Kentucky Reading and Writing RL.1.4

ELA1st GradeReading Literature

The Standard

Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses in order to construct meaning.

Kentucky Academic Standards for Reading and Writing (2025) · Craft and Structure

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students find words in a story or poem that help them imagine a sound, smell, taste, sight, or touch. They also find words that hint at a feeling and tell what those clues help them understand.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can point to 'sticky mud' and say it helps them imagine how the mud feels. They can use 'her hands shook before the show' to explain that a character might be nervous.
Common Misconceptions: Some students pick a general word like 'dog' but miss 'soft fur' or 'loud bark,' which give clearer sensory clues. Others tell how they feel about the story without finding words that hint at a character's feelings.
How to Assess It: Read aloud: 'The icy wind stung Ana's cheeks. She frowned and ran inside.' Ask students to point to one phrase that helps them feel the cold and one word that hints at Ana's feeling.

Lesson moves

Give pairs a four-line poem on paper; have them underline feeling clues in red and sensory phrases in blue, then draw the scene.
Read 'The floor creaked as Jay tiptoed past.' Ask, 'What do you hear? How might Jay feel? Which words helped you?'
Play a clue sort with cards reading 'sticky syrup,' 'loud thunder,' and 'her fists clenched'; match each to touch, sound, or anger.
At lunch, have students describe one food with a taste or texture word, then explain what a reader would imagine.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to RL.1.4, 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.