Common Core: 1st Grade English Language Arts

This subject covers foundational skills in reading, writing, and language for first graders, aligning with Common Core standards.

Advanced Topics

Understanding Story Structure

The Building Blocks of Stories

All stories have a beginning, middle, and end. In first grade, you’ll learn how stories are put together and what makes them interesting.

Characters, Setting, and Events

Every story has characters (who the story is about), a setting (where and when it happens), and events (what happens). By noticing these parts, you can better understand and talk about stories.

Sequencing Events

Being able to put events in order helps you retell stories and understand how things change from start to finish.

Story Maps

Drawing or filling in a story map helps you organize the story’s parts, making it easier to remember and share.

Why It Matters

Understanding how stories work helps you write your own stories and read new ones with confidence!

Examples

  • Identifying the setting as 'in a forest' and the main character as 'a little bear'.

  • Listing the events: first the bear wakes up, then he finds honey, and finally he goes home.

In a Nutshell

Story structure is knowing the parts of a story and how they fit together.

Key Terms

Setting
The time and place a story happens.
Characters
The people or animals the story is about.