While teaching our first graders letter sounds, how to decode, and read words, we also need to teach them comprehension strategies so that they can understand what they are actually reading. This is why I feel like first grade is such a big deal in the reading world. 1st grade teachers have to teach these students to read words and to understand their reading. It’s such a big job! This is why 1st grade teachers are magical.
Our first grade units include hands-on activities, engaging lesson plans, reading passages, anchor charts, small group activities, graphic organizer worksheets, and more for different comprehension skills. These reading units are aligned to the common core. Some of these units could be used in 2nd grade if your students have not yet mastered the comprehension skill or you just need additional material. There are reading centers included in the different reading units to include in your literacy block as well. Most units have weekly lessons (and it’s currently being updated to have more). In this blog post, I am going to break down the different reading units and the reading skills they focus on.
A great way to teach different reading skills is with mentor texts as well. Make sure to check out the different links with books lists for each reading skill.
1. Making Connections In Fiction and Nonfiction Reading
It is important for first graders to be able to make connections while they read. When they can make connections between what they are reading and how they can relate to the story, they will have a deeper comprehension and critical thinking of the text. In this unit, they learn to make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections while reading fiction texts. They learn to make connections between people, between ideas and information, and events when reading non-fiction texts.
Here’s what is included in this reading unit for both fiction and nonfiction:
- comprehensive lesson plans
- pre and post-assessments
- reading passages
- reading centers
- graphic organizers
- discussion cards
- flip books
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2. Main Character and Character Traits
Teaching our students to identify the main character and character traits of a text helps their understanding of what they are reading as well.
The main character and character traits reading unit includes:
- lesson planning pages
- anchor charts
- character vs. not a character sort
- character traits sort
- reading passages to help your students identify the main character and the character traits of that character
- character craft (which is perfect to use with Wemberly Worried, Chrysanthemum, or Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse)
- Reading Centers
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See a list of books to teach main character and character traits here
3. Setting Of A Story
Understanding the setting of a story helps young children begin to understand the characters and the major events. The setting can impact how characters feel and act. Our students can learn how the setting affects the readers mood as well.
Here’s what is included in this reading unit:
- anchor chart
- sorting activity for “where” and “when”
- setting scrapbook journal
- Creepy Carrots activity
- Travel the room brochure
- no prep worksheets
My favorite activity from this reading unit is the hands-on lesson with Creepy Carrots. After reading Creepy Carrots, students draw the setting of Creepy Carrots and write the “when” and “where” of the story on the carrots.
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4. Main Topic and Key Details
Teaching main idea and supporting details to our students is important for them to understand a story as well. If they don’t understand the main idea or main topic, then they may not understand the story.
Here’s what is included in our main idea and supporting details reading unit:
- anchor charts
- pre and post assessments
- sorting activities
- mystery bags
- reading passages with comprehension questions
- write the room activity
- no prep worksheets that are perfect to leave with a sub, for morning work, independent work, or more!
- reading centers
- craftivities
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See a list of books to teach main idea here
5. Story Elements
The story elements reading unit includes over a weeks worth of lesson plans focusing on character, setting, problem, solution, and major events.
Here’s what is included in the story elements reading unit:
- 9 lesson plans
- pre and post-assessments
- bookmarks
- reading passages
- graphic organizers
- interactive flipbooks
- discussion cards
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Want to include a read-aloud story with your reading unit? See the blog post with read aloud texts here.
6. Nonfiction Text Features
We teach nonfiction text features so that students understand the structure of different texts and can locate important information. When young learners are taught to understand the structure, they can deepen their understanding of what they are reading.
The nonfiction text features reading unit includes:
- anchor charts for each non-fiction text feature
- lesson plans
- pre and post-assessments
- non-fiction text feature scavenger hunt booklet
- write the room activity
- small group discussion cards
- original nonfiction reading passages
- graphic organizers
- reading centers
- bookmarks
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See a list of nonfiction texts here.
7. Point Of View
Teaching our students to identify the different points of view in our stories is an important comprehension skill for further understanding the text. When reading, they should be able to identify who is telling the story. They will deepen their understanding by learning that others have different opinions.
