Unit Plan 1 (Grade 1 ELA): Launching Our Reading–Writing Community
Kick off first grade literacy with reading and writing routines that build stamina, partner talk, and workshop habits. Students learn book choice, print tracking, and how to share ideas in complete sentences as part of a collaborative classroom community.
Focus: Routines, stamina, partner talk, writer’s workshop norms
Grade Level: 1
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Reading • Writing • Speaking/Listening • Language • Foundational Skills)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Welcome week! Students learn how our reading–writing community works: where to sit, how to choose books, how to build reading stamina, how to talk with partners, and how writer’s workshop flows (mini-lesson → write time → share). We also refresh print concepts (left-to-right, spaces, letters/words) and practice complete spoken and written sentences.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Follow classroom discussion rules and respectfully partner talk to build ideas (SL.1.1).
- Demonstrate basic print concepts during shared/independent reading (directionality, tracking print, letter/word/ sentence distinctions) (RF.1.1).
- Sustain independent reading and writing workshop routines (book choice, quiet work spots, share time) while producing and revising simple sentences with teacher guidance (RL.1.10; W.1.5).
- Use complete sentences when speaking and writing; apply grade-appropriate grammar/usage (L.1.1).
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 1
- RL.1.10 (Range of reading; with prompting/support, read prose/poetry appropriate for Grade 1)
- W.1.5 (With guidance/support, focus on a topic, respond to questions/suggestions, add details)
- SL.1.1 (Participate in collaborative conversations; follow rules; build on others’ talk; ask/answer questions)
- RF.1.1 (Demonstrate understanding of organization/basic features of print)
- L.1.1 (Command of conventions of standard English grammar/usage when writing/speaking)
Success Criteria — student language
- I can sit, listen, and share using our discussion rules.
- I can track print with my finger and tell the first/last word in a line.
- I can read/write quietly in my spot for X minutes without reminders.
- I can speak and write in complete sentences.
- I can revise my sentence when a partner/teacher gives me a suggestion.