Writing with Ease Level 1 First Grade – updated 7/1/19

Class Description:
Writing with Ease, Level 1 builds a sturdy foundation in basic writing skills through a
carefully designed sequence of steps that will teach every student to put words on
paper with ease and grace. The student will focus on putting ideas into words and
putting those words down on paper. This class will consist of grade level copy work,
dictation, and narration, all of which develop the student’s basic skills with written
language. Using passages and sentences from classic children’s literature, Workbook 1
allows young writers to practice their writing skills while absorbing the style and grace of
great authors. Writing with Ease is one component of a complete language arts program
that includes grammar, spelling writing and reading.

Learning Materials: 

Writing with Ease Workbook Level 1

Learning Goals/Performance Objectives: 

1.RF.01 Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.

1.RF.03 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

1.RF.04 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

1.RL.01 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

1.RL.02 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their
central message or lesson.

1.RL.03 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

1.RL.04 Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to
the senses.

1.RL.07 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or
events.

1.RL.10 With prompting and support, read prose and poetry of appropriate complexity
for grade 1.

1.L.01 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and

usage when writing or speaking.

1.L.02 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,

punctuation, and spelling when writing.
1.L.04 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on grade 1 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of
strategies.

1.L.05 With guidance and support from adults, demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and nuances in word meanings.

1.L.06 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read
to, and responding to texts, including using frequently occurring conjunctions to signal
simple relationships (e.g.,because).

Learning Activities:

Each week there will be four Writing with Ease assignments. The assignments will
include copy work, dictation, and narration. Each week’s assignment will have a
grammar focus addressed through passages from quality stories and poems.

Lesson Sequence:

September- Week 1-3 lessons: Capital letters, ending periods, proper names. Literature
passages include: Little House in Big Woods, Adventures of Pinocchio, Rumpelstiltzkin.

Lesson 1 Little House in the Big Woods

Lesson 2 The Adventures of Pinocchio
Lesson 3 Rumplestiltzkin

October-Week 4-7 Lessons: Capitalization, ending periods, proper names, commas.

Literature passages include: Alice in Wonderland, The Frog Prince, Mary Poppins, Peter
Rabbit.

Lesson 4 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Lesson 5 The Frog Prince
Lesson 6 Mary Poppins
Lesson 7 Peter Rabbit

November Week 8-10 Lessons: Capitalizing names of cities and states, proper names.
Literature passages include: Caddie Woodlawn, Charlotte’s Web, Davy Crockett

Lesson 8 Caddie Woodlawn

Lesson 9 Charlotte's Web
Lesson 10 Davy Crocket

December- Week 11 – 13 Lessons: Capitalizing names of states and first and last names,
days of weeks, holidays. Literature passages include: The Trumpet of the Swan, Today is
Monday, The Saturdays.
Lesson 11 The Trumpet of the Swan
Lesson 12 "Today is Monday" and "Old Mother Hubbard"
Lesson 13 The Saturday’s

January- Week 14 – 18 Lessons: Capitalizing months of year, days of week, names of

places, “I” in middle of sentence, pronouns. Literature passages include: The Railway
Children, Master of All Masters, The Reluctant Dragon, Winnie-the-Pooh, The Light
Princess.

Lesson 14 "Bed in Summer"

Lesson 15 The Railway Children
Lesson 16 "Master of all Masters" and "The Dog and his Reflection"
Lesson 17 The Reluctant Dragon
Lesson 18 Winnie the Pooh

February- Week 19-22 Lessons: Pronouns, initials as abbreviations for proper names,
names of seasons. Literature passages include: The Light Princess, A child’s Geography
of the World, Tom Sawyer, The Velveteen Rabbit.

Lesson 19 The Light Princess

Lesson 20 A Child's Geography of the World
Lesson 21 Tom Sawyer
Lesson 22 The Velveteen Rabbit

March Week 23-26 Lessons: Review capitalization, abbreviating months of the year,
titles of respect, proper usage of sit and set. Literature passages include: How to Eat
Fried Worms, The Happy Hollisters, Pollyanna, The Tale of Benjamin Bunny.

Lesson 23 How to Eat Fried Worms

Lesson 24 The Happy Hollisters
Lesson 25 Pollyanna
Lesson 26 The Tale of Benjamin Bunny

April-Week 27 -29 Lessons: Abbreviating titles of respect, capitalizing first names.

Literature passages include: A Christmas Carol, Little House on the Prairie, All of a Kind
Family.

Lesson 27 A Christmas Carol

Lesson 28 Little House on the Prairie
Lesson 29 All of A Kind Family

May- Week 30-34 Lessons: Review forming commas, review initials, proper names,
capitalizing lines of poetry, commands, questions, exclamations. Literature passages
include: The Crocodile and the Monkey, The Sandpiper, Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Lesson 30 "The Crocodile and the Monkey" and The Giant Crab and Other Tales from
Old India
Lesson 31 "The Sandpiper" and "The Nightingale and the Glow-worm"
Lesson 32 "Sir Gawain and the Green Knights"
Lesson 33 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Lesson 34 Socks

June Week 35-36 Lessons: Review of questions, review exclamations, final evaluation
and review. Literature passages include: The Wind in the Willows, Rain, The Wonderful
Wizard of Oz.

Lesson 35 The Wind in the Willows

Lesson 36 "Rain" and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Progress Criteria/Methods of Evaluation: 

For successful completion of this course, the student will complete at least 70% of the
lessons/goals, at a minimum of 70% accuracy.