What does a student learn in StateVirginia,GradeGrade 1,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Reading goes left to right, top to bottom, with spaces between words. Students learn how a book is held, where a sentence starts and stops, and what punctuation marks do.

Students identify the front and back covers of a book and locate its title. This is how they learn where a book begins, where it ends, and what it's called.

Students learn who wrote the words and who drew the pictures in a book, and what each person's job is.

Words on a page match the words we say out loud. Students learn that each written word has a space on both sides of it, separating it from the next word.

Students listen to words and identify the individual sounds inside them. This skill helps students sound out words when reading and spell them correctly when writing.

A sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a period, question mark, or exclamation point. Students learn to spot these features so they can tell where one sentence begins and another ends.

Students learn what makes a sentence a sentence, what counts as a word, and how words are built from individual letters.

Reading on a page starts at the top left, moves right across each line, then jumps back to the left to begin the next line. Students practice that left-to-right, top-to-bottom path until it becomes automatic.

Students listen to a spoken word and pick out each individual sound. For example, in "frog" they can hear and name four separate sounds in order.

Students listen to individual sounds said aloud and blend them into a real word, including words that start or end with two consonants working together, like "shop" or "step."

Students break spoken words into each individual sound, including words that start or end with two consonants that blend together, like the "st" in "stop" or the "sh" in "ship."

Students match letters to the sounds they make, then use those patterns to read new words and spell them. It is the building block of reading every word on the page.

Students read and spell short-vowel words like "slip," "bench," and "stamp," where consonants cluster at the beginning or end. This includes recognizing closed syllables, where a vowel is boxed in by consonants and makes its short sound.

Students read and spell words where a vowel says its own name, like the "a" in "cake" or the "o" in "go."

Students read words by recognizing that two vowels together can make one sound (like the "ea" in "bread") and that the letter r changes how the vowel before it sounds (like the "ar" in "car").

Students break longer words into smaller chunks to figure out how to read and spell them. A word like "napkin" becomes "nap" and "kin."

Students read common short words like "the," "said," and "was" on sight, without sounding them out. Recognizing these words quickly helps students read sentences smoothly instead of stopping at every word.

Students write common words like "the," "said," and "where" from memory, spelled correctly, without stopping to sound them out.

Students read short books they can sound out on their own and listen to harder books read aloud. Over time, they build up words and facts about the world by connecting what they read and hear.

Students practice reading short books and passages out loud until the words come quickly and sound natural. They also catch their own mistakes and fix them as they read.

This standard is introduced in second grade, not first. First graders are not expected to meet it yet.

Students pull several details from a story or article read aloud to back up an idea they share or write about. They point to where in the text those details came from, using the author's words or their own.

Students listen to several books or passages connected by the same topic, then use what they learned to make sense of new reading or discussion on that topic.

This standard is introduced in Grade 3 and is not part of first-grade instruction. Students work toward it in later grades.

Students learn new words through books they hear and read in first grade. The goal is steady growth, adding vocabulary bit by bit across the school year.

Students learn to figure out the meaning of new words by looking at picture clues, nearby sentences, and word parts. Building a working vocabulary helps them read and understand more on their own.

Students talk about what unfamiliar words mean based on the sentences and pictures around them. Context clues, not a dictionary, are the starting point.

Students learn that some words mean the same thing (big and large) and some words mean the opposite (big and small). Knowing both helps them understand new words and read with more confidence.

When students hit a word they don't know, they ask what it means and connect it to words they already use. It's the habit of building vocabulary by asking questions.

Students learn to use the same word in more than one subject. A word like "measure" might show up in math, science, and a reading lesson all in the same week.

Students use word endings like -s, -ing, and -ed to figure out what an unfamiliar word means. Seeing "jumped" or "jumping" helps them connect the new word back to one they already know.

Students sort words that are close in meaning but not quite the same, like the difference between "warm" and "hot" or "walk" and "stomp." They learn that word choice changes how something feels or sounds.

Students learn what a dictionary is for and when to look something up in one. They practice finding words in a picture dictionary or a digital dictionary to figure out what a word means.

Students build new vocabulary by listening to books and stories that are more complex than what they can read on their own. Hearing rich, challenging language helps them learn words they will later use in reading and writing.

Students practice new words by using them out loud in class conversations and activities, not just recognizing them on a page.

Reading stories means more than finishing the page. Students listen to or read fiction, fables, and folktales, then point to words or details in the text to explain what happened and what it means.

