Online Elementary School
Grade 1 English
Our Grade 1 English Course follows the Common Core Standards and is designed to strengthen essential reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. This course introduces young learners to the foundational elements of language arts as part of a complete 1st grade curriculum outline.
In this course, students explore various grade 1 English topics, including story structure, character development, and key events. They will practice retelling stories, answering comprehension questions, and identifying the main ideas in texts. The course also emphasizes understanding the difference between books that tell stories and those that present factual information.
Grade 1 English Online Course Overview
A core part of the English curriculum for grade 1 involves helping students identify words that suggest emotions, recognize who is narrating a story, and describe characters and settings. Phonics instruction is integrated to support decoding skills, allowing students to read first grade English texts with confidence and understanding. Students will also learn to break down words into syllables and understand spoken word patterns and sounds.
In addition to reading, writing is a major component of the Grade 1 English Course. Students will learn to express themselves through opinion, informative, and narrative writing. They will also participate in simple research projects and collaborate on group writing tasks, preparing them for more advanced grade 2 topics in English.
This course offers a well-rounded introduction to literacy skills that lay the groundwork for future academic success in English.
Forest Trail Academy offers the hallmark of truly effective traditional education programs, Proudly accredited by Cognia, MSA-CESS, Ai, and NCPSA, ensuring high academic standards and recognized online elementary school education quality.
Learning Activities
Students enrolled in the Grade 1 English online course at Forest Trail Academy participate in age-appropriate learning activities designed to build early literacy skills and confidence in reading and writing. These activities include:
Practicing phonics and letter-sound relationships
Reading simple grade-level texts with guidance
Retelling stories using sequence and key details
Answering basic comprehension questions
Participating in guided reading and listening activities
These learning activities from online elementary school support foundational reading development while helping students understand how language works in everyday communication.
Reading & Comprehension Skills
Throughout this Grade 1 English online course, students develop essential reading comprehension skills by learning how to:
Identify main ideas and important details in stories
Recognize characters, settings, and events
Distinguish between fiction and nonfiction texts
Follow story sequences and simple narratives
Students are encouraged to think critically about what they read and to express understanding through discussion and simple written responses.
Writing & Language Development
Writing is a key component of the Grade 1 English curriculum at Forest Trail Academy. Students practice early writing skills through:
Writing simple sentences and short responses
Expressing ideas through opinion and narrative writing
Using correct spacing, capitalization, and punctuation
Building vocabulary through reading and writing exercises
These activities help students strengthen written communication and prepare them for more advanced language skills in later grades.
Phonics, Vocabulary & Listening Skills
The Grade 1 English online course emphasizes phonics instruction and vocabulary development to support early reading fluency. Students will learn to:
Decode words using phonics strategies
Break words into syllables and sounds
Recognize commonly used vocabulary words
Improve listening skills through spoken stories and instructions
This balanced approach supports both reading accuracy and listening comprehension.
Course Goal
The goal of the Grade 1 English online course at Forest Trail Academy is to help every student become:
✔ A confident early reader
✔ A developing writer
✔ A strong listener and communicator
By the end of the course, students gain a solid foundation in English language arts and are well prepared for Grade 2 English concepts and continued academic success.
Explore Other English Courses
Grade 1 English Course
Grade 2 English Course
Grade 3 English Course
Course Outline
Course Introduction
- Introduction
- Course Description
- Pretest
- Assignment: Pretest
- Required Readings
Sight Words And Rhyming Words
- Letter Sounds
- Handout: Letter Sounds
- Assignment: Letter Sounds
- Sight Words: Introduction
- Handout: Sight Words Packet
- Assignment: Sight Words: A
- Sight Words: The
- Assignment: Sight Words: The
- Sight Words: And
- Assignment: Sight Words: And
- Sight Words: I
- Assignment: Sight Words: I
- Sight Words: Like
- Handout: What Do I Like? Sight Word Story
- Assignment: Sight Words: Like
- Assignment: What Do I Like
- Rhyming Sounds: At
- Handout: Rhyming Sounds ‘at’
- Assignment: Rhyming Sounds -at-
Sight Words And Sentences
- Sight Words: Go
- Assignment: Sight Words: Go
- Sight Words: You
- Assignment: Sight Words: You
- Sight Words: My
- Assignment: Sight Words: My
- Sight Words: Can
- Assignment: Sight Words: Can
- Sight Words: To
- Handout: Where Can You Go? Sight Word Story
- Assignment: Sight Words: To
- Assignment: Where Can You Go?
