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A fun activity to engage with children at home is predicting what will happen in a book, show, or movie. For example, when reading a story, a parent can start by showing their child the front of the cover and asking questions about what they think will happen in the story. They can ask, "What do you predict will happen in the story?" After reading the story and comparing the prediction to the actual story's timeline, it is always fun to engage. A parent could also stop throughout the story to ask what their child thinks will happen next. These skills do not only emphasize reading comprehension but math skills as well.

The website below is an excellent resource for families to engage with. This website will help families better understand what comprehension includes and what activities they can engage in at home with their children. The resource will benefit young readers by providing suggestions and tips on how to be an active reader. It is beneficial for parents to be aware of how to support active reading, and this resource uplifts multiple things a parent can do with their child.

https://www.dpi.nc.gov/students-families/parents-corner/literacy-home-digital-childrens-reading-initiative/1st-grade/comprehension-1st-grade

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What is Comprehension?

Reading comprehension refers to the ability to understand what one reads. It is the ultimate goal of reading instruction. ( Definition from University of Oregon)

In 1st grade, readers can demonstrate a variety of comprehension skills including making predictions, retelling a story, and answering questions related to the story. They are also able to identify fiction from nonfiction texts and share their background knowledge of a topic prior to reading.

What Does it Look Like?

Learn how to actively read with children.

Practice Activities

Think Aloud: Make connections while reading to or with the child. Connect the story or information to the child's life experiences. Connect the book to other books the child has read. Connect the book to big ideas and lessons. See a Think Aloud example.

Check for Understanding: Ask questions to determine the child's understanding of the story or information read. Questions can be asked during reading and/or after reading. Watch Check for Understanding.

Story Charades: Act out a story silently to retell it in a creative way. Have the child guess which story you are acting out. Take turns acting out and guessing.

Comprehension Ball: Write comprehension elements (e.g., central message, lesson, characters, problem, solution) on a ball. Toss the ball to the child. The child describes the story element their right pointer finger (or other designated hand/finger) touches based on a book recently read.

Practice Activities (with Printables)
If you don't have a printer, your child's school will print these for you.
Retell Wheel for a Story: Support the child in retelling a story by using the questions provided on a retell wheel. Retell Wheel for a Story

Retell Wheel for Summarizing Information: Support the child in summarizing information learning from reading by completing sections of the retell wheel. Retell Wheel for Summarizing Information

Character Compare: Identify similarities and differences between characters by listing shared and unique characteristics. Character Compare

Picture the Character: Use a graphic organizer to describe characters from a recently read story. Picture the Character

Story Question Cube: Use a dice-like cube with questions on each side to review elements of a recently read story. Roll the cube and answer discuss the question on top. Story Question Cube

Online Activities

Storyline Online: This resource provides access to many illustrated read alouds narrated by famous individuals. Use the ABCs of Reading (ask questions, build vocabulary, and connect to the child's world) as you listen to the story with your child.

ABCs of Reading: This resource provides access to videos and explains the ABCs of Reading (ask questions, build vocabulary, and connect to the child's world.).

Interactive Read Alouds: This video provides information on interactive read alouds, including asking intentional questions, writing prompts, and drawing prompts.

When You Read to Me: This video shows a caregiver listening to a child read a book and asking questions to support oral language, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Story Elements: This Classroom Connect lesson teaches children how to identify story elements. Access an extension activity here.

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Reading comprehension refers to the ability to understand what one reads. It is the ultimate goal of reading instruction. ( Definition from University of Oregon) In 1st grade, readers can demonstrate a variety of comprehension skills including making predictions, retelling a story, and answering questions related to the story.

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Story maps are great tools to use in the classroom to support comprehension development (Comprehension, 2020). This activity can focus on defining characters, settings, events, problems, and resolutions in the story. Story mapping is an excellent opportunity to retell a story and work on reading strategies to understand the text. One example of story mapping is to draw the story out on a timeline. Have the students draw the main events in the story in order. It is helpful if they draw them in a straight line or connect each drawing with a line. Encourage them to include any character details in their drawings. For example, the color of the character's hair if it was shared in the text. It is also essential to prompt the students to highlight what the problem and solution were in the story. Have them share in small groups the story in their own words using their drawn story maps. For a child who needs additional support, ask them to draw three parts of the story. They can draw the beginning, middle, and end. An educator could also have these students draw only the main problem or resolution of the story. Students with fine motor difficulties could act the story out or retell their favorite part.

