Reading Skills for First Graders: Essential Basics

When kids get to the first grade, they enter a more standardized course of education. Whereas they may have only gone to school for a half day as kindergarteners, they will now have a full day of education. Ideally, that education will include music class, art class, physical education and more, as well as reading, writing and arithmetic.

In the next year, children will learn a myriad of important reading skills. Helping to reinforce those skills will greatly benefit your child both in school and in life.

Basic Reading Skills for First Graders

1.Students will learn about parts of a book and identifying them. Parts include title, author, title page and table of content.

To practice this: Use books from your collection or the library and quiz you child on where to find each element of the book.

2.Students will be able to read and comprehend both fiction and nonfiction books. They will also be able to tell the difference between make-believe stories and real stories.

To practice this: When you read with your child, choose a mix of fiction and nonfiction books. Then, ask questions when you are done reading. Don't forget to answer your child's questions, too.

3.Students will be able to pick out individual sentences when reading and be able to recognize punctuation. They will also learn that a capital letter always begins a sentence.

To practice this: While reading books, stop and ask your child to show you one sentence. Then, get back to the story.

4.Students will learn and understand what sound each letter makes and be able to identify the first letter of simple words when spoken aloud.

To practice this: Use simple books and point out a picture of an animal or object with a simple name (man, ball, cat, etc). Identify the picture and ask your child what letter begins the word.

5.Students will learn the difference between upper- and lower-case letters. They will be able to pick out both.

To practice this: Start with a simple book, like Dr. Seuss's ABCs, and point our upper- and lower-case letters. Then, use a regular reading book and ask kids to show you the upper- and lower-case letters.

6.Students will learn to recognize words on sight, comprehend them and be able to read them aloud.

To practice this: Choose some simple early reader books and have your child read aloud to you.