Tennessee Standards
Tennessee 1st Grade ELA Standards
All 43 Tennessee English language arts standards for 1st grade, each explained in plain English. The official wording is one click away under each one.
43 standards
Foundational Literacy: Print Concepts
1 standardDemonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.
1.FL.PC.1
Follow print left to right and top to bottom, know that letters in order make a word with spaces between words, and name every upper and lowercase letter.
Official wording
Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.aRecognize the distinguishing features of a sentence, such as first word, capitalization, and ending punctuation.
Foundational Literacy: Phonological Awareness
1 standardDemonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
1.FL.PA.2
Hear and make rhymes, clap syllables, say the first, middle and last sounds in a short word like cat, and swap a sound to make a new word, like cat to hat.
Official wording
Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).aDistinguish long from short vowel sounds in spoken single-syllable words.bOrally produce single-syllable words by blending sounds (phonemes) in spoken single-syllable words.cIsolate and pronounce initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in spoken single-syllable words.dSegment spoken single-syllable words into their complete sequence of individual sounds (phonemes).
Foundational Literacy: Phonics and Word Recognition
1 standardKnow and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when decoding isolated words and in connected text.
1.FL.PWR.3
Sound out one and two syllable words with digraphs like sh, silent e, vowel teams, r-controlled vowels, and endings like -ed, read tricky words, and read decodable books.
Official wording
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when decoding isolated words and in connected text.aKnow the sound-spelling correspondence for common consonant digraphs.bDecode regularly spelled one-syllable words.cKnow the final –e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds, including r controlled vowels.dUse knowledge that every syllable must have a vowel sound to determine the number of syllables in a printed word.eDecode two-syllable words following basic patterns by breaking the words into syllables.fRead words with inflectional endings.gRecognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.hRead grade-level decodable text with purpose and understanding.
Foundational Literacy: Word Composition
1 standardKnow and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when encoding words; write legibly.
1.FL.WC.4
Spell one-syllable words with blends, digraphs, silent e, and vowel teams, add endings, spell two-syllable words like sunset, sound out new words, and print every letter.
Official wording
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when encoding words; write legibly.aUse conventional spelling for one-syllable words with common consonant spelling patterns, including consonant diagraphs, double letters, and initial and final consonant blends.bUse conventional spelling for one-syllable words with common vowel spelling patterns including VCVe, common vowel teams, final -y, and r-controlled vowels.cSpell words with inflectional endings.dSpell two-syllable words that end in -y or -ly, are compounds, or have two closed syllables.eSpell untaught words phonetically, drawing on phonemic awareness and spelling conventions.fWrite many common, frequently used words and some irregular words.gPrint all upper and lowercase letters.
Foundational Literacy: Fluency
1 standardRead with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
1.FL.F.5
Read 1st-grade books aloud smoothly and accurately with expression, understand them, and reread when a word or sentence does not make sense.
Official wording
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.aRead grade-level text with purpose and understanding.bRead grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.cUse context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding of words; reread as necessary.
Foundational Literacy: Sentence Composition
1 standardDemonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when speaking and conventions of standard English grammar and usage, including capitalization and punctuation, when writing.
1.FL.SC.6
Use nouns, pronouns, past and future verbs, adjectives, and joining words in many sentence types, capitalize names and dates, and use end marks and commas in lists.
Official wording
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when speaking and conventions of standard English grammar and usage, including capitalization and punctuation, when writing.aUse common, proper, and possessive nouns.bUse singular and plural nouns with correct verbs in basic sentences.cUse personal, possessive, and indefinite pronouns.dUse verbs to convey a sense of past, present, and future.eUse frequently occurring adjectives.fUse frequently occurring conjunctions.gUse articles and demonstratives.hUse frequently occurring prepositions, such as during, beyond, and toward.iProduce and expand simple and compound declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences in response to prompts.jCapitalize names of people and dates.kEnd sentences with correct punctuation.lUse commas in dates and to separate single words in a series.
Foundational Literacy: Vocabulary Acquisition
3 standardsDetermine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
1.FL.VA.7a
Figure out a new word from the sentence around it, use parts like un- and -ful as clues, and spot a root word like look inside looks, looked and looking.