- Starting Sentences
- Handout: Starting Sentences
Sight Words And Short Vowel Sounds
- Sight Words: Is
- Assignment: Sight Words: Is
- Sight Words: We
- Assignment: Sight Words: We
- Sight Words: They
- Assignment: Sight Words: They
- Sight Words: House
- Assignment: Sight Words: House
- Sight Words: School
- Handout: Sight Words: School at my House
- Assignment: Sight Words: School
- Assignment: School at my House
- Short Vowel Sounds
- Handout: Short Vowels Story – Meg, Sam, and Tim
- Assignment: Short Vowels
Sight Words And Long Vowel Sounds
- Sight Word: At
- Assignment: Sight Words: At
- Sight Word: No
- Assignment: Sight Words: No
- Sight Word: Yes
- Assignment: Sight Words: Yes
- Sight Words: I’m
- Handout: No! Bad Goat!
- Assignment: Sight Words: I’m
- Assignment: No! Bad Goat!
- Long Vowel Sounds
- Handout: A Day with Mike and Kate
- Assignment: A Day With Mike and Kate
Sight Words And Bossy R
- Capital Letter Review
- Sight Word: Cat
- Assignment: Sight Words: Cat
- Sight Word: Dog
- Assignment: Sight Words: Dog
- Sight Words: She
- Assignment: Sight Words: She
- Sight Words: He
- Assignment: Sight Words: He
- Sight Words: Don’t
- Handout: Sight Words: My Pets
- Assignment: Sight Words: Don’t
- Assignment: My Pets
- Bossy R
- Handout: Gloria Goes for a Drive
- Assignment: Gloria Goes For A Drive
Nouns,Good Reading Skills, Poetry
- Vocabulary: Introduction
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 1
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 1
- Grammar: Nouns
- Quiz: Nouns
- Grammar: Plural Nouns
- Worksheet: Plural Nouns Practice
- Grammar: Proper Nouns and Capital Letters
- Handout: Common and Proper Nouns
- Assignment: Proper and Common Nouns
- Grammar: Names of Days and Months
- Worksheet: Proper Nouns Practice
- Reading Mini Lesson: What Do Good Readers Do
- Reading: Mix a Pancake
- Writing: A Food Poem
- Assignment: A Food Poem
- 9- Speaking and Listening: Poem Read Aloud
Pronouns, Questions, The Kissing Hand
- Vocabulary Words 2
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 2
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 2
- Grammar: Pronouns
- Grammar: Personal Pronouns
- Worksheet: Personal Pronouns
- Grammar: Possessive Pronouns
- Worksheet: Possessive Pronouns
- Grammar: Indefinite Pronouns
- Handout: Pronoun Sorting
- Worksheet: Indefinite Pronouns
- Assignment: Pronoun Sorting
- Reading Mini Lesson: Ask and Answer Questions
- Reading: The Kissing Hand
- Handout: Reading Rubric
- Assignment: The Kissing Hand Recording
- Reading: The Kissing Hand Reading Journal
- Handout: The Kissing Hand Reading Journal
- Assignment: The Kissing Hand Reading Journal
- Speaking and Listening: How to be a Good Listener and Speaker
Verbs, Retelling, Olivia
- Vocabulary Words 3
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 3
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 3
- Vocabulary: Shades of Meaning
- Grammar: Verbs
- Handout: Verb Practice
- Assignment: Verbs
- Grammar: Verbs That Show Past Time
- Grammar: Irregular Verbs That Show Past Time
- Worksheet: Past Tense and Irregular Verbs Worksheet
- Grammar: The Verb “Be”
- Handout: The Verb Be
- Assignment: The Verb Be
- Grammar: The Verb “Have”
- Reading Mini Lesson: Retell a Story
- Handout: Retell A Story
- Assignment: Retell A Story
- Reading: Olivia
- Assignment: Olivia’s Recording
- Reading: Olivia’s Reading Journal
- Handout: Olivia’s Reading Journal
- Assignment: Olivia’s Reading Journal
- Writing: Retell A Story
- Handout: Olivia’s Retell
- Assignment: Olivia’s Retell
- Speaking and Listening: Retell a Story
- Worksheet: Favorite Book Retell
Describing Words, Narrator, Miss Smith’s Incredible Storybook
- Vocabulary Words 4
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 4
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 4
- Vocabulary: Shades of Meaning
- Grammar: Describing Words
- Grammar: “When” Words
- Handout: Describing Words
- Assignment: Describing Words
- Worksheet: “When” Words
- Mini Lesson: Who’s Telling the Story?
