How can a 1st-grade teacher assess students' understanding of print books?

Assessing a 1st-grade student's understanding of print books can effectively be done by showing them where to start reading the text. This demonstrates their grasp of basic print concepts, including the directionality of reading (left to right, top to bottom) and understanding that stories progress from a specific starting point. This foundational knowledge is critical for early literacy and indicates that the student is beginning to understand how text is organized.

The other options, while valuable in their own ways, focus on different aspects of literacy. Evaluating students' ability to write stories assesses their writing skills, which is not directly related to their understanding of print books. Conducting a group reading session can support comprehension and engagement but doesn’t specifically measure individual understanding of print concepts. Performing oral storytelling can show a child's narrative skills yet does not assess their understanding of written text and print features directly. Therefore, indicating the starting point in a text is a clear and direct way to evaluate comprehension of print books.