Vocabulary for 1st graders: Academic vocabulary words for 1st graders

1st Grade Vocabulary Words and Activity Ideas

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First grade vocabulary words include words kids should know and understand at this age level. Students don’t need to be able to spell or read the words to understand their meanings. Vocabulary words are different from first grade spelling words and even first grade sight words. Get started learning new words with these lists of 1st grade vocabulary words and their meanings.

1st Grade Vocabulary Words With 3 or 4 Letters

The grade 1 national reading vocabulary list developed by TampaReads includes 340 words kids should be able to read by the end of this school year. Most of these are short sight words, so you can learn these little words in addition.

• calm (n.) – state of peace or being free from stress and worry
• fair (adj. ) – honest and not favoring one side or the other
• huge (adj.) – extremely large
• let (v.) – to allow
• lie (n.) – something you say that isn’t true
• list (n.) – a series of things you write down
• note (n.) – short piece of writing
• odd (adj.) – something not normal or, in math, something that can’t be divided by 2

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1st Grade Vocab Words With 5 or 6 Letters

After the first few weeks of school, first graders will be given challenge words, bonus words, or a word of the day to learn. These words will be commonly heard or used in speech and contain about five or six letters.

• annoy (v.) – to bother someone
• before (adv.) – at an earlier time or came in front of something else
• decide (v.) – to make a choice
• focus (v. ) – to concentrate on something
• giving (adj.) – generous
• ignore (v.) – to avoid noticing something or purposely not pay attention to it
• invite (v.) – to ask someone to do something or come somewhere
• listen (v.) – try to hear someone or pay attention to something
• notice (v.) – to learn about or see something for the first time
• often (adv.) – many times
• pretty (adj.) – looks attractive
• proud (adj.) – feeling good about yourself for accomplishing something
• report (n.) – spoken or written details about a specific thing
• wonder (v.) – to want to know something or be curious

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First Grade Vocab Words With More Than 6 Letters

Advanced students or kids who are doing well with vocabulary toward the end of the school year can start to move onto longer vocabulary words.

• attention (n.) – your mind focused on something
• comfortable (adj.) – feeling relaxed and happy
• consequences (n.) – what happens because of some other action
• discover (v.) – to learn something new or find something
• disappointed (adj.) – let down
• embarrassed (adj.) – feeling shame that makes you uncomfortable
• exhausted (adj.) – feeling very tired
• fascinating (adj.) – very interesting
• frustrated (adj.) – feeling of being unhappy because you can’t do or have something
• important (adj.) – having a lot of value
• investigate (v.) – search into something to find the truth
• miserable (adj.) – unhappy and suffering
• negative (adj.) – not good or positive
• question (v. ) – asking something or not believing something
• suggestion (n.) – an idea that you’re offering
• uncomfortable (adj.) – feeling uneasy or anxious
• worried (adj.) – thinking about unpleasant things that happened or might happen

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Vocabulary Activities for First Grade

First grade vocabulary activities mostly focus on kids hearing new vocabulary words or using them properly when speaking.

Vocabulary Password

Use one vocabulary word each week or each day as the spoken password kids need to use in a sentence to gain entry to something. At school they might need to tell you their sentence to enter the classroom in the morning. At home they might need to tell you their sentence before they can play a video game.

Vocabulary Story Count

Choose a vocabulary word that appears several times in a picture book or short story. You could also write a short story to go with each word. Read the story and ask kids to keep count in their mind or on paper of how many times they hear the vocabulary word.

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Dictionary Scavenger Hunt

Write one vocabulary word where kids can see it. Give them a dictionary, make sure they know how to use it, then ask them to find the word. If you have a children’s dictionary, it will be easier. If the child can’t read the definition on their own, they can show you where they found the word and you can help read the definition.

1st Grade Vocabulary Learning Fun

Learning new words can make kids feel empowered. Make vocabulary lessons fun with vocabulary games and activities so kids don’t get overwhelmed by all the new words. One of the easiest ways to get kids learning vocabulary words is through reading. Start with this list of great reading books for first graders.

The Foundation for OCPS – First Grade Vocabulary

​First Graders’ Acquire Vocabulary Skills

Piloted in the spring of 2013, the First-Grade Vocabulary Enhancement Program curriculum was created in cooperation between OCPS District staff, Read2Succeed staff, and an education consultant. The program continues to serve approximately 500 first-grade students district-wide each year.

