Letters & reading
1st gradeFinding 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/.
10 min readFOR THE GROWN-UPS BEHIND THE LITTLE EXPLORERS
Letters & reading · Grade 1
Letters & reading · Grade 1. Practical activities for children ages 6–7: letters, counting, shapes, colors, science, and social learning, with examples and tips for parents.
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13 guides to explore
Letters & reading
1st gradeShort Vowel Listening with Picture Pairs
Compare the middle vowel sound in a simple spoken word. Cap and cup differ in their middle sounds.
9 min read
Letters & reading
1st gradeBuilding 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.
10 min readLetters & reading
1st gradeDigraph Detective: Two Letters, One Sound
Notice that some letter pairs represent one sound. Sh at the start of ship represents one sound.
9 min read
Letters & reading
1st gradeHigh-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.
10 min readLetters & reading
1st gradeMaking 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.
9 min readLetters & reading
1st gradeFirst-Grade Word Families with a Paper House
Recognize a repeated spelling pattern across related words. Cat, hat, and mat share the written ending at.
9 min read
Letters & reading
1st gradeCompound Words with Two Picture Cards
Combine two familiar words into one meaningful word. Sun and flower can join to make sunflower.
9 min readLetters & reading
1st gradeSorting Words by Their First Letter
Use the first printed letter as a consistent sorting rule. Apple and ant belong under A.
9 min readLetters & reading
1st gradeRetelling a Story with Three Simple Pictures
Describe a beginning, middle, and ending in order. The character loses a toy, searches, and finds it.
9 min readLetters & reading
1st gradeSentence 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.
9 min readLetters & reading
1st gradeReading Punctuation with Expression
Use end punctuation as a cue for spoken meaning. We found it. and We found it! can sound different.
9 min readLetters & reading
1st gradeChoosing 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.
10 min read