First Grader

Help your children to have many successful reading experiences. Help your child to select books that are at the right level to read independently. Encourage your child to re-read favorite books and poems. Support your child as he or she is reading: Alternate reading a page, then having your child read a page; gently correct mistakes, but don’t over emphasize them. Remember, the purpose is to enjoy reading together and to build your child’s confidence as a reader.
Support your child’s writing. Have writing materials, such as paper, markers, and notebooks. Ask your child to help you write out the grocery list, or a thank you note, or a letter about something special that happened at home or school. Encourage your child to use the letters and site words that he or she is learning at school. Build your child’s confidence in their ability to write.
Talk with your child. Talk about school and things going on at home. Talk about the books your child is readings. To support reading comprehension, ask open-ended questions, such as “What do you think? Why do you think (the character) did that?” to help your child become a good problem-solver.
Take your child places and do things with them. This will help to build experiences and develop vocabulary.
Play word games together, such as thinking of different words to describe the same thing, Twenty Questions, or I Spy.

Book Suggestions (Classic and Contemporary) for First Graders