Grade 1 is the year reading truly begins. Parents often ask what 'on track' looks like — here is the CAPS Grade 1 journey, term by term, in plain language.
Term by term in Grade 1
Term 1: single letter sounds and blending simple three-letter words like 'cat' and 'sun'. Term 2: more sounds, common words, and short sentences. Term 3: consonant blends like 'st' and 'fr', and longer sentences. Term 4: short paragraphs and simple stories read with understanding.
Signs your child is on track
By mid-year, a Grade 1 child should sound out most short regular words without guessing from pictures. By year end, they should read a few sentences of simple text and tell you what happened.
Speed matters less than accuracy. Slow but correct sounding-out in Grade 1 is healthy — fluency comes with practice in Grade 2.
If your child is behind
Do not wait for Grade 2. Go back to the last thing they do confidently — often letter sounds — and rebuild from there in short daily sessions.
Our Grade 1 programme follows the CAPS sequence sound by sound, so you can restart at any point and move at your child's pace.
Key takeaways
- Grade 1 moves from letter sounds to blending to simple stories across four terms.
- Accurate sounding-out matters more than speed in Grade 1.
- If your child is behind, rebuild from their last confident skill — early help works.
References & further reading
- Department of Basic Education — CAPS Foundation Phase
- PIRLS 2021 — South Africa results
- 2030 Reading Panel — the state of reading in South Africa
External sources open in a new tab. Saving Grace Education Group is not affiliated with these organisations.