Your First Grade Speaking Standards Roadmap: A Back-to-School Organization System
Why Organization Around Standards Matters Right Now
August is here, and if you're teaching first grade in Kansas, you've got the Kansas standards in front of youâprobably wondering how to actually work them into your daily instruction without drowning in paperwork. Here's what I've learned after years of teaching: the teachers who feel most confident and less stressed aren't the ones with the fanciest materials. They're the ones who've taken time to understand their standards deeply and built simple systems around them before September hits.
Your first grade students will be assessed on how well they can use language to communicate, think, and engage with others. The Kansas state test expectations start forming now, in these foundational speaking skills. Let's get organized so you can teach these standards naturallyânot as an extra thing to do, but as the core of what you're already doing.
Step 1: Know Your Standards Cold
Pull up your Kansas standards for speaking and listening. I want you to actually read SL.1.7 and its subsections (a through f) and SL.1.8 without rushing. Read them like you're reading a friend's description of what matters to them. Here's what you're looking at:
- SL.1.7.b through 7.e: These are all about the mechanics of speakingâthe grammar and sentence structures your students need to use when they talk. Verbs for tense. Pronouns. Articles and prepositions. Adjectives and conjunctions. Subject-verb agreement.
- SL.1.7.f: This is about producing and expanding sentencesâactually putting those pieces together into complete thoughts, questions, and commands.
- SL.1.8: This focuses on vocabulary acquisition through conversation.
The big idea: First graders need to use intentional language structures when they speak. This isn't about perfect grammar; it's about students becoming aware of and using the building blocks of sentences in their everyday talking.
Step 2: Create a Standards-Focused Observation System
Here's where most teachers get overwhelmed: trying to assess all these standards formally. Don't. Instead, create a simple observation tracking sheet organized by standard. Mine is a Google Sheet with columns for each standard subsection (7.b, 7.c, 7.d, 7.e, 7.f, and 8) and rows for student names. I keep it visible on my desk during morning meeting and read-aloud time.
When a student says something like "Yesterday I played in the sand," I'm catching SL.1.7.d (past tense verb). When they use a conjunction: "I want the red crayon and the blue one," that's SL.1.7.e. When they ask a question with proper word order: "Can I have more juice?" that's SL.1.7.f. I jot a quick date or checkmarkânothing fancy. By October, you'll have clear evidence of who's developing these skills and who needs more support.
Step 3: Design Your Speaking-Rich Routines
These standards live in conversation, not worksheets. Design three non-negotiable speaking routines for your week:
Morning Meeting (15 minutes): This is prime real estate for speaking standards. Ask open questions that require complete sentences and specific vocabulary. "Who can tell us one thing you did yesterday? Use a complete sentence." Intentional prompting teaches SL.1.7.f and 7.d.
Partner Share During Lessons (5-10 minutes): After reading a book or doing a science activity, have students turn to a partner and describe what they observed. Give them sentence starters that embed the grammar structures you're teaching: "I see a _____ adjective noun." "The _____ verb the _____ ." This directly addresses SL.1.7.b, 7.e, and vocabulary growth.
Whole Group Discussion (10 minutes): During reading or social studies, pose questions that push students to use pronouns (SL.1.7.c), prepositions ("The bear went under the tree"), and conjunctions ("The girl was sad but then she felt happy"). Don't correct harshly; instead, restate their sentence correctly so they hear the standard form.
Step 4: Build a "Speaking Standard Focus" Rotation
You can't emphasize every standard every day. Create a simple rotation. Week 1: Focus on complete sentences and subject-verb agreement (SL.1.7.b and 7.f). Week 2: Emphasize verb tenses (SL.1.7.d). Week 3: Target pronouns and prepositions (SL.1.7.c and 7.e). Week 4: Build in conjunctions and expand complex sentences (SL.1.7.e and 7.f). Then loop back. This isn't rigidâjust a gentle guide to ensure you're hitting all standards throughout the year.
Step 5: Set Up Your Documentation Method
For the Kansas state test, you need evidence that students can do these things. Choose one method that doesn't create extra work:
- Voice memos on your phone during partner shares (with parent permissions in place)
- Quick anecdotal notes during morning meeting
- Photos of sentence frames students complete orally
- A simple rubric checklist you complete during read-aloud
Pick one. Don't add five systems. Consistency beats perfection.
Your Back-to-School Action List
- Print and read your Kansas standards for SL.1.7 and 1.8 this week
- Create your observation tracking sheet before school starts
- Design or refine your three speaking routines and post them where you'll see them
- Choose your documentation method
- Block out time in your weekly plan for intentional speaking practice
You've got this. These standards describe what good speaking looks like in first grade. You already know how to create that environmentâyou just needed a system to organize your thinking. Build it now, in August, and teaching these standards will feel purposeful, not overwhelming.