Grade 1 · English

Grade 1 English

Grade 1 is the year most children learn to read on their own: sounding out words, recognizing common ones at a glance, and writing their first sentences. Here is what it covers, where kids usually get stuck, and one way to help.

What your child learns this year

Every curriculum words it differently, but most grade 1 classes cover the same ground:

Phonics. The sounds letters make, blending them into words, and patterns like a silent e.
Common words. Reading frequent words like the, said and was quickly, without sounding them out.
Reading for meaning. Retelling a story in order, and saying what a book was about.
Writing. Sentences that start with a capital and end with a period, and short pieces about their own lives.
Listening and speaking. Taking turns, asking questions, and telling something clearly to a group.

Where kids usually get stuck

1Guessing from the first letter or the picture. Reading “house” as “horse” because both start with h. Looking all the way through the word fixes it.
2Giving every final e a long vowel. Most words that end in e work that way, but not all: have doesn't rhyme with cave.
3“And then… and then… and then…” Writing one sentence that never stops. Each idea gets its own sentence, with a period.

One of Pip's tricks

Silent-e switch

Use it when reading or spelling a short word that ends in an e you can't hear, like cape, kite or hope.

Cover the e at the end and read the short word: cap.
Uncover the e and try the vowel saying its own name: cape.
If that isn't a word you know, try the short sound, as in have and give. A few odd ones, like come and some, just have to be learned.

Watch it work. Which word has a long a, tap or tape? Tap has no e at the end, so the a is short. Tape ends in a silent e, so try the a saying its name, like the letter A: tape. That is a real word, so tape has the long a.

Why it works: in many short words, a silent e at the end tells the vowel before it to say its name. Checking for a real word catches the exceptions.

Try three

Tap a choice to see if it is right, with the reason.

1.Which word has an i that says its name?
2.Read the word hope. Does the o say its name?
3.Which word ends in a silent e but does NOT have a long vowel?

How Sparkpip fits in

Pip, Sparkpip's tutor, works through words and sentences like these with your child one small step at a time, using tricks like the one above.

Start free See how it works

Your curriculum

Sparkpip is built on the grade 1 English curriculum for your province or state. The official pages:

Also: Grade 2 English · Grade 1 math · Grade 1 science