The standards in this strand include three kinds of writing: opinion, informative, and narrative. Opinion and informative writing will likely start with kids reading one or more books and responding to what they’ve learned. In an opinion piece, your child
introduces the book or topic he’s writing about, states his opinion or preference about it, gives a reason or two to support his opinion (e.g. Ramona was wrong because she hurt Susan when she pulled her curls.), and then offers some sort
of conclusion to complete his writing.
In an informative piece, your child names what he’s writing about and gives some information, facts, or details about it (e.g.Dinosaurs lived on Earth a long time ago. Some dinosaurs were bigger than people are today…), and, as in an opinion
piece, offers some sense of conclusion.
Writing a narrative is like writing a story, and your child’s story may be inspired by books, experiences, or pure imagination. Your first grader’s story should describe two or more events, include some details about what happened, and use sentence order,
verb tense, and words to put the events in order (e.g. Then Goldilocks tries the second bowl of porridge. Next she eats the third bowl of porridge.) and give some sense of the story coming to an end — not only by writing “The End,” although
that’s a good start.
Students learn and apply the rules of standard written English and to strengthen and expand their vocabulary, use of language, and organization of ideas. You will find the standards for these skills in the Language Strand.
How can I help my child at home with the writing strand standards?
Let your child see you write - notes, letters, memories. Read aloud what you have written.
Establish a place to leave messages for each other such as a wipe-off or cork board.
Talk with your child about their opinion about a topic or book by stating the opinion and giving a reason for his/her thinking. “My favorite book is … because …”.
Model this by giving your own opinions about topics or books.
Have your child write about a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and find a way to close/end the writing piece.
Help your child see that order is important in writing about a story or happening, using a proper sequence of events.
Help your child to use the computer, pens, crayons, paint, etc. to produce and publish what he/she has written/drawn. Have them read aloud what they have written.
Do simple research about a given topic together – and have your child write and organize the facts you both find.
Help your child to recall information about his/her own experiences, or what he/she has read or researched, to answer questions.
Strands are larger groups of related standards. The Strand Grade is a calculation of all the related standards. Click on the standard name below each strand to access the learning targets and proficiency scales for
each strand's related standards.
Grade 1
