Reading Grade Expectations - Grade 1

Early Reading Skills and Strategies:

Phonological Awareness

R1:1 Applies phonological knowledge and skills by…

Counting syllables in one- to four-syllable words

• Blending and segmenting phonemes in one-syllable words

(e.g., "f-i-sh," "r-u-n")

Early Reading Skills and Strategies:

Concepts of Print

R1:2 Demonstrates understanding of concepts of print during

shared or individual reading by…

Identifying basic punctuation marks and their usage (e.g.,

question marks, periods, quotation marks)

• Identifying key parts of a book: title, author

Demonstrating one-one matching of words spoken to

words in print

Word Identification Skills and Strategies

R1:3 Applies word identification/decoding skills and strategies

(leading to automaticity) by…

• Reading grade-appropriate, high-frequency words

(including irregularly spelled words, contractions, etc.)

Identifying sound-symbol correspondences: consonants,

two-letter blends (e.g., bl, gr), basic consonant and vowel

digraphs (e.g., th, ee, ay), short vowels and long vowels

affected by silent e)

Reading regularly spelled one- and two-syllable words

(e.g., "lot," "kitten," "doghouse") by using knowledge of

sounds and letter patterns (including common endings

-s, -ed, -ly, -ing)

Context and Self-Correction Strategies

R1:4 Applies context and self-correction strategies by…

Monitoring own reading and self-correcting when

incorrectly identifi ed or predicted words do not fi t with cues

provided by the print or the context (e.g., syntax/language

structure, semantics/meaning, picture)

Vocabulary Strategies and Breadth of Vocabulary

R1:5 Identifies the meaning of unfamiliar words by…

• Using strategies to unlock meaning (e.g., activating prior

knowledge, using context clues, or asking questions during

read-alouds or text reading)

R1:6 Shows breadth of vocabulary knowledge, demonstrating

understanding of word meanings or relationships by…

• Identifying synonyms and antonyms to connect new words

to known words

Describing words in terms of categories (e.g., "A mallard

is a kind of duck"), functions (e.g., "Scissors are used for

cutting"), or features (e.g., "A rectangle has four sides")

 

Comprehension Strategies

R1:7 Uses comprehension strategies (flexibly and as needed)

while reading or listening to literary and informational

text.

EXAMPLES of reading-comprehension strategies might include:

• using prior knowledge;

• predicting and making simple text-based inferences;

• generating clarifying questions;

• constructing sensory images (e.g., making pictures in

one’s mind); or making connections (text to self, text to text,

and text to world)

Monitoring and Adjusting Strategies

R1:8 Demonstrates ability to monitor comprehension and

adjust reading rate and strategy use for different types of

text and purposes during reading or read-alouds by…

• Recognizing problems with understanding, and rereading

or asking questions as needed

Accuracy and Fluency

R1:9 Reads grade-level-appropriate material with:

Accuracy: reading material appropriate for the end of

grade 1 with at least 90–94% accuracy (See Appendix for

sample titles.)

Fluency: reading previously introduced or previously read

grade-appropriate text with oral fluency rates of at least

50–80 words correct per minute

Fluency: reading grade-appropriate text in a way that

makes meaning clear, and demonstrates phrasing,

expression, and attention to end punctuation

Initial Understanding of Literary Text

All students need ongoing opportunities to apply and practice reading strategies with many different types of LITERARY texts. Recognizing a variety of literary texts and their characteristics will help students in meeting grade level expectations described in the Vermont GLEs. See Appendix for a list of suggested literary texts for instructional and assessment purposes.

R1:10 Demonstrate initial understanding of elements of literary

texts (including text read aloud, reading independently or

in a guided manner) by…

• Identifying characters in a story

Retelling the beginning, middle, and end of a story

• Responding to simple questions about a book’s content

(e.g., "Where did Sylvester go?")

R1:11 Demonstrate initial understanding of author’s craft used

in literary texts by…

• Identifying literary devices as appropriate to genre: rhyme,

repeated language (e.g., "teeny-tiny")

Initial Understanding of Informational Text

with many different types of INFORMATIONAL texts (expository and practical

students in meeting grade level expectations described in the Vermont

assessment purposes.

R1:12 Demonstrate initial understanding of informational texts

(expository and practical texts) by…

• Obtaining information, using text features such as title and

illustration (e.g., "From the title, what do we think this book

will tell us?")

• Using explicitly stated information to answer questions

EXAMPLE: "Where do penguins live?"

Distinguishing among a variety of types of text (e.g.,

informational texts: children’s magazines, children’s

newspapers, lists, simple directions)

Analysis and Interpretation of

Literary Text/Citing Evidence

All students need ongoing opportunities to apply and practice reading strategies with many different types of LITERARY texts. Recognizing a variety of

literary texts and their characteristics will help students in meeting grade level expectations described in the Vermont GLEs. See Appendix for a list of

suggested literary texts for instructional and assessment purposes.

R1:13 Analyze and interpret elements of literary texts read

aloud or read independently, citing evidence where

appropriate by…

• Making predictions about what might happen next, and

telling why the prediction was made

Identifying possible motives of characters

• Identifying relevant physical characteristics or personality

traits of main characters

R1:14 Analyze and interpret author’s craft (citing evidence

where appropriate) by…

No GLE at this grade level

R1:15 Generates a personal response to what is read aloud or

read independently through a variety of means by…

• Comparing stories or other texts to personal experience,

prior knowledge, or other books

Analysis and Interpretation of

Informational Text/Citing Evidence

All students need ongoing opportunities to apply and practice reading strategies with many different types of INFORMATIONAL texts. Recognizing a variety of literary texts and their characteristics will help students in meeting grade level expectations described in the Vermont GLEs. See Appendix for a list of suggested literary texts for instructional and assessment purposes.

R1:16 Analyze and interpret informational text read aloud or

independently, citing evidence as appropriate by…

Identifying the topic

• Telling what was learned

• Making basic inferences or drawing basic conclusions

EXAMPLE: "From what we just read, why do you think

firefighters wear special uniforms? Explain why."

Reading Extensively

R1:17 Demonstrates the habit of reading extensively* by…

Reading four or more short books or the equivalent every day

* Materials should be at the student’s instructional and independent reading levels. The specific number of books should be viewed flexibly and is less important than the extensiveness, duration/time, and frequency of reading.

Reading Widely and In Depth

(Assumes increasing text complexity across grade levels; see Appendix for descriptions of increasing text complexity.)

R1:18 Demonstrates the habit of reading widely and in

depth by…

• Reading from or listening to at least three different

genres/kinds of text and a variety of authors (e.g., literary

texts: poetry, plays, fairy tales, fantasy, realistic fiction;

informational: content trade books, children’s magazines;

and practical/functional texts: classroom schedules, simple

directions, lists, labels, invitations)

Literate Community

R1:19 Demonstrates participation in a literate community by…

• Self-selecting reading materials in line with reading ability

and personal interests

• Participating in appropriate discussions about text by

offering comments related to the text, and referring

explicitly to the text