Language Arts/Phonics
The Murrieta Valley Unified School District utilizes Open Court Reading in 1st grade.
It is a systematic phonics-based curriculum. As each phonics concept is introduced, corresponding paper Take Home Books are sent home for essential reading practice. An emerging reader will not fully reach our end of year reading goals unless they receive ample reading support at home. Parents are expected to sit with their child every night and listen to their child read that evening's Take Home Book.
Below are the phonics concepts covered in 1st grade, in the general order in which they are introduced.
Consonants - A through Z
Short Vowels
/a/ as in hat
/e/ as in hen
/i/ as in pig
/o/ as in fox
/u/ as in tug
Consonants with multiple spellings for one sound
/k/ can be spelled c, k, & _ck
/k/ can be spelled c, k, & _ck
/f/ can be spelled f & ph
/j/ can be spelled j, ge, gi, & _dge
/n/ can be spelled n, gn & kn
/r/ can be spelled r & wr
/s/ can be spelled s, ci, & ce
/z/ can be spelled z & _se
Digraphs
|
Sound |
Spellings |
Word Examples |
|---|---|---|
|
/ch/ |
ch
tch
|
chin lunch match
|
|
/th/ |
th |
thin math
|
|
/sh/ |
sh |
ship wish
|
|
/wh/ |
wh |
whip whiff |
R-controlled vowels
|
Sound
|
Spellings
|
Word Examples
|
|---|---|---|
|
/ar/ as in bark
|
ar
|
dark harm
|
|
/ir/ as in bird
|
ir er ur
|
girl herd burn
|
|
/or/ as in corn
|
or
|
fort thorn
|
Long Vowels
|
Long Vowel
|
long A
|
long E
|
long I
|
long O
|
long U
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Spellings
|
a
a_e
ai
ay
|
e
e_e
ea
ee
ie
y |
i
i_e
igh
ie
y
|
o
o_e
oa
ow
oe
|
u
u_e
ew
ue
|
|
Word Examples
|
paper
same
tail
play
|
be
here
team
need
piece
funny
|
silent
hive
night
pie
shy
|
old
home
soap
snow
doe
|
cucumber
cube
few
cue
|
Other Sounds and Spellings:
/aw/ as in Hawk
Spelled aw & au
Word examples: hawk, draw, haul, fault
/ow/ as in Cow
Spelled ow & ou
Word examples: howl, crown, shout, loud
/oy/ as in Toy
Spelled oy & oi
Word examples: toy, royal, boil, point
/oo/ as in Goo
Spelled oo, u_e, u, _ew, & _ue
Word examples: choose, tube, truth, crew, clue
/oo/ as in Foot
Spelled oo
Word examples: book, took, good