Standard 1: Reading Foundations

Students will develop foundational skills for future reading success by working with sounds, letters, and text.

PRINT CONCEPTS: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the organization and basic features of print, including book handling skills and the understanding that printed materials provide information and tell stories. 

Student Actions 

Teacher Actions 

• Students will correctly form letters in print and cursive.
• Students will use correct spacing between letters, words, and sentences.

• Teachers demonstrate correct letter formation in print and cursive.
• Teachers provide opportunities for correct letter formation in print and cursive.
• Teachers provide opportunities for correct letter formation in print and cursive.
• Teachers monitor student for correct formation of letters in print/cursive and provide feedback as need.
• Teachers demonstrate appropriate spacing between letters, words, and sentences.
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to use appropriate spacing.
• Teachers can model cursive by writing labels in cursive for the classroom.
• Teachers explicitly teach letters that have similar formations in groups for example c, a, d, and g start the same way. Here is a suggested progression. Start with lowercase letters then teach uppercase letters. 

Supporting Resources 

Teacher Insights 

Handwriting Development - Sizing, Spacing, Alignment & More (webpage)

Fine motor strengthening activities (webpage)

• Students should form letters in print legibly and with automaticity.

• When students are learning cursive, they need direct instruction in connecting letters within words.

• Students are introduced to cursive in third grade and work on forming letters correctly.

• Handwriting practice should include opportunities to practice writing letters in words and sentences.

• By third grade, students should use correct spacing with automaticity between letters, words, and sentences.

Due to recursive nature of the standards, it is essential that teachers are aware of how all objectives within and between strands work together for optimal instruction.