First Grade Core Knowledge Language Arts Skills Curriculum Organization Guide

This information will help you get organized and prepared to homeschool your child using the Core Knowledge First Grade Language Arts Skills curriculum.

Important Notes

CK Language Arts Listening & Learning vs. CK Language Arts Skills: The Core Knowledge Language Arts curriculum is split into two strands: Listening & Learning and Skills. Each strand has its own set of curriculum. Both strands are required for a full language arts curriculum. The organization information below is for the Skills strand.

1^st vs. 2^nd Edition: Please note, the support materials available here are specific to the 1^st edition Core Knowledge Language Arts and Core Knowledge Skills curriculums which are available to download for free on the Core Knowledge website. Core Knowledge’s partner Amplify offers 2^nd edition materials and homeschooling families can purchase hard copies of those 2^nd edition materials from the Amplify website (there is no “free” option for the 2^nd edition materials). If you choose to use the 2^nd edition materials, you may need to make significant changes to the schedule and prep information provided here. There is no advantage to using the 2^nd edition materials beyond the option to purchase preprinted copies online. We recommend using the 1^st edition materials. We recommend using the 1^st edition curriculum so you can take full advantage of these support materials.

Free Resources

How-to Videos: Watch the videos to learn to use the CKLA Skills curriculum to homeschool.

Unit-Specific Prep Document: Review and download the CKLA Skills First Grade Unit-Specific Prep Checklist. Includes notes for each unit of the curriculum including which supplemental pages to print, library books that may be needed, required advanced preparation broken out by lesson, as well as a list of additional unit-specific supplies.

Daily Schedule: Review and download the free daily schedule for homeschooling First Grade using Core Knowledge and MEP Math.

Primary Materials

Units: There are 7 units in the Grade 1 CKLA Skills curriculum. All students start with Unit 1 and progress through the units in order. All 7 units, including the daily lesson assigned, are listed on the Grade 1 daily schedule. You will download each unit separately from the CK website. Each unit will be downloaded as a file folder containing multiple files: The Teacher’s Guide, Student Reader, and a Workbook.

Teacher’s Guide: This will be primary resource you use each school day. When you are ready to start a lesson with your student, you will simply open the PDF file for the Teacher’s Guide on your tablet or laptop and navigate to the lesson indicated on the daily schedule and work through the instructions in the Teacher’s Guide for that lesson.

Student Reader: The student reader is a file included in the folder of files you downloaded from CK for the unit. When you reach the point in a lesson that calls for using the student reader, simply open the PDF file on your child’s tablet or laptop and navigate to the story scheduled for that day.

Student Workbook: The student workbook file is included in the folder of files you downloaded from CK for the unit. Whenever possible, please print the whole student workbook prior to beginning the unit. This will save you time each school day. The workbook can be printed as a double-sided document. Once printed you can choose to:

• Keep the loose workbook pages in a file folder or other safe place so you can access the appropriate work page each day.
• Three-hole punch the worksheets and store them in a three-ring binder.
• Have your local office supply store coil-bind or comb-bind the pages into a bound book (typically about $4-$5).

The workbook answer key is always located in the back of the Teacher’s Guide.

Big Book: This resource is designed to use in a classroom setting to model fluent reading and concepts of print. The stories in the Big Book are identical to the Student Reader. In a homeschool setting you won’t need to use this option. Instead you’ll just use the Student Reader alongside your student.

Ancillary Components: You will need to download the CKLA Grade 1 Ancillary Components from the CK website. These resources are downloaded as a single file folder containing multiple files. These files will be used throughout the school year (not unit specific):

• Consonant Flip Book and Vowel Flip Book: These are two separate files. The teacher guide will let you know when to use a flip book. Please note, these flip book files can be accessed as a PDF file on your child’s tablet when needed. Or you may wish to print the files and bind them into a booklet that can be easily accessed and flipped through as needed.
  
  
• Spelling Card Set: The teacher guide will let you know when to use the spelling cards. While it is possible to use these cards by opening the PDF file on your child’s tablet, it is easier to print this file using a setting for your printer to print 4 pages of the file to one page of printer paper and you’ll print them double-sided. This will allow you to cut the paper into fourths with one card on each page. If possible, use card stock to print these spelling cards so they will be more durable.
  
  
• Individual Code Chart: The teacher guide will let you know when to use the code charts. Please note, it is best to print this file so your student can work with the code charts as needed.
  
  
• Large Letter Cards: These large letter cards can be printed or the file can simply be opened on a tablet and used electronically instead. If you do opt to print the file, you may wish to consider using cardstock so the cards will be more durable.
  
  
• Assessment and Remediation Guide (ASG): This guide is designed to assist teachers and families with teaching children whose reading and spelling skills are significantly behind grade level or who have a learning challenge which would benefit from a different type of instruction and more reinforcement of concepts. The lessons in this file are not scheduled as part of the daily workplans.
  

