Reading Direction Skills

Grade Level

1st Grade

Duration

30 minutes

Class Size

7 students

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Alignment

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.1.A
Recognize the distinguishing features of a sentence (e.g., first word, capitalization, ending punctuation).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.1
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.1.B
Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Demonstrate understanding that reading proceeds from left to right and from top to bottom of a page.
Identify familiar features of a book, such as the front cover, back cover, title page, and spine.
Use proper book handling techniques, including how to hold a book carefully and turn pages gently.
Recognize and follow the left-to-right directionality when reading text aloud with teacher support.

Materials Needed

One big, colorful picture book with clear text (preferably with repetitive sentences or simple predictable text)
Blank paper and crayons or markers
A whiteboard or chart paper and marker
Three laminated sentence strips with large print sentences aligned left to right
Small puppets or finger puppets

Lesson Procedures

1. Introduction and Purpose (5 minutes)

Gather students in a circle with the big picture book.
Explain briefly: "Today we are going to learn how to read stories the right way—to follow the words carefully from left to right."
Show the book cover and point to the title. Ask students, "Where do you think we start reading the book?" Elicit responses.
Discuss the parts of the book (front cover, back cover, spine) by physically pointing to them.

2. Demonstrate Left-to-Right Directionality (8 minutes)

Open to the first page of the big book and place your finger under the text.
Slowly read the sentence aloud, emphasizing reading each word from left to right.
Use a pointer or finger to demonstrate moving left to right and then moving down to the next line (if multiple lines).
Show a laminated sentence strip. Have students point or track the words left to right using their fingers.
Using finger puppets, have two puppets “read” a line of dialogue from left to right, modeling left-to-right movement and encouraging engagement.

3. Guided Practice (7 minutes)

Give each student a laminated sentence strip.
Ask students to practice "reading" (saying) the sentence aloud while sliding their finger from left to right under the words.
Encourage students to notice the space between words and the return to the left side of the next line if applicable.
Circulate to provide individual support as needed, praising correct tracking and pointing out when they forget directionality.

4. Proper Book Handling (5 minutes)

Demonstrate how to hold a book carefully with both hands, support its spine, and turn pages gently.
Invite students to take turns holding the big picture book and demo book handling skills in small groups or pairs (depending on space).
Emphasize the importance of respect and care for books to keep them in good condition.

5. Independent Drawing and Reflection (5 minutes)

Give each student paper and crayons or markers.
Prompt: “Draw a picture of your favorite part of the story and show me how you would read it using your finger to follow the words.”
As students draw, walk around and ask questions about how they read, reinforcing left-to-right directionality and book care.

Assessment

Formative: Observe whether students correctly track text from left to right during guided practice.
Informal: Ask students to show you the front cover, back cover, and title page of the book.
Reflection: Listen to students explain or demonstrate how they use their finger to track words.
Observation: Note student care for the book during handling activities.

Differentiation

For struggling students: Provide one-on-one modeling using finger puppets to help reinforce left-to-right tracking.
For advanced students: Challenge them to find additional text features in the book such as the author’s name, illustrator, or page numbers.

Teacher Reflection

After the lesson, reflect on:

Which students needed additional support tracking left to right?
How engaged were students during the puppet activity?
Did students show improvement in book handling and care from start to finish?
What will you do differently to strengthen directionality and comprehension next time?

This dynamic and multisensory lesson plan builds foundational reading skills aligned with Common Core standards while making the learning experience fun, memorable, and meaningful for early readers.

Teaching Instructions