A large and wide-ranging vocabulary is key to deep comprehension when listening and reading as well as to effective communication when speaking and writing. To help students develop such vocabularies, students are introduced to several new words each week. Most words are connected to literature being read in class. Often, the words have multiple meanings. Students listen and look for these words throughout the day, eventually making the words their own.
These words are intended to become part of students’ listening and speaking vocabularies in first grade. Families can help students by incorporating these words into conversation at home! Look for new words along with student-friendly definitions each week.
board: a piece of wood; a piece of material hanging on the wall that you can write on; to get on a vehicle like a train or plane
sock: a piece of clothing worn on the foot; to hit someone with a fist
pastime: something done for fun; a hobby
diamond: a sparkly jewel; the shape made by the bases and baselines in baseball
patent: a paper from the government that proves you invented something
needle: to tease someone; a thin piece of metal with a pointed end used for sewing or other things
chronological: told in the order in which the events happened
structure: a building; the way something is organized
future: the time after now; a minute, day, month, or years from now
dream: a movie in your mind while you sleep; a goal
in your right mind: to be thinking clearly and calmly
diet: the foods a person usually eats; to try to lose weight by eating less
jazzed up: to make something sound more exciting than it really was
perspective: to draw a picture so the space between things looks real; the way a person thinks about things
framed: put a photo or art into a frame; made an innocent person look guilty
calm: to feel quiet and peaceful
reluctant: to feel like you don’t want to do something
jam: a sweet spread made of fruit; to not open or close all the way; a problem; to play music with others
collapse: to fall down or fall apart
mortar: a kind of glue used to hold bricks together
rummage: to look through a drawer or box to find something, often leaving it messy; old or used things for sale
delicatessen: a store selling meats, cheeses, salads, and ready-to-eat foods; often called a deli
pecked: a movement often made by a bird to pick up seeds; kissed someone
frisky: lively and excited
batter: the person whose turn it is to hit the ball in baseball; a mix of flour and other ingredients that will be baked
tended: took care of something; often prefer something
sprinkled: to scatter small drops of a liquid like water
scooped: to pick something up using your hand, a spoon, or a shovel
sauntered: to walk slowly
hollered: to yell loudly
compost: food for plants made from decomposed food scraps; fertilizer
relish: to enjoy something a lot; a spicy sauce made with chopped vegetables
perched: to sit on the edge of something
yanked: to pull on something with a lot of strength
grunted: to make a sound a little bit like a pig
nippy: a little bit cold
turnip: a vegetable that grows underground; used in soups, stews; sometimes mashed like potatoes
custom: an action usually done by a person or group of people
bond: a strong connection between two things
bank: a place where money is kept; the side or edge of a river
soar: to go up really high
stew: a kind of food made from cooked vegetables and sometimes meat; a thick soup; to worry about something
porridge: a kind of food made from cooked grains like oatmeal
fetch: to go and get something and bring it back
chores: regular jobs done around the house or farm
urban: in the city
rural: away from the city and out in the country
satchel: a bag to hold school supplies; a backpack
rickshaw: a kind of taxi pulled by a person
trousers: a kind of clothing that covers the legs; a pair of pants
compound: a group of houses arranged in a square with an open space in the middle
table of contents: a list of chapters in the text and the page the chapters start on
diagram: a photo or detailed drawing of a thing that uses labels to name the parts of the thing
glossary: a dictionary at the back of a text that tells what unfamiliar words mean
map: shows where something is or where it can usually be found
inset: a small photo or detailed drawing set into a larger one to show an important feature
map: shows where things are or can be found
diagram: a photo or detailed drawing that has labels that names the parts of the item pictured
close-up: a photo or detailed drawing that zooms in and shows what something very small looks like
caption: a sentence that tells what is in a photo or detailed drawing
cut-away: shows what something looks like inside
detailed drawing: shows almost exactly what something looks like
photograph: shows exactly what something looks like
lose heart: to feel sad and discouraged
unexpected: not what was planned; not what is usual
nifty: really good, cool, or useful
pesky: annoying; like a pest
swap: to trade one thing for another
roll your eyes: to move your eyes around in a circle to show that you are annoyed or that something seems dumb to you
curdle: to clump up, like cottage cheese
proud: feeling good about what you have done
spoiled: not safe to eat; ruined; given special treats or allowed to do special things
font: different styles or kinds of letters
craft: a boat or space ship; to make something; the special things an expert knows how to do
sunny: no clouds in the sky; cheerful
regal: looking and acting like a king or a queen
outgoing: friendly; likes to meet new people
hot-head: gets angry easily, even over little things
floating: to stay above land, water, or an object
splashing: to move your arms or legs in water
you crack me up: to make someone laugh
chuckle: to laugh a little bit
skeptic: someone who listens carefully, thinks about what was said, asks questions if they don’t understand, and sometimes respectfully disagrees and explains why
schema: everything in your brain; everything you know and remember
persevere: keep trying, even when it is hard
community: a place where people live; a group of people who work together to do the same thing