assessment said Johnny was at a level C, you would choose books that were at that level for him to read.If you don't know what your reading level is, you can type the book's name into an online search engine to find out.
Step 9: For independent reading, choose texts below the student's level of frustration.
It is important for your first graders to be able to sound out their words on their own.Choose books that don't trip them up and include words or sounds that they can figure out on their own.If students are reading on their own in the classroom, you might ask them to whisper so you can listen to them.If you're using a specific reading program, they will have texts for you to use that are labeled with their reading levels.If you're not using a reading program, you might encourage your child to read."Go!"P.D."Clifford the Big Red Dog" by Norman Bridwell is one of the books you'll want to check to make sure they coincide with their specific reading level.
Step 10: When your first graders are reading difficult texts, offer help.
When working 1-on-1 or in small groups, use texts that are more challenging than the ones they would read on their own.Listen to them read the texts to help them when they are struggling, as they might encounter tricky words in the book.It is a good place to start when doing group work if you choose a book that is one level above their independent reading level.
Step 11: Questions about the reading can help with comprehension.
When students are reading a text aloud to you, pause to ask questions about what is happening.First graders are learing how to pay attention to what they are reading and understand the meaning behind each sentence.Encourage kids to ask questions whenever they don't understand something, like "Why did the fox hide in the shed?" or "How do you think that made the brother feel?"
Step 12: To introduce students to new vocabulary, read aloud.
You can introduce new words and talk about comprehension with your first graders by reading to them.Pick out a book that is appropriate for your age and that talks about things you are learning about in class, such as the holiday or event you have discussed.Ask your first graders questions about the events and characters in the book to keep them interested.You can read books to your first graders like "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" or " Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon"
Step 13: Students can offer individualized help by reading to you 1-on-1.
It is a good time to listen to each of your students read to you and make note of any words they are stumped by or how quickly or slowly they're reading.Listen and offer support as they read.If they need to stay on the same reading level or move up, you can test their reading by having them read to you individually.
Step 14: To get them excited about reading, select texts that are engaging.
It will be harder to convince your first graders that reading is fun when you are reading boring texts.Choose books that are fun, silly, or related to a topic that they find interesting to read.Some days you might give your first graders a selection of 2 or 3 books that are their reading level and let them choose which one they would like to read.James Dean's books can be found in some engaging texts.