The last weeks before winter break can be choppy. A short December review works best when every page has a purpose you can explain in one sentence. Use these five steps to choose first-grade reading, writing, and math activities that fit the lessons your class has already had.
At a glance
Plan one literacy task and one math task per day. Keep a quick check for each.
1. Start with a sound or spelling pattern
Choose a short-vowel, long-vowel, blend, or digraph task your class has seen. Read two examples together and ask students to underline the letters representing the target sound.
2. Pair the passage with a text clue
Read one short passage and ask a question that has an answer students can locate. Show how to return to the sentence and underline a few words that support the answer.
3. Model the purpose of the writing
Before a thank-you note, name who it is for and why. Let students say the message to a partner first. Offer a starter or a word bank where it helps.
4. Use materials before the math page
Build one make-ten or place-value example with cubes or counters. For a measurement page, check the printed ruler scale, then model lining the object up with zero.
5. End with one independent item
Choose one problem or word that repeats the target skill in a new example. Use the response to decide who needs a short reteach the next day.
A classroom example
In a fictional class, Mia reads the passage accurately but answers from memory. Her teacher asks her to point to the words that tell what the character did. Mia finds the sentence and uses it to revise her answer.
Companion printable
The 93-page PDF includes 83 black-line activity pages, a teacher guide, and eight answer-key pages. It covers first-grade phonics, comprehension, writing, number work, measurement, and more.
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