Teaching first graders to read is important to their education.Beginning with learning phonemic awareness and ending with children being able to comprehend the meaning of the words, reading is a step-by-step process.The skills your first graders need to read in groups and on their own will be improved by practicing sight words and rules.
Step 1: Go over letters and sounds with your phonemic awareness skills.
Kids need to know which sounds their letters make before they can form words.Say the name and sound of each letter of the alphabet.It is a good idea to do this individually with each student so you know which letters and sounds they need help with.Consonants, short vowels, long vowels and digraphs are letter sounds.You might say that the letter R makes the sound of a rat.
Step 2: Help students learn to 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 be learing 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.Bake is an example of how 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 phonics rule.
Step 4: The word families should be taught to learn rhyming words.
It teaches them that there are patterns in words and that beginning sounds can be changed to change the meaning of words.For example, words that end in "-un" might be run, sun, fun, bun, nun, or spun.The word families teach is "-ip."
Step 5: Go over sight words.
Your first graders will encounter sight words a lot.Many of them are difficult to sound out because they don't follow traditional rules.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 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 included in the reading lessons.
Spelling is not the most important tool to teach reading, but it will help your first graders read the word correctly.Write out words that correspond with the rules you are learning, or have your first graders write down words they are having trouble reading.First graders can practice spelling and saying words by writing them out in a word family.When your first graders are able to read sight words, instead of showing them them, say it out loud and ask them to write it down.
Step 7: Learning to read is made more interactive by using 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 will improve their reading skills.Ask the children to say each letter and its sound with a few magnets.They might be struggling to remember some of the 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 so that they can choose texts.
Before you pick out books for your first graders to read, it is important to know which level they are on 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 use an online search engine to find out.
Step 9: For independent reading, choose texts below each student.
It is important that your first graders are able to sound out their words on their own.Pick books that don't trip them up and include words or sounds that they can figure out on their own.If students are reading their own books in the classroom, you can ask them to whisper and listen.If you're using a specific reading program, they will likely 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: To help with comprehension, ask questions about the reading.
When students are reading a text aloud to you, ask questions about what is happening.First graders can improve their comprehension skills by paying attention to what they are reading and understanding 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: Students will be introduced to new vocabulary when they 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 if they read 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 you test their reading to see if they need to stay on the same reading level or move up, you can have them read to you individually.
Step 14: To get them excited about reading, select texts that are engaging.
It will be hard for you 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 they find interesting to get them engaged and motivated 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 are included in some engaging texts.