The Teaching Firsties blog
Articles for first grade teachers
Practical, research-informed strategies and time-saving tips for standards-aligned literacy instruction.
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10 Close Reading Strategies You Can Use With Your 1st Grade Students
These quick close reading strategies help your first graders read to understand a short passage without feeling overwhelmed. By modeling…
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How to Fix the Most Common Problems with Close Reading Activities in 1st Grade
Close reading activities can be difficult to adapt for first graders because young readers are still building decoding skills, stamina,…
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5 Simple Strategies for Teaching Capitalization to 1st Graders
This post shares five practical strategies for teaching capitalization through sentence building, shared writing, and independent activities.
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Building Reading Fluency with 1st Grade Poetry Centers and Nursery Rhyme Songs
This post shows how 1st grade poetry centers help your students build reading fluency and expression.
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7 Common Poetry Center Problems (And How to Fix Them)
This post shares practical solutions to common poetry center problems like differentiation, fluency, and comprehension so your centers run smoothly…
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Troubleshooting First Grade Writing Centers: What to Do When Kids Get Stuck
First grade writing centers work best when students have the tools they need to write independently. This post offers practical…
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Using First Grade Close Reading to Meet ELA Standards
Close reading in first grade gives students rereading practice time to notice key details, build vocabulary, and answer text-based questions.…
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Standards Based Poetry Centers That Strengthen Fluency and Phonological Awareness
Standards-based poetry centers help first graders build fluency and phonological awareness through short, engaging poems. Each activity aligns with reading…
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Build 1st Grade Phonemic Awareness Skills with CVC Word Decodable Readers on Boom Cards
Use CVC word decodable readers to build short vowel fluency and decoding accuracy in your first grade classroom. Each digital…
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Turn Spookley the Square Pumpkin Classroom Activities Into Skill-Based Reading Practice
Extend your October read-aloud with Spookley the Square Pumpkin classroom activities that reinforce comprehension skills like sequencing, story elements, and…
Free for first grade teachers
Free writing papers for every season
Seasonal writing paper for first grade, ready to print. Plus one new idea for your literacy centers each week.