At the beginning of the school year I wrote about how I make up my own first grade language lessons using a short sentence or two from a children's book that illustrates a particular language-related concept. For instance, if we want to study plurals, I might select a sentence(s) that has a singular and a plural noun in it. I would have Joely copy the sentence down from the book, then we would discuss what plurals are and how they are made. Then, as we read through the book, Joely would point out other plurals that she sees in the text. To stress the concept even more, I would also have Joely rewrite the sentence throughout the week, finally rewriting it from dictation at the end of the week.
This method not only introduces language concepts in a non-workbook method, but it also helps with spelling since Joely is writing the same sentence over and over again, then writing it completely from dictation at the end of the week.
Dr. Seuss is a favorite children's author of mine, and his books are so engaging that I thought it'd be fun to make up a list of language lessons using his wonderful stories. This list is by no means exhaustive since it only takes into account the Seuss books I have in our personal library, but it does give you at least one example of a book to use for each of the concepts listed. I've tried to select books in which the particular concept is illustrated in more than one place so your child can find them all as you read together. Hopefully this list will inspire you to create your own unique language lessons for your little ones in your homeschool. [ You can download a PDF of this list here for your personal use. ]
First Grade Language Lessons
BY CONCEPT
Periods & Capital Letters: Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog?,There’s a Wocket in My Pocket!
Capitalizing “I”: There’s a Wocket in My Pocket!
Quotation Marks: Horton Hears A Who!, The Cat in the Hat
Question Marks: Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog? , Are You My Mother?, Who Are You, Sue Snue?
Exclamation Marks: The Cat in the Hat
A & An: Who Are You, Sue Snue?
Plurals: Bears on Wheels
Conjunctions (and): The Cat in the Hat, In a People House
Conjunctions (or): Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog?
Rhyming Words: There’s a Wocket in My Pocket!, Hop on Pop
Contractions: There’s a Wocket in My Pocket!
Would/Should/Could: Green Eggs and Ham
Color Words: I’ll Teach My Dog 100 Words
Number Words: One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish; Bears on Wheels
Opposites: One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish; The Foot Book
Abbreviations (Mr., Mrs.): Hop on Pop
Proper Nouns (names): Who Are You, Sue Snue?, Hop on Pop
Verbs: I’ll Teach My Dog 100 Words
Adjectives: The B Book
Pronouns: The Cat in the Hat Comes Back
Prepositions: Green Eggs and Ham
Onomatopoeia: Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?
Alliteration: The B Book, Fox in Sox, Berenstains’ A Book, Dr. Seuss’s ABC
Italics for Emphasis: Horton Hears A Who!, Who Are You, Sue Snue?
Capitalization for Emphasis: Horton Hears A Who!
Parentheses: Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog?
BY BOOK TITLE
Are You My Mother?: Question Marks
B Book, The: Adjectives, Alliteration
Berenstains’ A Book: Alliteration
Bears on Wheels: Plurals, Number Words
Cat in the Hat, The: Quotation Marks, Exclamation Marks, Conjunctions (and)
Cat in the Hat Comes Back, The: Pronouns
Dr. Seuss’s ABC: Alliteration
Foot Book, The: Opposites
Fox in Sox: Alliteration
Green Eggs and Ham: Would/Should/Could, Prepositions
Hop on Pop: Rhymings Words, Abbreviations (Mr., Mrs.), Proper Nouns (names)
Horton Hears A Who!: Quotations Marks, Italics for Emphasis, Capitalization for Emphasis
I’ll Teach My Dog 100 Words: Color Words, Verbs
In a People House: Conjunctions (and)
Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?: Onomatopoeia
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish: Number Words, Opposites
There’s a Wocket in My Pocket!: Periods & Capital Letters, Capitalizing “I”, Rhyming Words, Contractions
Who Are You, Sue Snue?: Question Marks, A & An, Proper Nouns (names), Italics for Emphasis
Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog?: Periods & Capital Letters, Question Marks, Conjunctions (or), Parentheses
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