Another example is to have students answer simple questions while reading a book. Have a question book mark they need to refer to while reading the story. The bookmark can have different types of questions. Asking "right there" questions is a great way to engage first graders (Comprehension, 2020). The answers to these questions can be found in the text. For example, the question may be "Where is the story at?" with the answer being "the meadows,"  which was indicated in the text on the first page. Students with exceptionalities can be asked questions about the images or be asked questions right after they read the answer instead of reading the entire book and then asking the questions.

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It is excellent to reread books with children at home (Comprehension, 2020). Fluency takes much practice, and being able to reread a story a child likes can ensure they stay engaged with the text. With each new reading, children will begin to get more comfortable and be able to read easier and faster as time goes on. Other skills like expression may come in after reading a book a few more times. A parent sitting down with their child to hear them read will give the child confidence to work through the text and show their parent how comfortable they are with reading.

Pages 130 to 140 in this online guide will help parents have applicable activities to do to support fluency at home. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/southeast/pdf/REL_2021042.pdf

This resource provides ways to support and encourage fluency when the adult reads and when the child reads. It encourages the parent and the child to recognize their important roles. It also encourages the parent to recognize the child's readiness and provides valuable strategies to figure out where their child is and how to encourage them to lead some of the interactions when appropriate. The resources provide tips on reading and suggested questions to ask one's child to answer. The resource then has recommendations on supporting a child based on their interest and experiences. Lastly, it recognizes how to help a child self-monitor and self-correct, which could help children with different abilities.

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One way to support fluency in the classroom is through a dramatic read-aloud of a favorite class book. In this activity, students are grouped and get to pick a book they would like to read and act out loud. This activity can be lots of fun and pull on many developmental skills. Each child should have similar length passages and the same number of turns. Encourage the students to get creative, including dramatic voices and gestures to accompany the story. For students needing support, have them dramatically read a handful of sight words or create a more straightforward picture book to act out. Each page should have a picture and one or two words describing the picture.

According to the National Reading Panel, students' fluency benefits from guidance and feedback. A fun activity with students in the classroom is pairing up and reading together. While one student reads, the other listens and provides help and feedback after they are done reading. For children struggling with reading and may need more formal feedback, have them work with a teacher's aid or parent volunteer.

Lastly, another activity to support fluency is reviewing sentence structure and ensuring students understand commas, capitalize, semicolons, and quotations. For students needing additional support, provide these items through visuals and an example.

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Exposing a child to rich language at home is essential to their development. The more words children are exposed to daily correlate to future reading comprehension success (Shanahan, 2005). One way to do this is for a parent to talk about their day with their child using regular vocabulary and not limiting their words due to talking to a child.

One activity to engage a child in at home is recognizing sight words around them. This can be a fun activity if the closed captions are on during a show or when reading a book. It can also be a more formal activity at home. A parent can tape up different sight words in the house. They can prompt the child to find the sight words and describe what each means.

A website that will benefit families in developing vocabulary at home can be found at: https://www.dpi.nc.gov/students-families/parents-corner/literacy-home-digital-childrens-reading-initiative/1st-grade/vocabulary-1st-grade.

This website provides developmental information about vocabulary skills and what vocabulary skills are. The website also provides a video example of understanding vocabulary and how reading to one's child can genuinely benefit their vocabulary development.

This resource meets the reading needs of children with and without exceptionalities by indicating how families can provide practical ways throughout their day to support their child's vocabulary development. The website also includes different learning modalities, which can be extremely helpful to students with exceptionalities.

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What is Vocabulary?

Vocabulary refers to knowledge of the meanings of individual words being read. Vocabulary knowledge is important to a student's ability to read and comprehend what is read. ( Definition from University of Oregon)

In 1st grade, readers strive to learn many new words and their meanings. Growing vocabularies will help them academically and socially.

What Does it Look Like?

What does it look like to talk about vocabulary?

Practice Activities

Read to Build Vocabulary: While reading with the child, talk about the text, helping the child understand important vocabulary words in the story. Watch Read to Build Vocabulary.

Conversation in the Kitchen: Through conversation, use every day activities to build the child's language and vocabulary. Watch Conversation in the Kitchen.

Word Chain: Give the child a word and take turns brainstorming words that mean the same thing as the word that was named (e.g., big, huge, large). This game can also be played by brainstorming words that mean the opposite of the word that was named.

Add Details: Encourage the child to include details when talking and/or writing by asking for more information (e.g., I see a brown truck that delivers packages. vs. I see a truck). One way to encourage the child to include more details is by asking the child what they see, hear, smell, taste, and feel.