Official wording
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.iUse sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.iiUse frequently occurring affixes as a clue to the meaning of a word.iiiIdentify frequently occurring root words and their inflectional forms.
1.FL.VA.7b
With an adult's help, sort words into groups like colors and clothing, define a duck as a bird that swims, and act out how look, peek and stare differ.
Official wording
With guidance and support from adults, demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.iSort words into categories to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.iiDefine words by category and by one or more key attributes.iiiIdentify real-life connections between words and their use.ivDistinguish shades of meaning among words by defining or choosing them or by acting out the meanings.
1.FL.VA.7c
Use new words picked up from talk and books, including joining words like because and so to show how ideas connect.
Official wording
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.
Reading: Key Ideas and Details
6 standardsRead closely to determine what a text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
1.RL.KID.1
Ask and answer questions about the important parts of a story without being prompted, like why the fox wanted the grapes.
Official wording
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
1.RI.KID.1
Ask and answer questions about the important parts of a story without being prompted, like why the fox wanted the grapes.
Official wording
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
1.RL.KID.2
Retell a story in order with its important parts and say what lesson it teaches, like slow and steady wins the race.
Official wording
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
1.RI.KID.2
Name the main topic of an informational book on your own and retell its key facts, like what a book about the moon teaches.
Official wording
Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
1.RL.KID.3
Describe a story's characters, setting, and big events with key details, using a chart, drawings, or written notes when ready.
Official wording
Using graphic organizers or including written details and illustrations when developmentally appropriate, describe characters, settings, and major events in a story using key details.
1.RI.KID.3
Describe how two people, events, or ideas in a text connect, using a chart, drawings, or written notes, like how a seed becomes a plant.
Official wording
Using graphic organizers or including written details and illustrations when developmentally appropriate, describe the connections between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
Reading: Craft and Structure
6 standardsInterpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
1.RL.CS.4
Find words in stories and poems that show feelings or call up the senses, like crunchy, sticky, or gloomy.
Official wording
Identify words and phrases in stories and poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
1.RI.CS.4
Figure out what words and phrases mean in a first grade science or social studies text.
Official wording
Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 1 topic or subject area.
Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of a text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
1.RL.CS.5
Explain the main ways storybooks differ from books that teach facts, after reading many kinds of texts.
Official wording
Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide range of text types.
1.RI.CS.5
Use text features like headings, bold words, and a table of contents to find key facts in a text.
Official wording
Know and use various text features to locate key facts or information in a text.
Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
1.RL.CS.6
Tell who is speaking at different points in a story, like when the narrator stops and a character starts talking.
Official wording
Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text.
1.RI.CS.6
Tell which facts come from a book's pictures and which come from its words, like a photo showing a bird's colors while the text names its food.
Official wording
Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text.
Reading: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
5 standardsIntegrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
1.RL.IKI.7
Use a story's pictures and words to describe its characters, setting, or events, by talking or writing.
Official wording
Either orally or in writing when appropriate, use illustrations and words in a text to describe its characters, setting, or events.
1.RI.IKI.7
Use the pictures and words of a nonfiction text to describe its key ideas, by talking or writing, like a diagram of a bee's body.
Official wording
Either orally or in writing when appropriate, use the illustrations and words in a text to describe its key ideas.
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
1.RI.IKI.8
Find the reasons an author gives to back up the points in a text, like why we should recycle.
Official wording
Identify the reasons an author provides to support points in a text.
Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches an author takes.
1.RL.IKI.9
Compare the adventures of characters in two stories, telling how they are alike and different with written details or drawings when ready.
Official wording
Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories including written details and illustrations when developmentally appropriate.
1.RI.IKI.9
Tell the basic ways two texts on one topic are alike and different, with written details or drawings when ready.
Official wording
Identify basic similarities and differences between two texts on the same topic including written details and illustrations when developmentally appropriate.
Reading: Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
2 standardsRead and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
1.RL.RRTC.10
Read first grade level stories and poems with help from an adult.
Official wording
With prompting and support, read stories and poems of appropriate complexity for grade 1.