Getting Organized

Catch-up Days: Catch-up days are scheduled at the end of most units. These days can be used to catch-up if you are behind on finishing the core lessons or can be used to work through more Pausing Point activities.

Pausing Point: Each unit ends with a Pausing Point and they are included in the schedule. The Pausing Point section in the Teacher’s Guide will list additional exercises you can use to further practice or reinforce a particularly spelling skill or concept. Pausing Point activities can also be used throughout the unit (there are notes in the side column of the Teacher’s Guide when an activity might be useful). Keep in mind though that if you use a PP activity prior to the end of the unit, you may need to help your child with any words in the activity that they haven’t yet learned to decode.

Tracking Documents: There are a number of documents in the Teacher’s Guides for tracking the academic progress of a classroom of students. As a homeschooling parent, you can ignore these.

Important Tips

Phonics vs. Whole Language: If you are new to Core Knowledge, please read pg. 253-310 in the Unit 1 Skills Teacher’s Guide for an important overview of how phonics instruction differs from a whole language approach (typically used by public schools) and how the Skills curriculum is set up.

Unit 1 Information: This first unit is different from subsequent units because it is broken up into three sections:

• Lesson 1-5: Back to School Week Lessons: This first week of lessons assume a student has had the summer off and will need to review concepts taught in Kindergarten before moving on. If your student is coming to the CK curriculum from a public or private school or if you have previously used a different reading/spelling (phonics) curriculum, these lessons are important to begin assessing where your student is at in terms of their reading and spelling skills. Please do not skip these lessons. Back to school lessons are explained on pg. 12-14.
  
  
• Lessons 6-10: Student Performance Task Assessment and Placement Lessons: Week 2 of this first unit is focused on assessing whether your student is ready for the Grade 1 skills materials. Providing a student with reading instruction at their skill level is critically important. A student’s needs are not served by moving them ahead in reading instruction before they are ready to do so. For some 6-8 year old students starting Grade 1, these Grade 1 materials will be right at their level. Other students may need to circle back to the Kindergarten materials first. Please read TG pg. 50-55 before starting the assessment lessons.
  
  
• Lessons 11-32: The remaining lessons in the unit work on core skills.

First Grade CKLA: Skills Strand Unit-Specific Prep Checklist

This checklist will help you prepare for each new unit of the Core Knowledge First Grade Language Arts Skills curriculum. Please refer to the specific unit list prior to starting a new unit. It will guide you through what what documents to print, when a library book is needed, unit-specific supplies that should be gathered, and special notes for lessons in that unit.

Unit 1

• Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-14 (includes back-to-school week information)

• Print the Supplemental Pages: Teacher’s Guide pg. 170-191

• Review the Unit-Specific Notes:
  • See the list of additional materials needed on TG pg. 4. It is important to gather these materials in advance.
  • Lessons 1-6, 11-20, and 25-29: Require advance preparation.
  • All lessons in this unit (except the assessment lessons) require advance preparation. This preparation should only take 5-10 minutes or so in most cases and it is recommended you do it the night before. If you have time, please read through the upcoming day’s lesson the night before.
  • Starting in Lesson 19, many lessons during this school year will suggest using the media disk or big book. While the big book is included in the files you downloaded, it is a resource meant to demonstrate fluent reading within a classroom setting. The stories in the big book are identical to the stories in the student reader and as a homeschooler, you can simply use the student reader alongside your student.
  • Lesson 2: The Consonants Code Flip Book, Vowel Code Flip Book, and Spelling Cards are located in the Grade 1 Ancillary Components folder you downloaded from the CK website.
  • Lesson 5: Large Letter Cards are located in the Grade 1 Ancillary Components folder you downloaded from the CK website.
  • Lessons 21 and 22: Suggest using a handheld mirror during an activity (optional).
  • Wiggle cards are introduced in the Unit 1 Pausing Point (see TG pg. 226 for an explanation). Wiggle cards will also be used in future units so please set them aside in a safe place.
  • As your student nears the end of Unit 1, please take some time to look at the Pausing Point activity suggestions (pg. 213) to choose a few activities to reinforce what your student has learned. Some activities require additional supplies and/or advance preparation.
  • It is highly recommended that you set aside some time to read carefully through the Appendix (TG pg. 241) to better understand the CKLA approach to phonics.

Unit 2

• Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-7

• Review the Unit-Specific Notes:
  • See the list of additional materials needed on TG pg. 6. It is important to gather these materials in advance.
  • Lessons 1-2, 5-7, 11, and 14-17: Require advance preparation.
  • Lesson 1: The Individual Code Chart is located in the Grade 1 Ancillary Components folder you downloaded from the CK website.
  • Lesson 2: Requires an envelope or plastic bag.
  • Lessons 9 and 14: Require a timer. Most smartphones have a timer app as part of the phone’s pre-installed apps.
  • Pausing Point: As your student nears the end of Unit 2, please take some time to look at the Pausing Point activity suggestions (pg. 109) to choose a few activities to reinforce what your student has learned. Some activities require additional supplies and/or advance preparation.

