Std 1 Gujarati Second Language – Guide for Parents
For children in English-medium and Hindi-medium schools in Gujarat. Every unit of the GSEB Std 1 Gujarati Second Language textbook explained simply – letters, songs, stories and easy ways to help at home, even if you don’t speak Gujarati.
- 6એકમ (units)
- 23consonants
- 8vowels
- 6songs + 6 stories
- 74pages
About the Std 1 Gujarati Second Language textbook
Gujarat has made Gujarati compulsory in Std 1 to 8 in every school. For children whose school is not Gujarati-medium, the Gujarat State School Textbook Board publishes ગુજરાતી (દ્વિતીય ભાષા) – Gujarati as a second language. The Std 1 book (first edition 2025, reprint 2026) has 6 units across 74 pages.
Each unit opens with a song, has a story to listen to, and introduces 4 to 6 letters through picture games, tracing and simple word building. The book is built for listening and speaking first; real reading and writing grow mostly from Std 2 onwards.
ગુજરાતી: આ પાનું ધોરણ 1 ગુજરાતી (દ્વિતીય ભાષા)ના છએ એકમ વાલીઓ માટે સરળ ભાષામાં સમજાવે છે – કયા અક્ષરો, કયું ગીત, કઈ વાર્તા અને ઘરે કેવી રીતે મદદ કરવી.
First Language or Second Language – which book does my child have?
Check the cover: it says either (પ્રથમ ભાષા) or (દ્વિતીય ભાષા) under ગુજરાતી.
| પ્રથમ ભાષા (First Language) | દ્વિતીય ભાષા (Second Language) | |
|---|---|---|
| For | Gujarati-medium schools | English-medium, Hindi-medium and other schools |
| Units | 8 units, 141 pages | 6 units, 74 pages |
| Letters | 31 consonants, 10 vowels, anusvar | 23 consonants, 8 vowels |
| Focus | Reading and writing from Std 1 | Listening and speaking first; reading and writing grow from Std 2 |
| Letter order | The same in both – ગ, મ, ન, જ, then વ, ર, સ, દ … | |
Using the First Language book? See our Std 1 Gujarati (પ્રથમ ભાષા) chapter-wise guide.
All 6 units at a glance
Page numbers are the printed numbers in the textbook.
| # | એકમ (Unit) | Pages | New letters | Story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | આ અમારું ઘર | 1–9 | ગ મ ન જ | સુગરી અને વાંદરો |
| 2 | અજબ જેવી વાત | 10–23 | વ ર સ દ | હું મોટો ! |
| 3 | આ કામ તો મારું ! | 24–34 | ક બ અ છ એ આ | બેસતું વરસ |
| 4 | મને આભલે… | 35–47 | પ ડ ત ણ ઇ ઈ | ઋતુરાણી |
| 5 | મને ઊગવું ગમે ! | 48–61 | લ ટ ચ ખ ઐ | મને ઊગવું ગમે ! |
| 6 | જગ્ગુ બન્યો જોરાવર | 62–74 | ઝ હ ઘ ળ ઉ ઊ | જગ્ગુ બન્યો જોરાવર |
How this book wants Gujarati to be taught
The textbook opens with clear advice for teachers and parents. In short:
Do
- Let the child hear lots of Gujarati – songs, stories, everyday talk
- Sing each song and tell each story many times
- Use actions, pictures and facial expressions to show meaning
- Let children move, make noise and join in – that’s part of learning
- Pair the child with a Gujarati-speaking friend for games and talk
Don’t
- Don’t drill the alphabet or બારાખડી at the start – letters are first seen as pictures
- Don’t teach grammar (nouns, gender, tense) at this stage
- Don’t correct spelling and pronunciation in the first years
- Don’t translate words into English or Hindi
- Don’t explain the meaning of every poem line or quiz after every story
Activity headings you will see in every unit
Listen and sing
સાંભળો અને ગાઓEach unit opens with a song.Conversation
વાતચીતTalk questions after the song and story.Story
વાર્તાListen and enjoy – no quiz needed.Sing with actions
અભિનય સાથે ગાનThe song again, acted out.Circle the letter
ઓળખી ⭕ કરોFind a letter inside words.Colour the letter
અક્ષર ઓળખી રંગ પૂરોLetters hidden on pictures.Join dots and write
ટપકાં જોડો અને લખોTracing each new letter.Dictation
શ્રુતલેખનFive familiar words at the end of each unit.એકમ 1: આ અમારું ઘર
New letters
- ગ
- મ
- ન
- જ
Words your child will read
- ગામ
- મામા
- નાગ
- માન
- નામ
- નાના
The poem
A song about a home – its kitchen that wakes first, two windows the sun comes and goes through, a big courtyard, a swing and a sister to make up with. Credited in the book to Arvind Bhandari.Story: સુગરી અને વાંદરો
A weaver bird lives in a cleverly woven nest on a babul tree – dry in the rain, warm in winter. In the monsoon a monkey and his little ones sit shivering below. The bird tells him, “You have hands – build a house!” The monkey laughs at first, then realises she is right and decides to build one.What the child learns
Four letters (ગ, મ, ન, જ) and the ા matra – enough to read ગામ, મામા and નાગ. The unit ends with making a bird-house with a parent.How to help at home
- Sing the home song while walking around your own home: point to the kitchen, window, courtyard.
