When A Child Enters 1st Grade, He/She Should Know:

• How to Speak in Complete Sentences to Explain Ideas Clearly
• Listening Skills (Following Directions, Listening to Stories Read Aloud, Engaging in Conversation)
• Letter Recognition and Sounds
• Use of Phonics to Decode Words
• Basic Sight Words (e.g. and, the, I, me, you)
• How to Use the Calendar (Days and Months of the Year)
• Recognition of Color Words/Number Words (One to Thirty)
• Print Awareness and Parts of A Book (Author, Illustrator, Cover, Title Page, Print is Read Left-To-Right)
• How to Re-tell a Story and Identify Characters (Beginning, Middle, End)
• That Writing Conveys Meaning (Speech Into Print)
• Have Motivation to Read

Literacy Skills Taught in 1st Grade:

• Letter-Sound Correspondences Including Consonants and Short and Long Vowels
• Decode Grade Level Words Using Knowledge of Root Words, Prefixes, Suffixes, Verb Endings, Plurals, Contractions and Compounds
• Identify Parts of a Book and Their Purposes Including Author, Illustrator, Title Page, Table of Contents, and Chapter Headings
• Sight-Read 300-500 Words Including Sight and Decodable Words
• Study Antonyms, Synonyms, and Homonyms to Learn New Grade Level Vocabulary
• Use of a Dictionary To Learn the Meanings of Words
• Use Comprehension Strategies (Predict/Confirm, Reread, Self-Correct, Ask Questions) to Comprehend Text
• Summarize Main Ideas from Informational Texts
• Show Interest in Reading a Range of Grade Level Texts Including Stories, Folktales, Fairy Tales, Poems and Informational Text
• How to Write Compositions and Begins to Use the Writing Process
• Attend to a Listening Activity for a Specified Period of Time
• Speak for Different Purposes (Share Ideas or Information, Retell a Story, Dramatize an Experience or Event) Literacy

Please Contact The Early Childhood Department for further information at:
504 City Hall
Buffalo, NY 14202
716-816-3908
or
716-816-3626

Betty Evans
Director