- Reading: Miss Smith’s Incredible Storybook
- Assignment: Miss Smith’s Incredible Storybook RecordingWriting: Miss Smith’s Incredble Storybook Journal
- Handout: Miss Smith’s Incredible Storybook Journal
- Assignment: Miss Smith’s Incredibly Storybook Journal
- 8- Speaking and Listening: Feelings
“Where” Words, Pictures, Little Bear
- Vocabulary Words 5 – Alphabetical Order
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 5
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 5
- Vocabulary: Sorting Words
- Grammar: “Where” Words
- Worksheet: “Where” Words
- Reading Mini Lesson: Pictures
- Reading: Little Bear
- Assignment: Little Bear Recording
- Reading: Little Bear Journal
- Handout: Little Bear Reading Journal
- Assignment: Little Bear Reading JournalWriting: Little Bear Pictures
- Handout: Little Bear Pictures
- Assignment: Little Bear Pictures
- Speaking and Listening: Little Bear Story
Linking Words, 3 W’s, Alexander and…
- Vocabulary Words 6
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 6
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 6
- Grammar: Linking Words
- Quiz: Linking Words
- Reading Mini Lesson: Who, What, Where
- Reading: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
- Assignment: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Recording
- Writing: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Journal
- Handout: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Journal
- Assignment: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Journal
- Speaking and Listening: Your Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Ending, Abbreviations, Comparisons, Frog and Toad Together
- Vocabulary Words 7
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 7
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 7
- Vocabulary: Endings
- Worksheet: Endings
- Grammar: Abbreviations
- Quiz: Abbreviations
- Reading Mini Lesson: What’s the Same? What’s Different?
- Reading: Frog and Toad Together
- Assignment: The Frog and Toad Together Recording
- Writing: Frog and Toad Together Reading Journal
- Handout: Frog and Toad Together Journal
- Assignment: Frog and Toad Together JournalMidtest
- Assignment: Midtest
Unknown Words, Contractions, Empty Pot
- Vocabulary Words 8
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 8
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 8
- Vocabulary Mini Lesson: Words You Don’t Know
- Grammar: Contractions
- Handout: Contractions
- Assignment: Contractions
- Reading: The Empty Pot
- Assignment: The Empty Pot Recording
- Writing: The Empty Pot Journal
- Handout: The Empty Pot Journal
- Assignment: The Empty Pot Journal
Sentences, Commas, Feelings, Hi! Fly Guy
- Vocabulary Words 9
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 9
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 9
- Grammar: Sentences
- Handout: Sentences
- Assignment: Sentences
- Grammar: Commas
- Handout: Commas
- Assignment: Commas
- Reading Mini Lesson: Feelings
- Reading: Hi! Fly Guy
- Assignment: Hi! Fly Guy Recording
- Writing: Unusual Pet
- Essay: Unusual PetListening and Speaking: Unusual Pet
Sequences, Stories, Cause and Effect, Out of the Ballpark
- Vocabulary Words 10
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 10
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 10
- Grammar: Sequencing
- Grammar: Parts of a Story
- Worksheet: Parts of a Story
- Grammar: Cause and Effect
- Handout: Cause and Effect
- Assignment: Cause and Effect
- Reading Mini Lesson: A Story in Order
- Reading: Out of the Ballpark
- Assignment: Out of the Ballpark Recording
- Writing: A Story About You!
- Essay: A Story About You!
Sentences, Questions, Exclamations, Nonfiction, A Tree is a Plant
- Vocabulary Words 11
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 11
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 11
- Vocabulary Mini Lesson: Categories
- Grammar: Types of Sentences and Endings
- Grammar: Questions
- Grammar: Question Words
- Grammar: Exclamations!
- Handout: Sentences
- Assignment: SentencesReading: Nonfiction
- Handout: Nonfiction Scavenger Hunt
- Assignment: Nonfiction Scavenger Hunt
- Reading: A Tree is a Plant
- Assignment: A Tree is a Plant Recording
- Writing: Nonfiction
- Speaking and Listening: Nonfiction
Connections, Interjections, KWL, A Cool Drink of Water
- Vocabulary Words 12
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 12
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 12
- Vocabulary: Real Life Connections
- Grammar: Interjection!
