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128 First Grade I Can Statements
As a teacher, you know the importance of kids taking ownership of their learning. When children take ownership of their learning, they are more motivated, engaged, and have higher confidence in their abilities.
To help kids take ownership of learning, you must first help kids understand what is expected of them. In other words, you want to help them set goals for their learning.
Yes, most teachers are given national standards or state standards to follow. However, these power standards are worded in a way kids do not understand.
To solve this problem, you can share the learning standards in a kid-friendly way with the 128 First Grade “I Can” Statements below.
I Can Statements for First Grade Classrooms
This complete collection of First Grade I Can Statements includes standard cards for Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies.
Introduce the Common Core standards in kid-friendly language with these bright and colorful cards!
Color coded by standard, these “I can” cards are sized to fit in pocket charts.
If you have a white board, simply add self-adhesive magnets to the back to hang them up. Or, pin them onto your “I Can” bulletin board.
The “I Can” first grade standard cards are worded in student-friendly language to emphasize the heart of your lesson.
Each standard has adorable clipart that matches the header card. Find what standard card you need quickly with the standard number located in the bottom right of every card.
Purchasing the First Grade I Can Statements
When you purchase the printable First Grade “I Can” Statements, you will get 128 First Grade Standard Cards plus 7 header cards.
- 7 header cards (Reading, writing, speaking and listening, language, math, social studies, and science)
- 39 Reading Standard Cards plus blank cards
- 7 Writing Standard Cards plus blank cards
- 9 Speaking and Listening Standard Cards plus blank cards
- 24 Language Standard Cards plus blank cards
- 24 Math Standard Cards plus blank cards
- 14 Social Studies Cards plus blank cards
- 11 Science Cards plus blank cards

Grab them HERE or on Teachers Pay Teachers
First Grade English Language Arts Standards
The following are the different content areas that fall under the ELA standards. Each of these standards are put into kid-friendly “I can” statements for first graders to understand.
- Reading Foundational Skills
- Reading Informational Text
- Reading Literature
- Writing
- Language
- Speaking & Listening
In general, the ELA standards, whether for common core, Virginia Standards, or Texas Standards, are broken down into 4 main areas.
The overall focus in first grade (ELA) is to build reading and fluency, writing, language, speaking with purpose and clarity, and listening with intent to comprehend.
In this grade level, you will find a heavy focus on writing in complete sentences, and finding key details to support the main idea in literature and nonfiction texts.
First Grade Common Core Math Standards
In 1st grade, the goal is to apply the basic counting skills previously learned to expand upon and gain fluency in math.
When it comes to report card time, these are the content areas that will assessed for first grade math. All of them are covered in the printable “I Can” common core posters (cards).
- Operations & Algebraic Thinking
- Geometry
- Measurement & Data
- Numbers & Operations in Base 10
First Grade Science Standards
The “I Can” statement cards for social studies are a combination of TEKS and commonly taught science themes in grade one.
Blank cards for Science are included to write in your own standard.
Common science themes taught in first grade include:
- Five Senses
- Use of light
- Observing and recording like a scientist
- Weather
- Four seasons
- Living and non-living
- Space, sun, and the moon
- Earth’s surfaces
- Animal life cycles
- Bodies of Water
First Grade Social Studies Standards
The standards in the “I Can” Statement Cards are a combination of TEKS and commonly taught science themes in grade one.
Common social studies themes taught in 1st grade are:
- Symbols of our country
- How to be a good citizen.
- Friendship
- Rules and Laws
- Family traditions
- Holiday traditions around the world
- Jobs in our community
- Problem solving
- Presidents
- Learning about maps
- Timelines
- Past and present
- Pilgrims and Native Americans
- Reduce, reuse, and recycle
Before you go, here are more kindergarten posts you’ll enjoy:
First Grade Sight Word Worksheets
200 Fun Word Family Printables