The goal is to build vocabulary and background knowledge with at-risk first-graders. Additionally, volunteers help students develop a curiosity about words and language while giving them the tools they need to be better readers. The program utilizes fiction and non-fiction literature along with journals and art supplies to make learning fun!

Program materials and tutor training is provided by the Read2Succeed team and available at no cost to all participating OCPS district elementary schools.

Research shows there is a great disparity in vocabulary acquisition. Children enter school with “meaningful differences” in vocabulary knowledge. Race, ethnicity, gender, and birth order do not seem to be an indicator of vocabulary knowledge but what does seem to matter is relative economic advantage.[1] Early elementary grades are a crucial time for reading development. By the end of third grade, students should make the transition from learning to read to reading to learn. If reading is mastered at this time, the road ahead is clear for achievement. Some students need extra support in these early years to develop and sharpen their reading skills. This is how Read2Succeed helps developing readers.

[1]Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.

Improving Vocabulary – Read2Succeed Program Steps:

Step 1: Connect with the student. 

Step 2: Introduce or review the rules of the program *

Step 3: Introduce or reintroduce the book you are currently working on with the student.

Step 4: Introduce pre-selected vocabulary words that the student will listen for and highlight in the book.

Step 5: Read the book aloud until the recommended stopping point. The student highlights vocabulary words.

Step 6: Review this session’s vocabulary words and paste the journal sheet into the student’s word journal. The student selects and highlights one vocabulary word on the journal sheet.

Step 7: The student creates and writes a sentence using their selected vocabulary word. Student illustrates their sentence in their journal.

Step 8: Review previous vocabulary words and praise the student’s effort. A sight word list is included to review if time allows.

* What is vocabulary? 

The words you know.

Why is vocabulary important to me?

• The more words you know, the better you can understand what you are hearing and reading.
• Knowing more words means you can read more books.
• Knowing lots of words helps you listen, speak, and write.

Schedule

Program Kit

The kit includes book set one with eight books wand corresponding materials for 13 sessions. Tutors and students continue the program with a second set of six books for a total of 14 books for 26 sessions.

Note: Books are given to the students upon completion to build a home library. The remaining supplies are given to the student at the end of the program.

Program Evaluation

The first and last sessions of the program include a pre- and post-assessment. This assessment is administered by the tutor for progress monitoring.

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Elizabeth Conrad, Read2Succeed, Senior Administrator
Direct: 407-317-3200, ext. 218-2202

Kt Paxton, Read2Succeed, Resource Teacher

Direct: 407-317-3200, ext. 218-2203

Janet Young, Read2Succeed, Volunteer Coordinator

Direct: 407-317-3200, ext 218-2204

Itzel Muniz-Roldan, Read2Succeed, Volunteer Coordinator
Direct: 407-317-3200, ext 218-2205

First Grade Vocabulary Enhancement Program Video

We increase the child’s vocabulary: the norm for children of different ages

A person’s vocabulary (lexicon) is a set of words that he actively uses. The richer the vocabulary, the more competent and beautiful the speech will be. The ability to correctly express your thoughts helps in communication, at work or in school. That is why parents are so worried that the baby’s vocabulary is constantly replenished, starting from a very early age.

What is the vocabulary of children

Vocabulary can be active or passive. An active lexicon is a set of words that a small person actively uses in life. Passive vocabulary is those words and expressions, the meaning of which the child understands, but almost never uses.

For example, a mother shows pictures of animals to a one-year-old child: “This is a dog, this is a cat, this is a horse.” The kid knows the names of animals, but these words remain in his passive vocabulary, since he still cannot say them himself. When the baby can name which animal is shown in the picture, the word from the passive lexicon goes into the active vocabulary. The vocabulary of passive words is always larger, and this does not only apply to children. Many adults understand the meaning of the words “not at all”, “catharsis”, “frustration”, but do not use them in their speech. So children expand the passive vocabulary, which they may use in the future.

Vocabulary norms for different ages

Each child develops individually, but there are average indicators by which parents can navigate:

• one-year-old child – up to 10 words;
• 1.5 years – from 20 to 40 words;
• 2 years – from 50 to 200 words;
• 3 years – up to 1000 words;
• 4 years – 1500-1900;
• 5 years – about 1100-1200;
• 6 years – 3200-3500 words.

When a baby starts talking actively, his vocabulary is rapidly replenished with new words. Every year it increases, and by the age of 6-7 years the lexicon can be more than 3000 words.