- Essay: Interjections!
- Reading and Writing Mini Lesson: KWL Chart
- Handout: KWL Think Aloud
- Assignment: KWL Think Aloud
- Writing: A Cool Drink of Water KWL
- Handout: A Cool Drink of Water KWL
- Reading: A Cool Drink of Water
- Assignment: A Cool Drink of Water Recording
- Assignment: A Cool Drink of Water KWLWriting: From a KWL to a Paragraph
- Handout: What I Know
- Essay: A Cool Drink of Water Paragraph
Figurative Language, Comparing Nonfiction, Follow the Water…
- Vocabulary Words 12
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 12
- Vocabulary Words 13
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 13
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 13
- Grammar: Figurative Language
- Handout: Figurative Language
- Assignment: Figurative Language
- Reading: Follow the Water from Brook to Ocean
- Assignment: Follow the Water from Brook to Ocean Recording
- Writing Mini Lesson: Comparing Nonfiction
- Handout: Comparing Nonfiction
- Assignment: Comparing Nonfiction
- Speaking and Listening: Follow the Water from Brook to Ocean
Sentence Agreement, Key Details, Starfish
- Vocabulary Words 15
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 15
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 15
- Grammar: Sentence Agreement
- Handout: Sentence Agreement
- Assignment: Sentence Agreement
- Reading Mini Lesson: Key Details
- Writing: Key Details in Starfish KWL
- Handout: Starfish KWL and Paragraph
- Assignment: Starfish KWL and Paragraph.
- Reading: Starfish
- Assignment: Starfish Recording
- Speaking and Listening: Starfish
Parts 0f Sentences, Big Idea, Looking For Myself
- Vocabulary Words 14
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 14
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 14
- Grammar: Parts of a Sentence
- Handout: Parts of a Sentence
- Assignment: Parts of a Sentence
- Reading Mini Lesson: The Big Idea
- Handout: Big Idea
- Reading and Writing: Looking After Myself
- Handout: Looking After Myself Big Idea
- Assignment: Looking After Myself Recording
- Assignment: Looking After Myself Big Idea
- Speaking and Listening: Looking After Myself Big Idea
Whole Sentences, Pictures and Word, Chameleon Chameleon
- Vocabulary Words 16
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 16
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 16
- Vocabulary Mini Lesson: Break it Down
- Grammar: Complete Sentences
- Quiz: Whole Sentence
- Reading Mini Lesson: Pictures or Words
- Reading: Chameleon, Chameleon
- Assignment: Chameleon, Chameleon Recording
- Writing: Chameleon, Chameleon Pictures and Words
- Handout: Chameleon, Chameleon Pictures and Words
- Assignment: Chameleon, Chameleon Pictures and Words
Friendly Letters, From Speed to Pumpkin
- Vocabulary Words 17
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 17
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 17
- Grammar: Friendly Letters
- Essay: Friendly Letter
- Reading: From Seed to Pumpkin
- Assignment: From Seed to Pumpkin Recording
- Writing: Friendly Letter
- Handout: Friendly Letter Template
- Assignment: Friendly Letter
- Speaking and Listening: From Seed to Pumpkin
Paragraphs, Sentence Order, How People Learned to Fl
- Vocabulary Words 18
- Handout: Vocabulary Words 18
- Assignment: Vocabulary Words 18
- Grammar: Paragraph – Staying On Topic
- Grammar: Order of Sentences in Paragraphs
- Handout: Paragraphs
- Assignment: Paragraphs
- Reading: How People Learned to Fly
- Assignment: How People Learned to Fly Recording
- Writing: Learn Something New
- Assignment: Learn Something New
- Speaking and Listening: Read Aloud
- Post-test
- Assignment: Post-test
Course Evaluation
- Handout: Course Evalulation
- Assignment: Course Evaluation
Why Forest Trail Academy Is The
Perfect Online School For You
- Proven Track Record: We are an established online school boasting 10,000+ successful students since 2007.
- Flexible Learning: Enjoy 100% online, self-paced learning from Kindergarten to High School with no live classes.
- University-Ready Graduates: Prepare for higher education with a curriculum designed to help students gain acceptance at top universities and colleges worldwide.
- Credible & Accredited: Learn with confidence from a regionally, nationally, and internationally accredited institution.
- Higher Achievement: Students consistently achieve higher than average SAT and ACT scores.