Practice Activities (with Printables)
If you don't have a printer, your child's school will print these for you.
Multiple Meaning Bugs: Connect multiple meanings to one word in this bug game. Multiple Meaning Bugs

Word Connection: Identify similarities and differences between the meanings of words. Word Connection

If the Word Fits: Use words in context with sentence cards. If the Word Fits

Four Square Vocabulary Map: Describe a word by completing a Four Square Vocabulary Map. Four Square Vocabulary Map

Action Word Ring Sort: Select words that describe a picture card. Action Word Ring Sort

Online Activities

Multiple Meaning Words: This activity includes matching sentences to demonstrate an understanding of words with multiple meanings.

Shades of Meaning: This activity has children select words that are related from a given group of words.

Word Smith: This game includes matching 3 sets of pictures to words read.

What Does This Mean?: This Classroom Connect lesson focuses on determining word meanings and identifying prefixes and base words. Extension Activity (optional)

What is Vocabulary?

Vocabulary refers to knowledge of the meanings of individual words being read. Vocabulary knowledge is important to a student's ability to read and comprehend what is read. ( Definition from University of Oregon)

In 1st grade, readers strive to learn many new words and their meanings. Growing vocabularies will help them academically and socially.

What Does it Look Like?

What does it look like to talk about vocabulary?

Practice Activities

Read to Build Vocabulary: While reading with the child, talk about the text, helping the child understand important vocabulary words in the story. Watch Read to Build Vocabulary.

Conversation in the Kitchen: Through conversation, use every day activities to build the child's language and vocabulary. Watch Conversation in the Kitchen.

Word Chain: Give the child a word and take turns brainstorming words that mean the same thing as the word that was named (e.g., big, huge, large). This game can also be played by brainstorming words that mean the opposite of the word that was named.

Add Details: Encourage the child to include details when talking and/or writing by asking for more information (e.g., I see a brown truck that delivers packages. vs. I see a truck). One way to encourage the child to include more details is by asking the child what they see, hear, smell, taste, and feel.

Practice Activities (with Printables)
If you don't have a printer, your child's school will print these for you.
Multiple Meaning Bugs: Connect multiple meanings to one word in this bug game. Multiple Meaning Bugs

Word Connection: Identify similarities and differences between the meanings of words. Word Connection

If the Word Fits: Use words in context with sentence cards. If the Word Fits

Four Square Vocabulary Map: Describe a word by completing a Four Square Vocabulary Map. Four Square Vocabulary Map

Action Word Ring Sort: Select words that describe a picture card. Action Word Ring Sort

Online Activities

Multiple Meaning Words: This activity includes matching sentences to demonstrate an understanding of words with multiple meanings.

Shades of Meaning: This activity has children select words that are related from a given group of words.

Word Smith: This game includes matching 3 sets of pictures to words read.

What Does This Mean?: This Classroom Connect lesson focuses on determining word meanings and identifying prefixes and base words. Extension Activity (optional)

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Vocabulary refers to knowledge of the meanings of individual words being read. Vocabulary knowledge is important to a student's ability to read and comprehend what is read. ( Definition from University of Oregon) In 1st grade, readers strive to learn many new words and their meanings. Growing vocabularies will help them academically and socially.

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A fun activity with first graders is doing a word scavenger hunt. For this activity, provide students with newspapers, magazines, or another print that can be cut. Have children either work in pairs or independently. The task will be to cut out any word they recognize, not only how to pronounce the word but knows the meaning. They then glue them on a piece of paper. Having them try to organize them in a sentence can also be fun. For students needing additional support, provide them with ten sight words and other vocabulary words. Have these kids find the words in the text and either cut or underline them. After they are done, have them sit down with a teacher's aide or the teacher and talk about the meanings of each of the words they found. Additionally, pair them up with another student and have them take turns verbally identifying words in the newspaper for learners who may need additional support. When they verbally notice a word but have difficulty indicating its meaning, their partner can help identify it. If both have trouble identifying the meaning, the educator should provide a sentence with the word.

Another activity is to make a word map. Place one focus word in the middle. The students could draw a bubble or frame around it. After identifying their words, they will need to write all the meanings they know for the word around the center. They should connect the definitions to the word in the middle. Encourage them to use one or two words for their definitions. Have children who may need additional support draw what the word means to them. After all, students have completed their map, create a classroom map for the word and have students write their definitions and meanings on it.

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Decoding practice should be included in phonic instruction and used outside of textual reading.

One activity can be to label the furniture in the classroom with magnets or another material, so each letter is on its piece. This is so the letters can be manipulated. Have the students work in small groups to find the words and then break the word apart into individual sounds. Each student needs to identify the letter sounds. For students who need additional support, pair them up with a buddy and have them repeat the sounds after their buddy says them out loud. Children who may need additional support with each sound can brainstorm with their groups what words start with each letter in the word. For example, for the word table, they could say T for taco, a for apple, b for the ball...

