After completing our Kindergarten phonics program, first graders are prepared to plunge right into real books, such as the four little classics in StoryTime Treasures Set. Real books, as opposed to controlled vocabulary readers, capture the imagination of children and motivate them in their reading lessons. Our study guide, StoryTime Treasures, written by Highlands Latin School teachers Mary Lynn Ross and Tessa Tiemann, teaches a variety of language skills in the engaging context of favorite books. Vocabulary, spelling, composition, capitalization, punctuation, and more are included. Your child’s classical education will be off to a superb start with these enduring and timeless classics. And he or she will be well prepared to complete first grade with the next set of classics in More StoryTime Treasures.
The StoryTime Treasures Teacher Guide gives you all the answers to the questions, vocabulary, etc., found in StoryTime Treasures, as well as essential and recommended phonetic activities for every lesson, so you have the tools you need to guide your student through this first grade literature program!
Students who have completed First Start Reading Books A-D successfully are prepared to read Little Bear early in first grade as part of our StoryTime Treasures Set. But even Little Bear, which is a level 1 I Can Read Book, has many sight words and advanced phonograms that students either haven’t learned or hasn’t mastered. It is the nature of English that simple common words are often irregular or have advanced phonograms. This is what causes the transition from phonics to reading in English to be so difficult. These preparatory skills are not for mastery learning but rather exposure to the more advanced phonograms students are seeing in their literature. It takes much practice and phonetic support in first grade for the student to become a fluent reader. We strategically coordinate the start of StoryTime Treasures with Lesson 5 of Traditional Spelling. All phonetic support to aid in student success is included within the StoryTime Treasures Teacher Guide.