Unit 3

• Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-8

• Review the Unit-Specific Notes:
  • See the list of additional materials needed on TG pg. 7. It is important to gather these materials in advance.
  • During this unit, your student will have an opportunity to create a writing portfolio. You can use a three-ring binder or manila folder for this task.
  • Lessons 1-4, 6-7, 11, 16, and 19: Require advance preparation.
  • Lesson 2: It can be helpful to print pg. 25-26 or the pages can just be opened on a tablet and viewed with the exercise done orally.
  • Lesson 3: It can be helpful to print pg. 38-40 or the pages can just be opened on a tablet and viewed with the exercise done orally.
  • Lesson 7: It can be helpful to print pg. 65 or the page can just be opened on a tablet and viewed with the exercise done orally.
  • Lesson 11: Requires a timer. Most smartphones have a timer app as part of the phone’s pre-installed apps.
  • Pausing Point: As your student nears the end of Unit 3, please take some time to look at the Pausing Point activity suggestions (pg. 132) to choose a few activities to reinforce what your student has learned. Some activities require additional supplies and/or advance preparation.

Unit 4

• Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-10

• Review the Unit-Specific Notes:
  • See the list of additional materials needed on TG pg. 8. It is important to gather these materials in advance.
  • Lessons 2, 6- 7, 11, 17-18, 20, 22-24, and 26-28: Require advance preparation.
  • Lesson 17: Requires advance preparation and 4-6 small objects in a box.
  • Lesson 18: Requires advance preparation, a box of small objects, and a puppet or stuffed animal.
  • Lesson 20: Requires advance preparation and a grape (or a picture of a grape). Print pg. 124-125.
  • Lesson 23: Requires advance preparation and print pg. 145.
  • Lesson 24: Requires advance preparation and print pg. 150 (or you can review this page with the student and complete the exercise orally).
  • Lessons 26-28: Require advance preparation and print pg. 157-162, 166-167.
  • Pausing Point: As your student nears the end of Unit 4, please take some time to look at the Pausing Point activity suggestions (pg. 172) to choose a few activities to reinforce what your student has learned. Some activities require additional supplies and/or advance preparation.
  • The Appendix (pg. 197) contains information on using chunking to decode multi-syllable words.

Unit 5

• Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-10

• Review the Unit-Specific Notes:
  • See the list of additional materials needed on TG pg. 5. It is important to gather these materials in advance.
  • Lessons 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 14-18, and 20: Require advance preparation.
  • Lesson 4: The spelling tree preparation materials are on pg. 36-39.
  • Lesson 4, 8, and 16: Require yellow, green, and brown construction paper. Making the spelling tree leaves will continue throughout the remaining units of this school year.
  • Lesson 6: Requires a plastic page protector.
  • Lesson 16: Print pg. 128-130.
  • Pausing Point: As your student nears the end of Unit 5, please take some time to look at the Pausing Point activity suggestions (pg. 167) to choose a few activities to reinforce what your student has learned. Some activities require additional supplies and/or advance preparation. You may wish to print pg. 191-208.
  • The Appendix (pg. 209) contains information on using chunking to decode multi-syllable words.

Unit 6

• Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-7

• Review the Unit-Specific Notes:
  • See the list of additional materials needed on TG pg. 7. It is important to gather these materials in advance.
  • Lessons 1-5, 7, 10, 12, 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24: Require advance preparation.
  • Lesson 1: The spelling tree templates are located on pg. 16-17.
  • Lesson 5: Requires advance preparation and two different colors of sticky notes.
  • Pausing Point: As your student nears the end of Unit 6, please take some time to look at the Pausing Point activity suggestions (pg. 152) to choose a few activities to reinforce what your student has learned. Some activities require additional supplies and/or advance preparation.
  • The Appendix (pg. 174) contains information on using chunking to decode multi-syllable words.

Unit 7

• Read the Unit Introduction: Teacher’s Guide pg. 1-6

• Review the Unit-Specific Notes:
  • Lessons 1, 2, 9, 11, 14-17, and 19: Require advance preparation.
  • Lesson 1: Please note advanced preparation instructions on both pg. 8 and 10. Leaf and duck templates are located on pg. 14-15.
  • Lesson 20: Print pg. 112-113.
  • Pausing Point: As your student nears the end of Unit 7, please take some time to look at the Pausing Point activity suggestions (pg. 122) to choose a few activities to reinforce what your student has learned. Some activities require additional supplies and/or advance preparation.

Note: The Pausing Point activities also make excellent activities to use with your student over the summer to keep their reading, spelling, and composition skills up during the break.

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