- Caitlin B.
- Thursday, May 20, 2021
In the first grade, students are expected to know more about story structure and explain an author’s purpose. There are specific skills that they should attain by the end of the year:
- Determine if the author’s main purpose is to explain, inform, entertain, or convince.
- Tell the order of events and determine the beginning, middle, and end of the writing; as well as determine the topic.
- Describe the setting and identify the plot, including the problem and solution.
- Describe what happened and why.
- Read independently for longer periods.
The first on this list is pretty straightforward: you can discuss a story or book with your child, take a picture walk, and even introduce the book by pointing out directly the author’s purpose. An author’s purpose may be two-fold; for example in Kate Messner’s book How to Write a Story, there are direct steps: the book is designed to literally teach the reader how to write a story. But it also entertains the reader because of the way that the writer speaks to the reader.
Telling the order of events is a huge piece in knowing whether or not a child understands what they’re reading. Being able to retell a story from beginning to end is a great accomplishment! Let’s say your child is reading The Three Little Pigs, by Paul Galdone. You’ll know they’ve mastered this skill when they can tell you that this book is entertaining and when they can tell you what happens with each of the three pigs and the wolf, from beginning to end.
Continuing to the third point, part of a child’s retelling should describe the setting and plot. Can your child tell you where The Three Little Pigs takes place? Good. Can they tell you what the problem is? How about the solution? They might pick up on the fact that there are several problems in the story and that they all have solutions. Great! They’re beginning to understand that written texts have complexity. This will prepare them to engage with longer texts.
Ask questions of your child while reading! You don’t have to comment on every single event, but if you and your child are reading The Three Little Pigs and the first pig’s house is blown down, you may ask “why did the pig’s house get blown down?” or “why did the second pig build his house out of sticks?” These questions will help your child begin to make predictions and understand the structure of familiar stories.
Finally, building reading stamina is vital for developing a life-long reader. Try reading The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, by John Scieszka, after finishing Paul Galdone’s version (or any other version, for that matter). Chances are, your child will be eager to discuss the similarities and differences between the two stories.