Phonics and Spelling

Letterland in First Grade

Our spelling lists continue the Letterland theme that began in Kindergarten. A new list will be stapled in your child's planner every Monday. Each week your child will be asked to work on a phonetic concept by practicing targeted letter patterns through reading, spelling, and using the words in sentences. Spelling homework supports this learning and will be collected daily. Click on the homework tab on the left to see what is expected.  Daily homework expectations for Letterland are also attached on the inside cover of your child's planner.

A weekly test on Friday will cover the sections highlighted on the unit list your child is currently learning: tricky words, review words, list A, B, or C, and sentences. The mastery your child demonstrates on the patterns studied will determine if he/she moves to the next unit or continues studying the current phonetic pattern.

 Each Letterland unit has three spelling lists, A, B, and C. If a unit needs to be continued for mastery, your child will be focused on a different list within the unit. When he/she demonstrates mastery, being able to both spell and read the phonetic concept being taught, he/she will receive a new unit sheet the next week. 

Objectives

Your child will be able to ...

• Recognize long and short vowel patterns when reading and spelling words with one or two syllables.
• Recognize patterns of consonants that make one sound which is different from the sound of either letter by itself.
• Fluently read and spell most common sight words.
• Read, understand, and spell commonly used prefixes and suffixes.

What Will Be on the Spelling Test?

• Each week the spelling test will begin with six sounds. These will include new sounds introduced during the week of study. Sounds will also include those missed on the last test or during weekly learning activities.
• Then, there will be 10 to 12 words on the test. These are words from the current list and words from the review list.
• Next, there will be three diagnostic words. These words have the same spelling pattern as the list words. These words are included to help determine if your child has learned the sounds and patterns and can transfer them to other words instead of just memorizing their spelling list.
• Finally, your child will be expected to correctly write one of the two sentences from the unit page.  The sentence I select will be read to him/her at least three times and he/she will repeat it each time before beginning to write. These sentences use some of the tricky words and patterns of sounds your child has learned in this or previous lessons.