English Language Arts (Grade 1)

In Grade 1, children continue to learn about words and how to express themselves using spoken and written language. They write to share their ideas and explain what they have learned. They participate in shared research projects.

Standards for Writing

Text Types and Purposes

• Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure.
• Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.
• Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.

Production and Distribution of Writing

• (Begins in grade 3)
• With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic, respond to questions and suggestions from peers, and add details to strengthen writing as needed.
• With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

• Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of “how-to” books on a given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions).
• With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
• (Begins in grade 4)

Range of Writing

• (Begins in grade 3)

Standards for Speaking and Listening

Comprehension and Collaboration

• Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
• Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
• Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information or clarify something that is not understood.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

• Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
• Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
• Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation.

Standards for Language

Conventions of Standard English

• Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
• Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Knowledge of Language

• (Begins in grade 2).

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

• Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 1 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.
• With guidance and support from adults, demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
• Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using frequently occurring conjunctions to signal simple relationships.