Smart Start In Language Arts Grade 1 – School Classroom

  by JoAnne Moore

Grade 1 Smart Start in Language Arts: School Classroom Edition

Grade 1 & 2 Smart Start in Language Arts: Home Educator's Edition

* The revisions I made to Smart Start in Language Arts school edition in 2009, 2014 include but are not limited to the addition of: alphabet introductory lessons, school timetable, reading workshop handout, daily phonics worksheets and sentence writing for reading lessons, new sentence structure unit.

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Caution: this downloadable zip file is 3.66 GB.



A Complete Program of Language Arts Instruction for Grade 1 


The grade one English language arts program teaches children to read through phonics and sight words taught in a sequential order. Phonetic concepts are introduced through sentences which gradually turn into short stories using a controlled vocabulary. Basic comprehension skills are developed through answering simple questions about the stories. Sight words are introduced in the short stories one at a time and practiced in a repeated reading book. The repeated reading book is made from sentences composed of the sight words which the child illustrates. As soon as they are able, children also begin to read short books independently in the classroom library.

Spelling is based on phonetic concepts and rhyming words. It is taught on alternate days. Sentence writing builds strong verbs and shows children how to vary sentence starters. Picture books are read aloud by the teacher and culminate in creative story writing projects. Each story writing project is based on three sequenced pictures which are taught through a guided writing process.

Smart Start in Language Arts is a 1300 page, reproducible, all-inclusive reading/writing/spelling program bound in a D-ring binder. Each student lesson is supported by: co-ordinating phonics worksheets, word analysis exercises, sentence writing, spelling practice, printing, and punctuation / capitalization exercises. Repeated reading books are made by students using sentence strips to master sight words in the context of little stories. Lists of themed picture books build towards writing sequence stories (there are a total of six story units). Teaching explanations for new material in the lessons are placed prior to a new concept being introduced in student work. Flip to the next day and you'll see what you're teaching and receive an explanation when necessary. Four reading assessments are provided for various stages of the year. Finally, the program now includes the revised Smart Start Companion.



Downloadable Resources


How to Teach a Sequence Story

Half of the students' writing samples of sequence stories in this resource were written by our daughters and the other half came from students in the classroom. All of whom generously granted written permission to share their work.

