Reading Foundation
First grade reading instruction follows a systematic phonics approach that builds from individual letter sounds to fluent reading of connected text. Students learn to decode words accurately and automatically, developing the foundation for lifelong reading success.
Year-End Reading Goals
- Master all 44 phonemes (letter sounds) in English
- Blend sounds fluently to read CVC and simple CVCE words
- Read 100+ sight words automatically without sounding out
- Read simple sentences with expression and understanding
- Decode unfamiliar words using phonics skills independently
- Answer questions about what they read
- Self-correct when reading doesn't make sense
36-Week Reading Curriculum
First Quarter (Weeks 1-9): Letters and Sounds
Week 1: Letter Recognition
Uppercase and lowercase letters A-E, letter formation, alphabetical order
Week 2: First Sounds
Letters F-J, beginning sounds in words, sound-letter matching
Week 3: Building Sound Knowledge
Letters K-O, identifying sounds in spoken words, rhyming
Week 4: More Letters and Sounds
Letters P-T, segmenting words into sounds, blending practice
Week 5: Completing the Alphabet
Letters U-Z, all single consonant and short vowel sounds
Week 6: Short Vowel A
CVC words with short A (cat, hat, map), word families -at, -an, -ap
Week 7: Short Vowel I
CVC words with short I (sit, big, win), word families -it, -ig, -in
Week 8: Short Vowel O
CVC words with short O (hot, dog, top), word families -ot, -og, -op
Week 9: Reading Simple Words
Review and fluency practice with CVC words, first sight words
Second Quarter (Weeks 10-18): Word Building
Week 10: Short Vowel U
CVC words with short U (cup, run, bus), word families -ut, -un, -ug
Week 11: Short Vowel E
CVC words with short E (bed, hen, net), word families -et, -en, -ed
Week 12: Consonant Blends L
Beginning blends with L (bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl) in words
Week 13: Consonant Blends R
Beginning blends with R (br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr) in words
Week 14: Consonant Blends S
Beginning blends with S (sc, sk, sm, sn, sp, st, sw) in words
Week 15: Ending Blends
Final consonant blends (nd, nt, st, lt, mp, nk) in words
Week 16: Digraphs SH and CH
Two letters, one sound: sh (ship) and ch (chip), reading and spelling
Week 17: Digraphs TH and WH
th (thin, that) and wh (when, where), distinguishing sounds
Week 18: Reading Phrases
Combining words into phrases, high-frequency sight words
Third Quarter (Weeks 19-27): Fluent Decoding
Week 19: Long Vowel A (Silent E)
Magic E words: make, cake, name, reading CVCE patterns
Week 20: Long Vowel I (Silent E)
Magic E words: bike, time, smile, comparing short and long I
Week 21: Long Vowel O (Silent E)
Magic E words: home, note, bone, comparing short and long O
Week 22: Long Vowel U (Silent E)
Magic E words: cute, huge, tube, comparing short and long U
Week 23: Vowel Teams AI and AY
Two letters for long A sound: rain, day, play, may
Week 24: Vowel Teams EA and EE
Two letters for long E sound: read, tree, see, bee
Week 25: Vowel Teams OA and OW
Two letters for long O sound: boat, show, grow, snow
Week 26: Reading Simple Sentences
Connected text with learned patterns, sight word integration
Week 27: Fluency Building
Repeated reading, expression, phrasing, reading rate
Fourth Quarter (Weeks 28-36): Reading Comprehension
Week 28: Story Elements
Characters, setting, beginning-middle-end in simple stories
Week 29: Main Idea
What the story is mostly about, supporting details
Week 30: Making Predictions
Using pictures and text clues to predict what happens next
Week 31: Fact vs. Fiction
Real vs. make-believe, distinguishing types of texts
Week 32: Following Directions
Reading and following written instructions step-by-step
Week 33: Vocabulary Building
Using context clues, learning new words from reading
Week 34: Independent Reading
Choosing appropriate books, reading for enjoyment
Week 35: Reading Assessment
Oral reading fluency, comprehension check, sight word mastery
Week 36: Celebrating Reading Success
Sharing favorite books, demonstrating reading growth
Our Reading Philosophy
Systematic Phonics
Students learn letter-sound relationships in a logical sequence, building skills systematically from simple to complex.
Explicit Instruction
Each skill is taught directly and clearly, with plenty of guided practice before independent application.
Meaningful Texts
Students read stories that celebrate heroism, achievement, and positive values while practicing their skills.
Fluency Focus
We emphasize accuracy first, then build speed and expression so reading becomes automatic and enjoyable.