Students read a short story and answer questions about what happened, who was in it, and why things occurred. They point to specific words or sentences in the text to support their answers.

Students retell a story in order, from beginning to end, and explain what lesson or message the story teaches. They use details from the story to show they understood what happened and why.

Students identify who is in a story, where it takes place, and what happens, including the problem and how it gets solved.

Students read a story and answer questions about who is in it, what happens, and why. They also ask their own questions when something is unclear or curious.

Students read a story and guess what a character might do next or how an event might turn out, using clues already in the text to explain their thinking.

Students notice how an author chooses words and builds sentences to tell a story. They look at why a writer made those choices and what effect the words have on the reader.

Students connect what a character does with how the story unfolds, noticing how one event leads to the next. They use details from the text to explain why things happen the way they do.

Students decide why they're reading before they start. They ask themselves a question and think about what they already know about the topic.

Students listen to a story and connect the dots: how a character's actions shape what happens next, or how the setting changes the mood. They point to specific details from the text to back up their thinking.

Students listen to two stories and explain how the characters' adventures are alike and how they are different, pointing to specific details from each story.

Students read or listen to nonfiction and show they understood it by pointing to details in the text. This builds real knowledge about the world, not just reading skill.

Students read a short nonfiction passage and point to specific sentences or details that back up what the text is mainly saying.

Students answer "who, what, when, and where" questions about nonfiction they read, then explain why or how something happened. They show they understand what the piece is mainly about.

Students find the big idea a passage is mostly about, then point to the sentences that back it up.

Students learn to tell apart statements that can be proven true (like "fish live in water") from statements that reflect what someone thinks or feels (like "fish are boring"). They practice spotting both kinds in books and articles.

Students notice how an author chose to say something, not just what they said. They look at word choices and how sentences are put together to figure out why a passage sounds the way it does.

Text features like headings, bold words, and captions help readers find information faster. Students practice using these features in nonfiction books to understand what each section covers and what pictures show.

Pictures and words each carry different information in a book. Students practice spotting what the illustration shows versus what the sentences actually say.

Students read a short informational passage and explain how two people, events, or pieces of information in it connect to each other.

Students read two books or passages about the same topic and point out what the two share and how they differ.

Students read a nonfiction passage and explain how two things in it are connected, like why an event happened or how one idea led to another.

Students practice writing each letter by hand, keeping letters clear enough for a reader to follow.

Students practice forming letters clearly on the page, building the hand control they need to get their ideas down in writing.

Students hold a pencil the right way and use that grip to write letters clearly.

Students write every capital letter, lowercase letter, and number by hand, forming each one correctly without stopping to think about how it's shaped.

Students leave a finger-width space between each word when writing a phrase or sentence, so the words are easy to read and don't run together.

Students practice spelling common words from memory and use what they know about letter sounds to spell words they haven't memorized yet.

Students spell short, one-syllable words by matching each sound they hear to the letter or letters that make it. This includes words like "cap," "step," "blend," and "cake."

Students spell two-syllable words by breaking them into parts first. For example, "pancake" becomes "pan" and "cake," two smaller chunks that are easier to sound out and write.

Students use spelling patterns they already know to figure out how to write new words on their own.

Students spell common sight words like "they," "said," and "where" quickly and correctly, without sounding them out. By the end of first grade, these words should come automatically.

Students write stories, facts, and opinions for different reasons and different readers. The writing connects to what they are reading and learning in class.

Students write sentences that share an opinion, tell a story, or explain something real. They practice choosing a purpose before they put words on the page.

Students draw, dictate, or write about two things that happened in order, adding details about what occurred and who was there.

Students pick a topic and share a few facts about it by drawing pictures, telling a teacher what to write, or writing words themselves.

Students draw, dictate, or write a short piece that shares what they think and gives one reason why. For example, they might write that dogs make better pets than cats and explain why they feel that way.

Students write or draw their thoughts about a book or story and back up their thinking with a detail or two from the text.

Students organize a piece of writing with a clear beginning, middle, and end. They stay on one topic and add details that support it.

Before writing, students sketch, talk through ideas, or fill in a simple chart to figure out what they want to say. That planning step helps them get words on the page.

Students decide who they are writing for and why before they put words on the page. A letter to a friend looks different from a story or a journal entry.

Students write a set of simple sentences about one topic. Each sentence has a naming part and an action part, the verb matches the subject, and at least one describing word (like "red" or "loud") appears somewhere in the writing.