The second activity will focus on matching the letter sounds to the written letter. Label 26 containers with the letters of the alphabet. You can use bins or paper bags or make tape boxes on the floor or table. Then provide 10 to 20 objects or printed photos of objects for your students to sort. The student should choose one object, to begin with, name it, recognize the initial sound, and then place the object or picture in the corresponding container. For example, if the object is a ball, the student will recognize the b as the initial sound and put the object in the b container. For some students, limit how many objects are provided to sort and limit the number of containers used. Instead of focusing on all 26 letters, focus on the first 10. Also, it may be beneficial for some students to write the word on the back if it is a printed picture so they can visualize the letter with the sound.

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One activity parents and care providers can engage in with their children is finger-pointing while reading. Following along with one's fingers from left to right as one reads to a child is a fantastic skill to teach the child. The more a parent engages in this skill, the more likely the child will begin to imitate this action (Phonological and phonemic awareness, 2020). Finger-pointing will allow the child to follow along, keep their spot in the text, and show how the spoken words connect to the written words in the book.

This activity will be beneficial to all new readers. It allows them to connect what a parent says to the written words. To help children with exceptionalities, encourage them to follow along with the adult's finger. This can help children who are struggling if this activity is done each time a parent reads with a child. Another way to help a child with exceptionalities is by pointing out the individual letters and their corresponding sound. Lengthening the sounds in the word to showcase each letters sound. Also, encouraging the child to look at the parent's lips and the movement of their mouth as they read a new word can help a child struggling with pronunciation.

An excellent resource for families can be found at https://www.homereadinghelper.org/activities/what-is-letter-knowledge/.

This resource shares more details about the 44 sounds that make up the English language and how to help support one's child at home. It also gives examples of including phonic practice in daily activities and play. Including play-based activities, especially at home, is vital for all learners. Play-based learning is foundational for a child's development (Shanahan, 2005). This resource also provides information on first-grade phonic goals and helps a parent notice and see where their child is at along the developmental continuum.

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Teaching Letter Sounds to Your Child | Letter Knowledge

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Learn about using letter sounds and letter knowledge to teach your child to read in this short video from Home Reading Helper.

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One at-home activity that would engage families in phonemic awareness is called Syllable Shopping (Essential components of reading, n.d.). This activity is done at the grocery store. As the family shops, the parent asks the child to identify the syllables in the food names they put in the basket. For example, if they put an eggplant in the basket, the child will need to say there are two syllables; egg and plant. The parent could help their child figure it out by clapping the syllables with them. Each syllable is a clap, and the child needs to count claps. Phonemic awareness includes the ability to count the syllables in words. This is a functional opportunity for the child to engage and showcases opportunities to engage in literacy in every setting (Phonological and phonemic awareness, 2020). This activity is also reasonable practice for the child as they use their phonemic awareness in the real world.

A great website that will assist families in supporting phonemic awareness at home is Read Rockets, a reading guide (https://www.readingrockets.org/reading-101-guide-parents/first-grade/phonological-and-phonemic-awareness-activities-your-first-grader). This resource provides multiple activities to try at home with a first grader to work on phonemic awareness skills. It also showcases phonemic awareness and how to speak with their child.

These resources will meet students with or without exceptionalities as the article provides multiple activities starting at different levels. They also indicate how each child is different, and the child's skills and abilities must be considered when deciding on an activity. For example, in the first example above, the parent could provide support in pointing out the syllables by clapping for the child or pointing at the food item's sign and the different syllables that make up the word.

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Phonological and Phonemic Awareness: Activities for Your First Grader

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That’s a complicated sounding term, but it’s meaning is simple: the ability to hear, recognize, and play with the sounds in spoken language. Phonological awareness is really a group of skills that include a child’s ability to:

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To support phonemic awareness in the classroom, an educator could have their first graders go on a scavenger hunt for sounds in their environment. The goal of this activity would be for students to practice recognizing one sound at a time and correlating it to items in their environment that begin with that sound. For example, the educator could request the students to find objects around them that start with /s/. They would then look around their environment and point out what they found. This can be done in pairs or independently. For students who need additional support, provide them with 5 to 10 items in front of them to distinguish which starts with the chosen letter. With these students, begin the activity by naming each object and then ask them to pick which ones begin with the chosen letter's sound.

A second classroom activity to support phonemic awareness can involve matching rhyming objects. This activity can be manipulated to meet every classroom student's needs. For this activity, pick out one word for the children to rhyme and provide word cards. Within the cards, have cards that rhyme and others that do not rhyme with the word. Spread them out in front of the child and have them choose all the words that rhyme to the chosen word. This activity can be modified by using pictures to represent the words instead, or for students who need a challenge, have them create rhyming word cards on their own. They would write the words on cards.