How to find out the number of words in a child’s vocabulary

Parents are often at a loss not knowing how to count the passive words in their baby’s vocabulary. Show the baby a picture of animals, plants, trees, food, people. Ask the kid to show, for example, a bear, a pear, a doctor. If the child correctly shows what you are asking for, then this word is in the passive dictionary.

The active dictionary can contain not only understandable names, but also onomatopoeia: “ko-ko”, “woof-woof”, “meow-meow”, “beep”, etc. The active dictionary can also include:

• distorted names: “baka” instead of “dog”, “tyaka” instead of “tractor”, etc.;
• incorrect words: “deduka” instead of “grandfather”, “visiped” instead of “bicycle”;
• is a phrase that has several meanings at once: “ma” is both mom, and pasta, and marmalade.

Parents are advised to keep a speech diary to track the development and replenishment of their vocabulary. This will help to recognize delays in speech development in time and contact a specialist for further correction.

Developing vocabulary in babies

From an early age, parents need to make efforts so that the child’s vocabulary is constantly replenished with new names and concepts. What can be done for this?

1. Read books. With the help of stories and fairy tales, we expand the horizons of the baby, teach to perceive new information, fantasize and dream. For example, a child can see a live toucan or giraffe only at the zoo, but with the help of a book he will get to know new animals, birds, and learn a lot of interesting things about them. For young children, buy books with bright, colorful illustrations. You can purchase publications with tactile pictures that the baby can touch with his fingers. Tell about everything that the child sees in the picture: “Look, what a beautiful farm! Where is the rooster? And the chicken? Show me the pig, please.”
2. We talk more. From birth, say your actions: “Now I’ll change your clothes, and we’ll go for a walk”, “Mom will cook a delicious porridge, and we’ll have breakfast.” While walking, tell your child about trees, flowers, buildings. At home, name all the items that you take in your hands: toys, clothes, food, etc. Constantly talk with the baby, use synonyms, watch the emotional coloring of your speech. Show the whole emotional palette of words so that the baby is aware of how mom feels when she explains or says something.

Educational games

A child learns about the world through games. How can you expand your vocabulary through games?

1. “Edible-inedible”. Game for children from 3 years old. The host (or mother) throws the ball to the child and names the object. If it can be eaten, the baby catches the ball, if the item is inedible, the ball does not need to be caught. You can change the conditions of the game, for example, the participant must catch the ball if the leader calls something soft.
2. “Who is more.” A good game to play, for example, in line or on the way to kindergarten. We come up with a category of words, for example, pets. We call pets in turn: a dog, a cat, a cockerel, a chicken, a cow, etc. The winner is the one who remembers more pets. By the way, in this game, mom can give in a little so that the baby feels like a real winner.
3. “Children’s crocodile”. The child chooses some thing or toy, but does not tell the rest of the participants what he has chosen. Then the kid must describe in words the chosen thing, but you can’t name it. Then the players change places.
4. “Choosing antonyms”. You tell the child a word, and he must choose an antonym: night-day, sun-moon, sky-earth, evil-kind, crying-laughing, etc.
5. “Truth or fiction?”. You offer the kid fictional or real statements, and his task is to agree with you or find errors. For example, a dog is bigger than an elephant, chickens eat semolina, a dog likes a bone, etc.

The task of parents is to help their son or daughter develop competent, rich speech. To do this, you need to constantly talk with the child, replenish his vocabulary, read books, offer educational games. The more you engage in speech development with your child, the easier it will be for him to learn, work and express his thoughts in the future.

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Speech development of children from 0 to 7 years old

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Undoubtedly, every parent strives to ensure that his child grows up harmoniously developed – to be strong and healthy, smart, speak well, to be successful, so that everything works out.

It is necessary to start working with a child from birth. Moreover, attention should be paid to many things at once – large and small motor skills, visual and auditory perception, speech, intelligence, emotions, etc.

In order for assistance to be effective, an adult needs to have a clear idea of ​​what the child should know and be able to do at this particular period of his development. And with this in mind, build your classes.

Stages of development of children’s speech.

0-1 year:

So, by the end of 1 month of life, a healthy baby already reacts to communication with him: stops crying, focuses on an adult.

2nd month is characterized by a smile during communication, moreover, at 6 weeks it will rather be a kind of “mouth attention”, at 8 weeks – a regular smile.