Students learn the grammar and punctuation rules that make writing clear: things like capitalizing the first word in a sentence, adding a period at the end, and spelling common words correctly.

Students fix small mistakes in their own writing, like a missing capital letter at the start of a sentence or a period at the end. A teacher or adult helps them spot what to correct.

Students learn when to use careful, polished language and when everyday speech fits better. They practice applying those choices in both talking and writing.

Students learn the basic rules that hold sentences together, like how to use a capital letter at the start and a period at the end, or when to say "he" instead of a person's name.

Students write basic sentences that include a naming word, an action word, and a describing word. Over time they stretch those sentences to add more detail.

Students learn to say the plural form of everyday nouns out loud, like turning "cat" into "cats" or "dish" into "dishes." No writing yet, just speaking the right ending.

Students replace a noun with a word like "he," "she," or "they," and show ownership with words like "his" or "her." This keeps sentences from repeating the same name over and over.

Students use describing words like "three," "tiny," "round," or "red" to tell more about a specific object in a sentence.

Students learn to write the same action in three time frames: what already happened, what is happening now, and what will happen next. They practice with everyday verbs like "walk," "jump," and "talk."

Students practice matching verbs to their subjects and keeping tenses consistent. For example, they learn to write "she runs" instead of "she run" and "we jumped" instead of "we jump" when talking about the past.

Students learn when to write "a," "an," or "the" in front of a noun. For example, "an apple" gets "an" because it starts with a vowel, while "a cat" gets "a."

Students practice writing complete questions using words like who, what, where, when, why, and how. The goal is a full sentence, not just a single word.

Students learn the basic rules for putting words on paper: capitalizing the first word of a sentence and the word "I," using end punctuation, and spelling common words correctly.

Students practice writing with correct capitals: the first word of a sentence, names of specific people and places, and the word I.

Statements end with a period; questions end with a question mark. Students learn to tell the difference between the two and put the right punctuation mark at the end of each sentence they write.

Students spell common words the way they appear in books, including tricky words like "said" and "come" that don't follow the usual sound patterns.

Students practice talking and listening with classmates, sharing ideas, asking questions, and working through what they are learning together.

Students listen to classmates and teachers, take turns speaking, and stay on topic during classroom conversations.

Taking turns talking and listening in class conversations, whether with a partner, a small group, or the whole class. Students practice sharing their ideas and responding to what others say.

Students listen quietly while others speak and wait for their turn before talking. In group discussions, they stay on the same topic instead of jumping to something else.

Students listen to what a classmate says, then add their own idea to keep the conversation going. They speak clearly and wait their turn.

Students ask questions when they don't understand something, need help, or want to know more. This is one of the first tools they use to learn from teachers and classmates.

Students practice saying their thoughts out loud as full sentences, not just a word or two.

Students speak in full sentences, take turns in conversation, and share ideas clearly enough for classmates to follow along.

Students practice putting words to what they see and experience. They describe a person, place, or thing out loud using specific details and the right words for the topic.

Students practice speaking clearly at a steady pace, adjusting how loud or expressive their voice sounds based on who is listening and what they are saying.

Students practice speaking aloud together by joining in on poems, songs, and short stories that have repeating words or refrains.

Students retell or make up stories, rhymes, and events in order, using costumes, props, or drawings to show what happened first, next, and last.

Students combine words, pictures, and spoken language to share ideas. A drawing with a caption, a labeled diagram, or a short presentation all count as ways to communicate meaning.

Students look at pictures, videos, and ads to figure out what message someone is trying to send. They start to notice that media is made by people with a purpose.

Students listen to several books or articles on the same topic to build up what they know about it. They use what they learn to answer questions or solve simple problems.

Students find information from two or more sources and put the key ideas together to answer a question. They start learning that not all sources say the same thing.

Students practice asking questions about a topic they're studying. A teacher helps them figure out what they want to find out.

Students find information about a topic by looking at pictures, reading short texts, or asking people. They gather what they learn and pull it together around one idea.

Students use a simple chart or graph to sort the facts they collected. Filling in the template shows which information belongs together before they start writing.

Students pick a topic, gather facts about it, then record what they learned by drawing a picture, writing words, or telling an adult who writes it down for them.

Students gather simple facts on a topic and share what they found with the class. This happens in small groups or as a whole class, using notes or drawings collected during research.