Standard 2: 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.  

Understanding 

Objectives 

Approaching 

1.2.PC.1 

Students will correctly form letters and use appropriate spacing for letters, words, and sentences using left-to-right and top-to-bottom progression.

Developing 

1.2.PC.1 

Students will correctly form letters and sometimes use appropriate spacing for letters, words, and sentences using left-to-right and top-to-bottom progression.

1.2.PC.1 

Students will correctly form letters. 

1.2.PC.2 

Students will recognize the distinguishing features of a sentence. (e.g., capitalization of the first word, ending punctuation: period, exclamation mark, question mark) with guidance and support.  

1.2.PC.2 

1.2.PC.2 

1.2.PC.2 Students will recognize the distinguishing features of a sentence (e.g., capitalization of the first word, ending punctuation, comma, quotation marks).

 Instructional Guidance 

Guide students during shared writing or read-alouds using big books and predictable/patterned text to notice distinguishing features of sentences (capitals and punctuation, commas, quotation marks), words and letters.

With Handwriting instruction students will independently write letters using writing utensils during writing activities.

Use big books during shared reading or read-alouds to draw students’ attention to all distinguishing features of sentences (capitals and punctuation, commas, quotation marks), words and letters. Provide instruction and activities to develop an understanding of these features.  Allow students opportunities to find and name the distinguishing features.

With handwriting instruction, students will independently write all letters using writing utensils during writing activities.  Guide students in noticing the spacing of letters, words and sentences and the left-to-right and top-to-bottom progression of teacher and student writing. Give students visuals to demonstrate spacing, such as Use a Space...Man (anything can be used to demonstrate a “spaceman” as long as it is about the width of the space between words like a wooden popsicle stick) or other space creating tools.

Allow students opportunities during read-alouds to notice all distinguishing features of sentences (capital letters, punctuation, commas, quotation marks), words and letters. Provide instruction and activities to develop an understanding of these features.  

Students will write all letters using writing utensils during writing activities.  Guide students in noticing the spacing of letters, words and sentences and the left-to-right and top-to-bottom progression of teacher and student writing. Give students visuals to demonstrate spacing, such as Use a Space...Man (anything can be used to demonstrate a “spaceman” as long as it is about the width of the space between words like a wooden popsicle stick) or other space creating tools.

Deeper

Acquisition 

Provide whole-group, independent and small-group opportunities during book interaction for students to find and name all distinguishing features of sentences (capital letters, punctuation, commas, quotation marks), words and letters. Provide specific isolated instruction and activities on each of the sentence features to develop a deeper understanding.  

Students will write all letters using writing utensils during writing activities.  Provide opportunities for noticing the spacing of letters, words and sentences and the left-to-right and top-to-bottom progression of teacher and student writing. Model editing and allow students opportunities to edit during writing activities to check for appropriate spacing for letters, words, and sentences.