Before entering the first grade, students should be able to communicate through oral language, using complete sentences. They should be able to describe events that happened in the past or make predictions about what will happen in the future, according to the website Reading Rockets. In addition, students entering first grade should be able to retell a story.
Phonemic awareness is a necessary skill for reading success. Students display phonemic awareness when they understand that words are made up of sounds, and that sounds correspond to letters, according to Reading Rockets. Students should know the sounds that each letter makes. In addition, students should recognize letter sounds within a word. An ability to recognize rhyming words is also important.
Students entering first grade should be able to recognize and spell their first and last name. Students should also know how to write upper and lowercase letters. Students should be able to read three-letter words like "cat," according to Bend Language Learning. Students should also recognize simple sight words by the end of kindergarten.
Background knowledge is necessary for students to understand what they read. Before beginning first grade, students should have a general knowledge of the world around them, notes the website Reading Rockets. Students should be able to discuss books and stories that are read to them. In addition, students should be able to put the events of a story into order and describe those events.
While many prerequisites for the first grade deal with language and reading, students should be prepared in math and science as well. Before entering the first grade, students should know how to read an analog clock. Students should also be familiar with calendars, and should be able to name the different seasons. In addition, students entering the first grade should know about different types of weather, and should be familiar with a variety of plants and animals.