PLEASANT VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT CURRICULUM
COURSE: Language Arts
GRADE(S): First
STRAND: Spelling
TIME FRAME: One Year
PA ACADEMIC STANDARDS
1.4 Types of Writing
1.5 Quality of Writing
1.7 Characteristics and Functions of the English Language
ASSESSMENT ANCHORS
RESOURCES







Houghton Mifflin CORE
LETRS manuals
Kid-Writing/Craft of Writing
Student Journals
Magnetic letters
White boards
Fountas and Pinnell Phonics Program
OBJECTIVES
The learner will spell common, frequently used words correctly in isolation and in the context of
their daily writing. (1.4, 1.5, 1.7)
The learner will attempt to spell unknown words in daily writing based on knowledge of phonetic
rules.
(1.4, 1.5, 1.7)
The learner will discriminate between words that are visually and auditorily, different or similar.
(1.7)
ESSENTIAL CONTENT






To transfer high use words into daily writing. (1.4, 1.5, 1.7)
To use context for meaning. (1.4, 1.5, 1.7)
Make predictions about the spelling of words. (1.4, 1.5, 1.7)
Build vocabulary skills (1.4, 1.5, 1.7)
Develop phonic skills (1.4, 1.5, 1.7)
Use word families to build unknown words. (1.4, 1.5, 1.7)
1






PLEASANT VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT CURRICULUM
Cultivate thinking strategies. (1.4, 1.5, 1.7)
Extend spelling outside the classroom. (1.4, 1.5, 1.7)
To make predictions about the spelling of words. (1.4, 1.5, 1.7)
To develop visual discrimination for spelling and writing accuracy. (1.4, 1.5, 1.7)
To practice choral/oral language. (1.4, 1.5, 1.7)
To build families of rhyming words. (1.4, 1.5, 1.7)
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES







Journal activities
Writing Workshop
 prewriting
 drafting
Journal Writing
Shared, Interactive, Language Experience Writing
Letter Writing
Journal
Poetry and songs
ASSESSMENTS










Teacher observations of daily writing
Kid-Writing/Craft of Writing
Writing samples of student writing – stories, letter, journals, etc.
Rubrics
Portfolios
Hearing Sounds in Words Dictation (observation survey)
Teacher made tests
DIBELS
Blackline masters
Daily Writing
CORRECTIVES/EXTENSIONS
Correctives:
 Explicit modeling followed by systematic guided practice of each skill
 The use of kinesthetic materials i.e.: sand writing, magnetic letters.
 Practice making words with similar word families or word parts using flip charts, spinning wheels,
word slides, etc.
Extensions:
 Build word families
 Given a set of letters, students will brainstorm and manipulate them to build new words.
 Edit a given passage
2
PLEASANT VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT CURRICULUM
3