Credits
  • Letter names by JoAnne Moore: bumper words (long vowel words with silent e), mouse words (long vowel words with two vowels together), regular vowel words (happy face over short vowel), y copycat words (long i sound, long e sound at end of one and two syllable words), doctor word keys (au, aw) , R word keys (ar, er, ir, or, ur), s copycat word keys (ce, ci, cy), j copycat word keys (ge, gi, gy), cool word keys (ai, ay), f copycat word keys (ph, gh) piglet word keys (oi, oy), silent word keys (kn, wr), tug of war words (word keys beat silent e who likes to bump) Examples: grease, horse
  • editing Elva Hopkins, Kara Myers nee Moore
  • all book covers by Kara Myers nee Moore since 2009
  • JoAnne wrote the original Smart Start in Language Arts, Smart Start Companion, Sequence Stories
  • JoAnne wrote everything in the revised edition of Smart Start in Language Arts school edition and Smart Start in Language Arts Home Education Edition
  • JoAnne decided to write the home education edition of Smart Start in Language Arts after being approached by a teacher who worked for Alberta Distance Learning at a Smart Start workshop. This teacher was interested in a home education edition. By the time JoAnne completed the project, Alberta Distance Learning had selected another individual to create a program for them.
  • JoAnne wrote the bumper words puppet show and mouse words puppet show scripts during the time period of directing the filming of the updated puppet shows
  • JoAnne drew almost every illustration for the phonics worksheets, all the illustrations for the preposition practice and colour review worksheets, many of the compound word graphics, she created and drew the characters Ben the bear, Sally the squirrel, Penny the pig, Max the monkey and Pammy the parrot, as well as wrote and drew all the illustrations for the Smart Start readers (except the spotted skunk which was drawn by her daughter Jenna)
  • JoAnne also drew numerous illustrations for her book Smart Start Companion (currently included in the school edition of Smart Start in Language Arts)
  • back cover summary pages by JoAnne Moore, idea for back cover summary pages by Verlynn Alexander
  • sequence story pictures by artist Lisa Petruic (loose tooth, snowy day, baby dinosaur, knight, camping trip, waiter)
  • sequence story classroom exemplars (loose tooth, baby dinosaur, knight) shared with written permission from three of JoAnne Moore's students and/or student's parents taught in grade one
  • sequence story exemplars shared with written permission from our daughters (snowy day by Jenna Moore, camping trip by Kara Myers, nee Moore, waiter by Kara Myers nee Moore)
  • exemplars by Jenna Moore: firefly paragraph, squirrel paragraph, frog paragraph
  • exemplars by Kara Myers, nee Moore: student worksheet for the letter v, all exemplars for the repeated reading sight word book
  • exemplar by Josiah Isaacs: student worksheet for the letter j, permission granted by Robin Isaacs
  • some graphics by artist Kayla Hilsabeck
  • letter names shared by Margie Haase
  • spelling chart concept shared by Margaret Bouma
  • mouth pictures for short vowel sounds taken by Kara Myers, nee Moore, of Verlynn Alexander
  • Puppet Shows
    • scripts JoAnne Moore
    • props JoAnne Moore
    • puppet stand Kevin & JoAnne Moore
    • puppets, video camera, video editing software, P.A. system purchased by Kevin and JoAnne Moore
    • director JoAnne Moore
    • filming Kevin Moore
    • film editing Isaac Alexander
    • puppeteers: Kara Myers, nee Moore, Jenna Moore, Verlynn, Natalie, Isaac, Simeon, Seth (Alexander)
    • narration: Brent Alexander
    • actors: Natalie Alexander, Adon Alexander
  • reference to silent gh (ghost letters), words which break spelling rules (jail words), from Anna Ingham

Bullet Foster the joy of learning in your students to develop a strong reading/writing/spelling foundation through a fun and successful method anyone can learn! This program is used in many schools.


The Method of Reading Instruction Matters

Did you know that...

  • Dr. Seashore of Northwestern University estimates that when reading practice is based on explicit phonics instruction and accompanied by highly decodable text, most students are able to read almost anything
  • within their comprehension vocabularies which he estimates to be about 30 000 words by the end of third grade!
  • Reading education is a field more vulnerable than many to faddish practices that later prove to be untenable Teaching Reading is Rocket Science www.aft.org/edissuesrocketscience.htm
  • A poor reader at the end of first grade has a 88% chance of remaining a poor reader even by the end of the fourth grade Allington, R. (1998)
  • Correcting reading problems beyond the second grade has a very low success rate Pikulski, J. (1994)

Letter of Recommendation:

I have been using Smart Start in Language Arts for more than ten years in my grade one classroom, with superb results. JoAnne has developed a resource that provides structure, continuity and excellent learning strategies in all areas of the Language Arts program.

In reading, the children quickly develop decoding and word attack skills, and comprehension strategies that give them success and a sense of being a reader. By the end of grade one the vast majority of my students are reading independently, with comprehension, beyond grade level expectations as indicated by school board achievement results, and common diagnostic assessment tools.

The students' spelling skills are integrated into their daily reading assignment using a guided approach. Verbalizing the spelling rules, effective use of repetition, and spelling phonics posters have proven to be a very successful part of my Language Arts program.

I have found the most difficult skill to teach to grade one students is effective writing. I am always amazed at the writing growth my students display at the end of grade one, not only in their daily writing in the classroom, but on district level writing assessments. Using the many strategies in Smart Start, Sequence Stories, and Writing with Results, they grow from writing simple sentences to success in all genres and all subject areas.

There is no greater reward for a grade one teacher, than to see students reading and writing successfully at the end of the year. Searching for tools to enhance that success is always an important part of my job. I have used and discarded a great number of resources throughout my career of more than 20 years. Smart Start will continue to be an important part of my resource library.

Sincerely,
G. Broks
Grade one teacher
Edmonton, Alberta