Both language and literacy skills develop rapidly during the first grade. Six-year-olds tell and re-tell stories with logical order and use a variety of complete sentences with proper grammar. Most first graders are able to transfer these verbal skills to writing. To facilitate this development, many teachers focus on planned writing activities including drafting, writing, editing and sharing finished work. This process helps the student to logically organize his thoughts and ensures that proper conventions for punctuation, sentence structure and paragraphs are used.
Fine motor skills develop at different ages for different children. Printing and letter formation are emerging skills at this age and students are expected to print legibly, but not perfectly. They are also expected to understand how to properly space letters and words to maximize readability, even if letters remain poorly formed. First-graders with age-appropriate language skills are usually able to transfer their understanding of spoken grammar to written language, so appropriate sentence structure is required. Spelling expectations, on the other hand, are usually confined to frequently used words. Phonetic or made-up spellings are usually acceptable for irregular and less-frequently used words.
First graders write responses to stories read in class, short fiction and nonfiction pieces. Responses focus on either plot or character development or descriptions of settings. These responsive essays often become story starters for original works produced by the students. For example, a teacher might ask students to write a story about what the main character did next. This allows students to experiment with fiction writing without having to create an original idea. Nonfiction writing is also introduced in first grade by instructing students to write about something the class is studying together in science or social studies.
Journaling allows first graders to experiment with using writing to organize their thoughts and feelings. Time is set aside in many classes for students to write in their journals. Because this is an opportunity to explore personal writing, entries are made as pictures or as written documents and errors are not corrected in most classrooms. By removing the pressure of grades, journaling activities enable students to relax and explore ways to use writing to organize their personal thoughts and feelings as they grow.