Ireland · NCCA Curriculum Specifications
1st Class Foundations of Literacy and Expression
This course develops foundational literacy skills through immersive engagement with oral language, phonological awareness, and diverse text types. Students transition from emergent reading to independent decoding while building a rich vocabulary and a love for creative storytelling.
The Power of Oral Language
Focuses on developing listening comprehension and expressive speaking skills through social interaction and structured discussion.
Students learn the social conventions of conversation and how to respond appropriately to others.
Using dramatic play and games to introduce and reinforce new tier two vocabulary words.
Developing the ability to recount personal experiences and fictional stories in a logical order.
Decoding the Written Word
Building the bridge between sounds and symbols through phonics, word recognition, and fluency practice.
Mastering the manipulation of sounds in words to support early decoding and spelling.
Developing automaticity with common words to improve reading pace and expression.
Understanding how books work, including the role of authors, illustrators, and punctuation.
Exploring Narrative Worlds
Engaging with fiction to develop comprehension, empathy, and an understanding of story structure.
Analyzing what characters do, say, and feel to understand their role in a story.
Investigating how the time and place of a story influence the plot and the reader's mood.
Using clues from the text and personal experience to make logical guesses about the story.
Writing with Purpose
Introducing the writing process to help students communicate their own ideas, stories, and information.
Students write about their own lives, focusing on small moments and personal experiences.
Learning to organize facts and instructions to teach others about a specific topic.
Introducing the idea that writing can be improved through rereading and making changes.
Vocabulary and Language Conventions
Developing an understanding of how English works, from sentence structure to word relationships.
Exploring how words are put together to create complete thoughts and clear meaning.
Investigating synonyms, antonyms, and how specific word choices affect the reader.
Learning how full stops, question marks, and exclamation points guide the reader.