HELP YOUR CHILD BEGIN TO READ
FIRST GRADE
Presented by Nyack PIE.
Box 167
Nyack, NY
845-358-2033
nyackpie.org
WHAT TO EXPECT IN FIRST GRADE
Here is some of what you can expect your first grade child to be doing by the end of the year:
Know the sounds that each letter makes
Use the sounds that letters make to read a new word (b - a - t = bat).
Recognize words that are used a lot but can’t be sounded out (they, because, want).
Read simple books: Are You My Mother? Just Me and My Puppy
Use capital letters at the beginning of a sentence and for names. Use simple punctuation ( . ! ? )
Write 2 or 3 sentences on a topic.
Read own writing
Read without help for 10 to 15 minutes.
Talk about a book: who’s in it, where it happened, and what happened in the beginning, middle and end.
Use title and pictures to predict what will happen in a story
By the end of First Grade, your child should be able to recognize his or her own name and 100 basic words (ask the teacher for a list). 25 books will be read to him in school.
HOW YOUR CHILD WILL BE TAUGHT
Your child’s First Grade teacher will teach reading in a number of different ways. These will include:
guiding your child in small reading groups
teaching your child to look for and use spelling patterns in reading and writing
helping your child understand and think about what has been read
reading aloud to your child
WHAT YOU CAN DO AT HOME TO HELP
You are your child’s first teacher. No matter how well you read or what language you speak, you are already helping. As your child learns, give praise. If they forget, don’t worry. Learning should be something they want to do. Many experts say that First Grade is the most important time when it comes to your child learning to read.
Talk to your child. That’s how they learn language. Talk about what you see and hear. Explore how things work. You are a role model!
Teach the seasons, the names of the days and the months in their correct order.
Play simple word games. (“How many words can we think of that begin like three, throw, thread?” “What rhymes with camp?”) Make learning language fun.
Read to your child as often as you can. Or, get a book on tape, go to library programs, or have an older brother or sister read.
Stop and talk about what you just read.
Get your child a library card. (It’s free!) Visit the library or other places where people read aloud. Show how we use reading all the time: point out words and letters on signs, cereal boxes, ads, etc.
Listen to your child read aloud as often as you can. Encourage them to read to others and to read on their own.
Practice the sounds of letters. (Not their alphabet names but the sounds they make.) Once your child has learned the sounds, help her make words. Help her sound out words she doesn’t know.
Encourage your child to draw and write, and let them read their writing to you.
Have your child explain the meaning of compound words (backpack), homophones (sea/see) and contractions (cannot/can’t).
If your child’s homework is making you both crazy, talk to your child’s teacher. The goal is for your child to be able to think about what he or she has read and to enjoy reading. Children learn at different ages and at different speeds. Make sure you ask the school to show you how your child’s progress in reading is measured throughout the year. If you have questions, or want some suggestions for good books your child can read, call Nyack PIE at 358-2033.
