Grade 1 expectations
New York State learning standards outline what a student should know and be able to do by the end of the grade level. There are also additional skills that a well-rounded student should possess. Listed below are examples of academic expectations for first grade students. These should be viewed holistically and are not meant to determine promotion or retention; a student may demonstrate or be on track for proficiency without having mastered every skill. Teachers intervene as appropriate to support skills development.
- Blend and segment sounds in spoken, one-syllable words (e.g., cat=/k/ /a/ /t/)
- Know two letter combinations that make a new sound (e.g., sh, th, ph, ch)
- Read regularly spelled, one-syllable words (e.g., tock, sit, run)
- Use understanding that syllables must have vowel sounds to determine the number of syllables in words (e.g., back/pack)
- Know final -e rule and common vowel teams (e.g., oo, ea)
- Read words with inflectional endings (e.g., -s, -es, -ed, -ing)
- Read with enough accuracy and fluency to support comprehension
- Identify and retell key ideas, reasons, supporting details and central message
- Identify text features and story structure
- Read and understand grade 1 literature and informational texts
- Follow agreed-upon rules of conversation (e.g., take turns speaking)
- Ask/answer questions to demonstrate understanding of texts read aloud
- Speak in complete sentences when appropriate
- Determine the meaning of unknown or multiple-meaning words in grade 1 texts
- Sort words into categories (e.g., colors, clothing, spelling patterns)
- Define words by category and key attributes (e.g., a duck is a bird that swims)
- Recognize shades of meaning in vocabulary terms (large vs gigantic)
- Form upper- and lower-case letters legibly
- Use parts of speech appropriately when writing and speaking
- Use end punctuation (e.g., periods, question marks)
- Spell words with common spelling patterns (e,g., top) and irregular high frequency words (e,g., the)
- Write an opinion piece and supply a reason for the opinion
- Write an informative piece and provide facts about the topic
- Write a narrative and sequence events
- Grade Level Fluencies: Add and subtract within 10
- Geometry
- Reason with shapes and their attributes
- Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems
- Understand and apply properties of operations
- Add and subtract within 20
- Number and Operations in Base Ten
- Count up to 120
- Use understanding of place value and properties of operations to add and subtract
- Measurement and Data
- Measure lengths using repeated objects as units
- Tell and write time to the nearest half hour
- Recognize and identify coins, their names and their values
- Solve problems representing and interpreting data
- Understand and apply scientific concepts related to Physical, Earth, and/or Life Science
- Use scientific equipment to take scientific measurements, including units
- Recognize that objects have properties that can be observed, described and/or measured (e.g., length, width, volume, size, etc.)
- Make measurements using nonstandard units and standard metric units
- Use scientific inquiry to demonstrate understanding of the scientific process and science concepts
- Develop awareness of America’s rich cultural diversity to foster understanding
- Recognize forms of evidence in social studies (e.g., photos, artifacts, maps)
- Use family history to examine and organize sources of information
- Use globes and maps to examine location
- Understand concepts of geography, economics and history that apply to families
- Understand that students are citizens of their local and global communities
- Understand that there are local, state and national levels of government and identify some actions that governments take
- Make independent decisions guided by the elements/principles of art
- Develop technical skills, select materials/tools/media to serve creative intent
- Create, observe, explore, identify and discuss artistic concepts connecting to a theme and/or various world cultures
- Maintain tone, pitch, rhythm, tempo and dynamics while singing
- Use instruments to create and perform music
- Create, demonstrate, interpret and discuss musical ideas such as melody, rhythm, harmony, form and style from various world cultures for a specific purpose
- Perform basic motor and manipulative skills and movement patterns
- Show competence in a variety of physical activities
- Demonstrate safe and responsible personal and social behavior
Keep your child engaged at home
The following are simple every day activities you can do at home and in the world to help support what your child is learning during the school day.
- Read to your student every day; choose books with rich vocabulary that are about two levels more difficult than your student could read without help. Ask questions about the text.
- Listen to your student read aloud; choose books with simple, easy to sound out words while they are first learning.
- Help your student practice high frequency words using word lists from school.
- Look for patterns and practice sorting words into categories (e.g., shape, color, size, type).
- Practice sorting assigned spelling words into patterns (e.g., words that end in –at, words that start with sh-).
- Expect your child to write each day; ask him or her to use the strategies being learned in school.
- Practice adding and subtracting within 10 by using flash cards.
- Pose addition and subtraction problems to your child verbally, expecting a quick response.
- Ask your student to name and tell the value of coins.