3 months . There is a complex of revival when communicating with an adult, “hooting”. Such sounds arise as a reaction to a smile and a conversation between an adult and a child; vowels predominate, as well as consonants g, k, n.

4 months. The first laughter appears – squealing in response to emotional communication with an adult, and by 16 weeks laughter becomes prolonged.

5 months . The child reacts to the direction of the sound, “sings”, changing the intonation of the voice.

6 months. Early babbling period. By this time, a healthy child has the first syllable ba or ma. There is an initial understanding of addressed speech: the child listens to the voice of an adult, responds correctly to intonation, and recognizes familiar voices.

7 months. The kid is already ready for play activities with an adult, uses various voice reactions to attract the attention of others.

8 months. There is a reaction to an unfamiliar face. At this time, one of the most important indicators of the normal development of speech is babble chains, i.e. repetition of the same syllables: ba-ba, yes-yes, pa-pa, etc. In speech, sounds are used: p, b, m, g, k, e, a.

9 months. The child actively communicates with the help of gestures, happily plays “patty”.

10 months. At this stage, the baby uses at least 1-2 “babble words” (such as lala, baba) in communication that are understandable in a particular situation.

11 months. Uses already at least 3 “babble words” that are understandable in a particular situation.

1 year. By this time, a normally developing child already uses 3-4 “babble words”, understands individual words, correlates them with specific objects. Understands simple instructions accompanied by gestures (“kiss mom”, “where’s dad?”, “give me a pen”, “no”).

1-2 years

1 year 3 months. Vocabulary increases by 8-15 words, the child understands a simple instruction without a gesture, shows familiar words in the picture.

1 year 6 months. Vocabulary is increasing. A simple agrammatic phrase without prepositions is available. Summarizes objects according to the essential features of understood speech. Names objects and actions at the moment of strong interest.

1 year 9 months. Shows three parts of the body, uses a two-word phrase (“Mom, di!” – “Mom, go!”, “Dai lala” – “Give the doll”). Vocabulary passive up to 200 words, active 50 words.

2 years

2 years. The grammatical side of speech is being actively formed. Dictionary 250-300 words. At this stage, a healthy child shows five parts of the body, has a vocabulary of at least 50 words. The kid understands and correctly follows the two-step instruction (“go to the kitchen and bring a cup”), right, uses the pronouns I, you, me, builds sentences from two words. By the age of two, the child already learns the sounds: p, b, m, f, c, t, d, n, k, g, x. Whistling sounds (s, s, c), hissing (w, w, h, u) and sonorous (p, l) he usually skips or replaces. During the game, he uses words and two-word sentences to indicate his actions (commenting speech).

2 years 6 months. Speaks in long sentences (more than three words). Questions arise: where? Where? Selects geometric shapes according to the sample; various objects of four primary colors (to the background of the object). The game has a plot character, the child reflects the relationship and sequence of actions (2-3). Independently makes simple plot buildings and names them.

3 years. All types of grammatical structures have been mastered, errors in the use of complex prepositions (because of, from under) are acceptable. Vocabulary 800 – 1000 words, uses sentences of five to eight words, mastered the plural of nouns and verbs. Egocentric speech is actively formed. The child says his name, gender and age; understands the meaning of simple prepositions – performs tasks such as “put the cube under the cup”, “put the cube in the box”, uses simple prepositions and conjunctions in the sentence because, if, when. The kid understands the short stories and fairy tales read with and without pictures, can evaluate his own and others’ pronunciation, asks questions when? Why?

4 years. Children of four use a more complicated and common phrase. Speech becomes more coherent and consistent. Vocabulary 1500-2000 words, including words denoting temporal and spatial concepts. The number of abbreviations, permutations, omissions decreases, words formed by analogy appear (scraped – scratched). The ability to perceive and pronounce sounds is improved: the softened pronunciation of consonants disappears; the replacement of hissing and whistling sounds disappears. The pronunciation of individual sounds in some children may not yet be formed: hissing sounds are not pronounced clearly enough; do not know how to pronounce R, L.

5 years. By the age of five, a child’s vocabulary increases to 2500-3000. He actively uses generalizing words (“clothing”, “vegetables”, “animals”, etc.), names a wide range of objects and phenomena of the surrounding reality. In words, there are no longer gaps, permutations of sounds and syllables; the only exceptions are some difficult unfamiliar words (excavator). All parts of speech are used in the sentence. The child masters all the sounds of the native language and uses them correctly in speech.