1.RI.RRTC.10
Read first grade level nonfiction with help from an adult, like short books about weather.
Official wording
With prompting and support, read informational texts of appropriate complexity for grade 1.
Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
3 standardsPrepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with varied partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing one’s own ideas clearly and persuasively.
1.SL.CC.1
Join in conversations about first grade topics and books with classmates and adults, in small groups or with the whole class.
Official wording
Participate with varied peers and adults in collaborative conversations in small or large groups about appropriate 1st grade topics and texts.
Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media formats, such as visual, quantitative, and oral formats.
1.SL.CC.2
Ask and answer questions about the key details of a read-aloud, a talk or a video, like what the main character wanted.
Official wording
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
1.SL.CC.3
Ask a speaker questions to learn more or to clear up something confusing, and answer questions about what they said.
Official wording
Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information or clarify something that is not understood.
Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
3 standardsPresent information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning; the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
1.SL.PKI.4
Describe a person, place, thing or event with details that matter, saying ideas and feelings clearly, like what made a trip to the zoo fun.
Official wording
Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
1.SL.PKI.5
Add a drawing, photo or other visual when it makes an idea, thought or feeling clearer to listeners.
Official wording
Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions, when appropriate, to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
Adapt speech to a variety of contents and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
1.SL.PKI.6
With help, speak in full sentences when the task or setting calls for it, like when sharing at circle time.
Official wording
With prompting and support, speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation.
Writing: Text Types and Protocol
3 standardsWrite arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
1.W.TTP.1
With help, write an opinion piece that names the topic or book, gives an opinion and a reason for it, and wraps up at the end.
Official wording
With prompting and support, write opinion pieces introducing the topic or text, stating an opinion, supplying a reason for the opinion, and providing some sense of closure.
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
1.W.TTP.2
With help, write to teach about a topic by naming it, giving a few facts, and wrapping up at the end.
Official wording
With prompting and support, write informative/explanatory texts, naming a topic, supplying some facts about the topic, and providing some sense of closure.
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
1.W.TTP.3
With help, write about an event in order with words like first and then, adding details about actions and feelings, and give it an ending.
Official wording
With prompting and support, write narratives recounting an event, including some details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings; use time order words to signal event order and provide some sense of closure.
Writing: Production and Distribution of Writing
3 standardsProduce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
1.W.PDW.4
With help, write clearly so the ideas, their order, and the wording fit the task, the reason for writing, and the reader.
Official wording
With guidance and support, produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
1.W.PDW.5
With adult help, stay on topic, listen to questions and ideas from others, and add details that make the writing stronger.
Official wording
With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic, respond to questions and suggestions from others, and add details to strengthen writing as needed.
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
1.W.PDW.6
With adult help and alongside classmates, try out digital tools to create writing and publish it for others.
Official wording
With guidance and support from adults, and in collaboration with peers, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing.
Writing: Research to Build and Present Knowledge
2 standardsConduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focus questions, demonstrating new understanding of the subject under investigation.
1.W.RBPK.7
Join in group research and writing projects, like reading several how-to books on one topic and then writing steps of their own.
Official wording
Participate in shared research and writing projects, such as exploring a number of “how to” books on a given topic and using them to write a sequence of instructions.
Integrate relevant and credible information from multiple print and digital sources while avoiding plagiarism.
1.W.RBPK.8
With an adult's help, answer a question by remembering something that happened or by looking in books the teacher provides.
Official wording
With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
Writing: Range of Writing
1 standardWrite routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
1.W.RW.10
With adult help, write regularly to build writing fluency and the stamina to write a little longer each time.
Official wording
With guidance and support from adults, engage routinely in writing activities to promote writing fluency and build writing stamina.
The official Tennessee documents
- Tennessee English Language Arts Standards · adopted 2016, revised February 2019 · since 2017-18, through 2028-29
- Tennessee English Language Arts Standards for 2029-30 · coming next · from 2029-30
Tennessee Academic Standards for English Language Arts, Tennessee Department of Education, tn.gov/education.
Common Core State Standards © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.
The plain-English lines are EMStudio's own explanations, shown beside the official wording. They are not part of the standards.