CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.1h

ELA1st GradeConventions of Standard English

The Standard

Use determiners (e.g., articles, demonstratives).

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students choose words such as "a," "an," "the," "this," "that," "these," and "those" before nouns. They match each word to the noun's number, distance, and meaning.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students correctly use "a," "an," and "the" in complete sentences. They choose "this," "that," "these," or "those" based on number and distance, then explain their choice.
Common Misconceptions: Students may leave out the word before a noun, as in "I found pencil." They may use "a" before a vowel sound or mix up "this" and "these." They may also choose "that" for nearby objects or "these" for one object.
How to Assess It: Give students the prompt: "Fill in each blank with a, an, the, this, that, these, or those: I ate ___ apple. Look at ___ stars far away. Please hand me ___ book beside you."

Lesson moves

Place one block nearby and several far away, then have students hold up cards labeled this, that, these, or those.
Show a classroom photo and ask students to write three sentences beginning with I see, choosing a, an, or the.
Play a card match game where students pair noun pictures with a, an, this, that, these, or those.
Read a store advertisement and have students circle words before nouns, then use two of the phrases in shopping sentences.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.1h, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

Keep exploring

Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.