Literacy Activities for First Grade

The following literacy activities are appropriate for children at the first-grade level:

Reading

• Provide "a balanced instructional program that includes systematic code instruction along with meaningful reading and writing activities" (International Reading Association & National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1998, p. 9). A balanced reading program also includes a variety of reading instruction such as shared or interactive reading, guided reading (as appropriate), independent reading, and reading aloud.

• Have child take turns in helping to select reading material to read out loud to the class (Burns, Griffin, & Snow, 1999).

• Ensure that all children have the opportunity to read out loud to someone for at least 10 minutes each day (Burns, Griffin, & Snow, 1999). This reading may be done with volunteers, older buddies, or as a take-home reading program. Some children will still be reading emergently, particularly early in the school year (Sulzby, 1985b; Sulzby, Buhle, & Kaiser, 1999).

• Provide many ways for children to reread books through shared reading, buddy reading, and small group reading.

• Ask questions to help children discuss what is being read and to notice word and language structures and conventions of print (Burns, Griffin, & Snow, 1999).

• Have children ask their own questions about stories and respond to classmates' questions (Burns, Griffin, & Snow, 1999).

• Encourage children to: compare and contrast, predict, ask why and how, and check their understanding of stories (Burns, Griffin, & Snow, 1999).

• Guide discussions that help children summarize, relate texts to their lives, and develop a deeper understanding of characters (Burns, Griffin, & Snow, 1999).

• Have the children sing songs that encourage language play. Children enjoy songs such as "Willaby Wallaby Woo" by Raffi and "The Name Game" by various children's artists.

• Play the game Snap! One player says two words. If the words share a sound (either first, middle, or last), the other players say "Snap!" and snap their fingers. If the two words do not share a sound, the other players are quiet. Begin with first sounds and move into the other sounds as the children are ready (Burns, Griffin, & Snow, 1999).

• Play a listening game in which the children blend an onset and thyme that you pronounce separately. Example: b...at, bat. When you first play the game, begin by using words that are in the same family, such as: hat, cat, fat. When the children become proficient at this type of activity, change it so that you keep the onset sound and change the rhyme: s...and, sand; s...un, sun; s...eal, seal.

• Make word lessons and word walls (displaying words on a classrom wall), as described in The Phonics They Use (Cunningham, 1995).

• Give writing assignments that are connected to the stories children read (Burns, Griffin, & Snow, 1999).

• Encourage and support children's use of invented spelling and help them make the transition into conventional spelling (Burns, Griffin, & Snow, 1999; International Reading Association & National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1998; McGee & Richgels, 1996).

• Have children write and reread their own writing (Burns, Griffin, & Snow, 1999).

• Provide opportunities and teacher support to write many kinds of text for different purposes, such as lists, poems, stories, letters, and reports (International Reading Association & National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1998).

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