Here’s what is included in the point of view reading unit:
- lesson plans
- pre and post-assessments
- bookmarks
- reading passages
- reading centers
- graphic organizers
- interactive flipbooks
- discussion cards for different groups
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8. Visualizing
When we teach students to visualize while they read, they can make better connections to the text. They will be able to better understand the story and remember the characters, setting, and major events of the text.
Here’s what is included:
- lesson plans
- pre and post-assessments
- bookmarks
- reading passages
- reading centers
- graphic organizers
- interactive flipbooks
- discussion cards
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9. Asking And Answering Questions In Fiction And Non-Fiction
Teaching young learners to ask questions before, during, and after reading is an important reading skill. When they ask questions before reading, they will open up their schema and knowledge of what the book is about. When they ask questions while reading a text, they are actively engaging with their text. When they ask questions after reading, they are checking for comprehension. We teach them to answer their questions as well to further engage with the text.
Here’s what is included:
- lesson plans
- pre and post-assessments
- bookmarks
- reading passages
- graphic organizers
- reading centers
- craftivity
- discussion cards
Purchase on Missing Tooth Grins
10. Compare and Contrast
It is important for young learners to learn to categorize and find similarities and differences. When finding the similarities and differences in what they are reading, they are thinking deeper about the texts.
Here’s what is included:
- lesson plans
- pre and post-tests
- anchor chart
- whole group activities
- reading passages
- centers
- no prep worksheets
- write the room
- small group discussion cards
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11. Retelling And Story Sequencing
When students recall what happened in a story, they are pulling out the parts that they comprehend from what they read. They should be able to retell what happened in the beginning, middle, and end.
Here’s what is included:
- lesson plans
- pre and post-assessments
- book marks
- reading passages
- reading centers
- graphic organizers
- interactive flip book
- discussion cards
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12. Making Predictions
When we teach our students how to make predictions, they will actively think ahead and ask questions about their text. They will be wondering what will happen while they are reading, which will help them build their comprehension.
Here’s what is included:
- lesson plans
- pre and post-assessments
- bookmarks
- reading passages
- reading centers
- graphic organizers
- interactive flipbook
- discussion cards
- write the room
- group activity: “prediction investigations”
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13. Sensory Words
When we teach students sensory words, they will have a more vivid image of the text. They will be able to make more connections to the text by understanding different sensory words.
Here’s what’s included:
- lesson plans
- pre- and post-assessments
- anchor chart
- whole group activity sort
- reading passages
- centers
- clip cards
- no prep pages
- craftivity
- write the room
- small group cards
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14. Identifying Problem and Solution
Students identify the problem and how the problem was solved. Understanding how to identify and think about the problem and solution helps students have a deeper understanding of what they read.
Here is what is included:
- 7 lesson plans with activities, craftivity, and problem detectives activity
- Pre- and post-assessments
- 4 reading centers
- Small group discussion cards
- Reading passages
- Graphic organizers
15. Context Clues
We teach context clues so that young learners can figure out the meaning of an unknown word while reading. They use the clues within the text to determine what the word means. This is such an important reading skill for reading comprehension, especially as students grow and read chapter books.
Here’s what is included in this reading unit:
- anchor chart
- Reading passages with real words and nonsense words- all include comprehension questions
- Introductory Whole Group Sorting Activity
- Differentiated small group cards
- Nonsense word write the room
- Real word write the room
- Graphic organizers
- Airplane Craftivity – could span out over a week or more learning about new aircraft words and using context clues
- 3 centers – nonsense words, real words, opposites
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Free 1st Grade Lesson Plans For Reading
You can try some of our reading lessons for free! They are included in our reader’s workshop toolkit! The reader’s workshop toolkit includes 2 free lesson plans, a sample of our reading exit tickets, and a phonics reading warm-up game! Click here to download your free toolkit.
The Full Comprehensive Reading Curriculum
If you are ready to add this reading curriculum bundle to your first grade classroom, click here. Digital versions are included for most of these reading units. You can plan your first grade reading units for the entire year with this comprehensive bundle. It includes everything detailed above, as well a a reading unit for launching reader’s workshop.
