• The Murrieta Valley Unified School District utilizes Open Court Reading in 1st grade.
    It is a systematic phonics-based curriculum.  As each phonics concept is introduced, corresponding paper Take Home Books are sent home for essential reading practice.  An emerging reader will not fully reach our end of year reading goals unless they receive ample reading support at home.  Parents are expected to sit with their child every night and listen to their child read that evening's Take Home Book. 
     
    Below are the phonics concepts covered in 1st grade, in the general order in which they are introduced.
     

    Consonants - A through Z

     
    Short Vowels
    /a/ as in hat
    /e/ as in hen
    /i/ as in pig
    /o/ as in fox
    /u/ as in tug
     

    Consonants with multiple spellings for one sound

    /k/ can be spelled c, k, & _ck
    /f/ can be spelled f & ph
    /j/ can be spelled j, ge, gi, & _dge
    /n/ can be spelled n, gn & kn 
    /r/ can be spelled r & wr
    /s/ can be spelled s, ci, & ce
    /z/ can be spelled z & _se
     

    Digraphs

    Sound

    Spellings

    Word Examples

    /ch/

    ch
    tch
    chin     lunch     match

    /th/

    th
    thin       math

    /sh/

    sh
    ship        wish

    /wh/

    wh

    whip      whiff
     

    R-controlled vowels

    Sound
    Spellings
    Word Examples
    /ar/ as in bark
    ar
    dark     harm
    /ir/ as in bird
       ir   er   ur    
        girl     herd     burn  
    /or/ as in corn
    or
    fort     thorn

     

    Long Vowels

    Long Vowel
      long A 
      long E 
      long I 
      long O 
      long U 
    Spellings
    a
    a_e
    ai
    ay
    e
    e_e
    ea
    ee
    ie
    y
     
    i
    i_e
    igh
    ie
    y
    o
    o_e
    oa
    ow
    oe
    u
    u_e
    ew
    ue
     
    Word Examples
    paper
    same
    tail
    play
    be
    here
    team
    need
    piece
    funny
    silent
    hive
    night
    pie
    shy
    old
    home
    soap
    snow
    doe
    cucumber
    cube
    few
    cue
     
     

    Other Sounds and Spellings:

    /aw/ as in Hawk
    Spelled aw & au
    Word examples:  hawk, draw, haul, fault
     
    /ow/ as in Cow
    Spelled ow & ou
    Word examples:  howl, crown, shout, loud
     
    /oy/ as in Toy
    Spelled oy & oi
    Word examples:  toy, royal, boil, point
     
    /oo/ as in Goo
    Spelled oo, u_e, u, _ew, & _ue
    Word examples:  choose, tube, truth, crew, clue
     
    /oo/ as in Foot
    Spelled oo
    Word examples:  book, took, good