Grade+Level+Indicators

Ohio English Language Arts Grade Level Indicators For First Grade  Phonemic Awareness, Word Recognition and Fluency 1. Identify and distinguish between letters, words and sentences. 2. Identify and say the beginning and ending sounds in words. 3. Demonstrate an understanding of letter-sound correspondence by saying the sounds from all letters and from a variety of letter patterns, such as consonant blends and long- and short-vowel patterns, and by matching sounds to the corresponding letters. 4. Decode by using letter-sound matches. 5. Use knowledge of common word families (e.g., -ite or -ate) to sound out unfamiliar words. 6. Blend two to four phonemes (sounds) into words. 7. Add, delete or change sounds in a given word to create new or rhyming words. 8. Demonstrate a growing stock of sight words. 9. Read text using fluid and automatic decoding skills, including knowledge of patterns, onsets and rimes. 10. Read aloud with changes in emphasis, voice, timing and expression that show a recognition of punctuation and an understanding of meaning.

 Acquisition of Vocabulary 1. Use knowledge of word order and in-sentence context clues to support word identification and to define unknown words while reading. 2. Identify words that have similar meanings (synonyms) and words that have opposite meanings (antonyms). 3. Classify words into categories (e.g., colors, fruits, vegetables). 4. Recognize common sight words. 5. Recognize that words can sound alike but have different meanings (e.g., homophones such as hair and hare). 6. Predict the meaning of compound words using knowledge of individual words (e.g., daydream, raindrop). 7. Recognize contractions (e.g., isn’t, aren’t, can’t, won’t) and common abbreviations (e.g., Jan., Feb.). 8. Read root words and their inflectional endings (e.g., walk, walked, walking). 9. Determine the meaning of unknown words using a beginner’s dictionary.

 Reading Process: Concepts of Print, Comprehension Strategies and Self-Monitoring Strategies 1. Describe the role of authors and illustrators. 2. Establish a purpose for reading (e.g., to be informed, to follow directions or to be entertained). 3. Visualize the information in texts and demonstrate this by drawing pictures, discussing images in texts or writing simple descriptions. 4. Make predictions while reading and support predictions with information from the text or prior experience. 5. Compare information (e.g., recognize similarities) in texts with prior knowledge and experience. 6. Recall the important ideas in fictional and non-fictional texts. 7. Create and use graphic organizers such as Venn diagrams or webs, with teacher assistance, to demonstrate comprehension. 8. Answer literal, simple inferential and evaluative questions to demonstrate comprehension of grade-appropriate print texts and electronic and visual media. 9. Monitor comprehension of independently- or group-read texts by asking and answering questions. 10. Use criteria to choose independent reading materials (e.g., personal interest, knowledge of authors and genres or recommendations from others). 11. Independently read books for various purposes (e.g., for enjoyment, for literary experience, to gain information or to perform a task).

 Reading Applications: Informational, Technical and Persuasive Text 1. Use title page, photographs, captions and illustrations (text features) to develop comprehension of informational texts. 2. Identify the sequence of events in informational text. 3. Ask questions concerning essential elements of informational text (e.g., why, who, where, what, when and how). 4. Identify central ideas and supporting details of informational text with teacher assistance. 5. Identify and discuss simple diagrams, charts, graphs and maps as characteristics of nonfiction. 6. Follow multiple-step directions.

 Reading Applications: Literary Text 1. Provide own interpretation of story, using information from the text. 2. Identify characters, setting and events in a story. 3. Retell the beginning, middle and ending of a story, including its important events. 4. Identify differences between stories, poems and plays. 5. Recognize predictable patterns in stories and poems.

 Writing Processes 1. Generate writing ideas through discussions with others. 2. Develop a main idea for writing. 3. Determine purpose and audience. 4. Use organizational strategies (e.g., brainstorming, lists, webs and Venn diagrams) to plan writing. 5. Organize writing to include a beginning, middle and end. 6. Construct complete sentences with subjects and verbs. 7. Mimic language from literature when appropriate. 8. Use available technology to compose text. 9. Reread own writing for clarity. 10. Add descriptive words and details. 11. Use resources (e.g., a word wall, beginner’s dictionary, word bank) to select effective vocabulary. 12. Proofread writing to improve conventions (e.g., grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization). 13. Apply tools (e.g., rubric, checklist, feedback) to judge the quality of writing. 14. Rewrite and illustrate writing samples for display and for sharing with others.

 Writing Applications 1. Write simple stories with a beginning, middle and end that include descriptive words and details. 2. Write responses to stories that include simple judgments about the text. 3. Write friendly letters or invitations that follow a simple letter format. 4. Produce informal writings (e.g., messages, journals, notes and poems) for various purposes.

 Writing Conventions 1. Print legibly and space letters, words and sentences appropriately. 2. Spell words correctly with regular short vowel patterns and most common long vowel words (e.g., time, name). 3. Spell high-frequency words correctly. 4. Create phonetically-spelled written work that can usually be read by the writer and others. 5. Spell unfamiliar words using strategies such as segmenting, sounding out and matching familiar words and word parts. 6. Use end punctuation correctly, including question marks, exclamation points and periods. 7. Use correct capitalization (e.g., the first word in a sentence, names and the pronoun I). 8. Use nouns, verbs and adjectives (descriptive words).  Research 1. Discuss ideas for investigation about a topic or area of personal interest. 2. Utilize appropriate searching techniques to gather information, with teacher assistance, from a variety of locations (e.g., classroom, school library, public library or community resources). 3. Use books or observations to gather information to explain a topic or unit of study with teacher assistance. 4. Recall important information about a topic with teacher assistance. 5. Report information to others.  Communication: Oral and Visual 1. Use active listening skills, such as making eye contact or asking questions. 2. Compare what is heard with prior knowledge and experience. 3. Follow simple oral directions. 4. Speak clearly and understandably. 5. Deliver brief informational presentations that: a. demonstrate an understanding of the topic; b. include and sort relevant information and details to develop topic; c. organize information with a clear beginning and ending; and d. express opinions. 6. Deliver brief informal descriptive presentations recalling an event or personal experience that convey relevant information and descriptive details. 7. Deliver simple dramatic presentations (e.g., recite poems, rhymes, songs and stories).