Integrating science and reading, first grade students have been reading many nonfiction or informational texts about simple machines.  Through partner reading and guided reading, we are targeting several reading strategies, comprehension skills, phonetic patterns,  and grammatical principles.

Beginning with reading strategies, students are working on asking and answering questions before and during their reading.  Asking and answering questions helps students better understand and remember information.  Addressing comprehension skills, students are working to identify problems and solutions.  We are describing a problem as something that must be worked out or solved and a solution as the process of solving the problem.   Looking at phonetic patterns, students are reviewing beginning blends and digraphs and working with ending blends and digraphs.  They are identifying and categorizing basic parts of speech. We will continue to reinforce these strategies and skills through read aloud and individual reading.