FOR THE GROWN-UPS BEHIND THE LITTLE EXPLORERS

Grade 1

Grade 1. Practical activities for children ages 6–7: letters, counting, shapes, colors, science, and social learning, with examples and tips for parents.

Ideas to try together

All articles Letters & reading Numbers & math Shapes & spatial thinking Colors & creativity Science & discovery Feelings & social learning Family learning routines Age & stage guides Materials & format comparisons Activity shortlists & rankings

Finding the Last Sound in a Word

Letters & reading

Finding the Last Sound in a Word

Listen carefully to the final sound instead of the initial one. Map ends in /p/ and sun ends in /n/.

Short Vowel Listening with Picture Pairs

Letters & reading

Short Vowel Listening with Picture Pairs

Compare the middle vowel sound in a simple spoken word. Cap and cup differ in their middle sounds.

Building CVC Words with Paper Tiles

Letters & reading

Building CVC Words with Paper Tiles

Connect a sequence of three sounds to a short printed word. Map can become mat when p changes to t.

Digraph Detective: Two Letters, One Sound

Letters & reading

Digraph Detective: Two Letters, One Sound

Notice that some letter pairs represent one sound. Sh at the start of ship represents one sound.

High-Frequency Word Practice in a Tiny Sentence

Letters & reading

High-Frequency Word Practice in a Tiny Sentence

Recognize a useful word inside meaningful connected print. I can hop uses can in a sentence the child can act out.

Making a Missing-Letter Puzzle That Has One Answer

Letters & reading

Making a Missing-Letter Puzzle That Has One Answer

Use a known word and picture to choose one missing letter. C_t becomes cat when a fills the gap.

First-Grade Word Families with a Paper House

Letters & reading

First-Grade Word Families with a Paper House

Recognize a repeated spelling pattern across related words. Cat, hat, and mat share the written ending at.

Compound Words with Two Picture Cards

Letters & reading

Compound Words with Two Picture Cards

Combine two familiar words into one meaningful word. Sun and flower can join to make sunflower.

Sorting Words by Their First Letter

Letters & reading

Sorting Words by Their First Letter

Use the first printed letter as a consistent sorting rule. Apple and ant belong under A.

Retelling a Story with Three Simple Pictures

Letters & reading

Retelling a Story with Three Simple Pictures

Describe a beginning, middle, and ending in order. The character loses a toy, searches, and finds it.

Sentence Building with Who, Does, and What Cards

Letters & reading

Sentence Building with Who, Does, and What Cards

Assemble a simple sentence that communicates a complete idea. Mia carries the bag has a who, a does, and a what.

Reading Punctuation with Expression

Letters & reading

Reading Punctuation with Expression

Use end punctuation as a cue for spoken meaning. We found it. and We found it! can sound different.

Choosing a Just-Right Shared Reading Challenge

Letters & reading

Choosing a Just-Right Shared Reading Challenge

Adjust a reading activity without treating a child’s pace as a race. A familiar animal topic can reduce the effort of understanding new print.

Counting On from a Known Number

Counting On from a Known Number

Continue a count from an established total. Knowing there are four lets the next count begin at five.

Number Lines Made from Floor Tiles

Number Lines Made from Floor Tiles

Connect a move along a number line with a numerical change. Starting at 3 and moving two spaces forward lands on 5.

Skip Counting by Twos with Paired Socks

Skip Counting by Twos with Paired Socks

Count equal pairs as groups of two. Five pairs can be counted as 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.

Skip Counting by Fives with Hand Outlines

Skip Counting by Fives with Hand Outlines

Connect equal groups of five with a growing total. Three five-finger outlines represent fifteen fingers.

Tens and Ones with Bundled Paper Strips

Tens and Ones with Bundled Paper Strips

Compose a two-digit number from tens and ones. One bundle and four loose strips represent fourteen.

Teen Numbers as Ten and Some More

Teen Numbers as Ten and Some More

Distinguish teen quantities using a full ten and extra ones. Sixteen means a group of ten and six more.

Equal Sharing with Crayons

Equal Sharing with Crayons

Distribute objects so each recipient receives the same amount. Six crayons shared equally between two toys gives three each.

Doubles Facts with Matching Towers

Doubles Facts with Matching Towers

Connect two equal groups with a doubles addition fact. A tower of four beside another four represents double four.

Measuring Length with Equal Paper Clips

Measuring Length with Equal Paper Clips

Measure by repeating the same unit without gaps. A pencil can be described as six paper clips long.

Reading Whole Hours on a Homemade Clock

Reading Whole Hours on a Homemade Clock

Connect the hour hand’s position with an exact hour. At 3:00 the short hand points to 3 and the long hand to 12.

Making a Simple Picture Graph of Family Choices

Making a Simple Picture Graph of Family Choices

Represent one response with one picture marker. Each family vote for apples or bananas adds one square.