Grade 1 English Language Arts Chapter 4: Digraphs and Story Retelling
Student lessons | Daily practice | Teacher answers | Grade 1 home
Five original guided lessons. Read, demonstrate, discuss, and then complete matching exercises.
Day 1: Digraphs
Learn: A consonant digraph is two letters working together to represent one consonant sound. Read sh in ship, ch in chin, and the unvoiced th in thin. The letters th also represent a different voiced sound in this; teach these sounds separately with clear mouth modeling.
Worked example: Compare sip and ship. The sh changes the beginning sound. Contrast thin with this: both have th spelling, but the tongue and voice produce different sounds.
Day 2: Read an Original Story
Learn: Chen and Shay help at the shop. Chen stacks three boxes. Shay puts shells on a shelf. Their aunt smiles and thanks them. They finish before lunch.
Worked example: The shop is the setting. The children and their aunt are the characters.
Day 3: Retell in Order
Learn: A retelling states beginning, middle, and end using details from a story. Transition words include first, next, finally.
Worked example: First the children help; next they do different tasks; finally their aunt thanks them.
Day 4: Write a Narrative
Learn: A narrative has a beginning, event, and ending. Complete sentences start with capitals and finish with punctuation.
Worked example: First I planted a seed. Next I watered it. Finally I checked on it.
Day 5: Independent Check
Learn: Today you will read a NEW passage to check transfer, not just memory of the shop story. Read: Thad and Ash visit the shed. Thad puts a thin mat on the floor. Ash sets a shell on the shelf. They shut the shed door and walk home. The adult may read directions but must record any assistance reading the passage. Notice the digraphs th and sh. Then identify the setting, one action by each character, and the ending. Write three connected sentences about the new story, not an invented event.
Worked example: Reread the written response and correct incomplete sentences.
Curriculum status: Developing supplemental chapter. Complete textbooks, fillable downloads, and verified Alabama academic standards mapping remain outstanding. Scripture Study is separate from academic standards.
Chapter 4: Expanded Five-Day Teaching Scripts
Teacher-led lesson expansion. Use these scripts with the existing five student lessons and separate daily practice. Suggested pacing is flexible; teach explicitly, allow guided attempts, then release responsibility. Day 5 remains an unfamiliar independent assessment.
Day 1: Digraph sound recognition
Teach and model: Explain that sh, ch and th each use two letters to spell a consonant sound. Model ship, chin and thin, then contrast thin with this because th has two pronunciations. Ask learners to hear the first sound before seeing its spelling.
Learner task: Sort ship, shop, chin, chop, thin and this by initial digraph. Read four words without prompts.
Check for understanding: Ask the learner to explain one answer aloud. Reteach with different examples if needed.
Day 2: Connected story reading
Teach and model: Before reading, point out sh, ch and th in the chapter story. Read the text once for meaning, then reread for accuracy. Ask who acts, where they are, and what happens. Distinguish details actually stated from guesses.
Learner task: Find two digraph words in the taught story and answer two questions with text evidence.
Check for understanding: Ask the learner to explain one answer aloud. Reteach with different examples if needed.
Day 3: Retell events in order
Teach and model: Use three blank boxes labeled beginning, middle and end. Have the learner orally place events in order, then draw or write one detail in each box. Model sequencing words first, next and finally without supplying the whole retell.
Learner task: Retell three story events in order and explain which event happened last.
Check for understanding: Ask the learner to explain one answer aloud. Reteach with different examples if needed.
Day 4: Narrative writing
Teach and model: Plan a beginning, middle and ending for a true or imagined helpful act. Write one sentence per part. Reread for a clear subject, verb, capital letter and period. Support handwriting without changing the learner’s ideas.
Learner task: Write three connected narrative sentences, then check one revision.
Check for understanding: Ask the learner to explain one answer aloud. Reteach with different examples if needed.
Day 5: Independent transfer
Teach and model: Keep the new Day 5 shed passage unfamiliar until assessment. Give directions without decoding target words. Record oral-reading support and score answers using the Chapter 4 teacher key.
Learner task: Complete the new-passage questions and three-sentence retelling independently.
Assessment note: Keep the fresh passage unseen until testing; record accommodations and review only afterward.