- Tell the weaver-bird story with actions – shiver like the monkey, weave like the bird.
- Do Exercise 1 together: which pictured things are found at home (tap, pot, jug, coconut) and which are not (crocodile, giraffe)?
- Introduce one letter a day by tracing it big in the air, then on the dotted rows.
- Build words from two letters: ગા + મ = ગામ, મા + મા = મામા.
Questions from the textbook (વાતચીત)
- તમારા ઘરમાં શું શું છે?What all is there in your home?
- તમારા ઘરમાં રસોઈ કોણ બનાવે છે?Who cooks in your home?
- તમે સુગરીનો માળો જોયો છે? કેવો હોય છે?Have you seen a weaver bird’s nest? What is it like?
Remember: the book asks teachers not to translate. At home, show and act rather than saying the English word.
એકમ 2: અજબ જેવી વાત
New letters
- વ
- ર
- સ
- દ
Words your child will read
- વાર
- ગમે
- જાગે
- સેવ
- વરસે
- ગાજર
The poem
A body-parts song: little eyes that see, a nose that smells flowers, ears that listen, a mouth that speaks kindly, hands that clap and feet that walk quietly – “isn’t it a wonder!” Credited in the book to Upendracharya.Story: હું મોટો !
All the parts of the body start quarrelling about who is the most important – ear, nose, eye, mouth, stomach, hand and leg each claim to be the biggest. Finally the brain says: I carry the messages, but every part has its own job and the body is only complete with all of us. The parts understand and go back to work together.What the child learns
Four letters (વ, ર, સ, દ) and the ે matra (વે, રે, સે, દે). Body-part vocabulary through action games.How to help at home
- Sing the song pointing to each body part – eyes, nose, ears, mouth, hands, feet.
- Play Exercise 3: pinch your nose when you hear a word with ન, touch your cheek for a word with ગ.
- Tell the story with each family member playing one body part.
- Trace વ, ર, સ, દ; then add ે to make વે, રે, સે, દે.
- Split words into boxes like the book: રાસ = રા + સ, ગાજર = ગા + જ + ર.
Questions from the textbook (વાતચીત)
- આ ગીતમાં શરીરનાં કયાં કયાં અંગોની વાત થઈ છે?Which body parts does the song talk about?
- આંખ શું શું કામ કરે છે?What work do the eyes do?
- શરીરનાં અંગોના ઝઘડામાં તમને કોણ સાચું લાગ્યું? કેમ?In the body parts’ quarrel, who seemed right to you? Why?
Good game: say a letter, the child touches the body part whose name has it – ગ → ગાલ, ન → નાક.
એકમ 3: આ કામ તો મારું !
New letters
- ક
- બ
- અ
- છ
- એ
- આ
Words your child will read
- કામ
- આગ
- બેન
- કાબર
- આકાર
- છાલ
The poem
An Uttarayan song about peanut chikki and puffed-rice laddoos, pulling kite strings and a yellow kite that won’t come down all day.Story: બેસતું વરસ
Gopal wakes to firecrackers on the Gujarati New Year. Everyone is busy – rangoli, toran, sweeping the courtyard. He asks, “Where does the year sit?” and everyone laughs; grandma explains that બેસતું વરસ means the new year starting. His uncle tells him about other new years – 1 January, Navroz, and Eid clothes. When guests arrive, Gopal stands proudly by the sweets box: “This job is mine!”What the child learns
Four consonants (ક, બ, છ) and the vowels અ, આ, એ. Festivals of every community – Diwali, Holi, Eid, Christmas – as a picture activity.How to help at home
- Sing the Uttarayan song while pretending to pull a kite string.
- Look at the festival pictures (Exercise 1) and name each: દિવાળી, હોળી, ઈદ, ક્રિસમસ.
- Tell Gopal’s New Year story; ask what jobs the child does at festivals.
- Teach ક, બ, છ, then the vowels અ, આ, એ.
- Join syllables into words like the book: કા + મ = કામ, કા + બ + ર = કાબર.
Questions from the textbook (વાતચીત)
- આ ગીતમાં કયા તહેવારની વાત છે?Which festival is the song about?
- બેસતા વરસના દિવસે તમે શું-શું કરો છો?What do you do on New Year’s day?
- તમે ઘરનાં કયાં કયાં કામ કરો છો?Which jobs do you help with at home?
Nice touch: this unit shows festivals of all communities – ask the child about friends who celebrate differently.
એકમ 4: મને આભલે…
New letters
- પ
- ડ
- ત
- ણ
- ઇ
- ઈ
Words your child will read
- પાડી
- સાડી
- રાણી
- પનીર
- તપેલી
- ઈનામ
The poem
A seasons song: the shining moon and stars, winter sunshine, summer evenings full of colour, monsoon lightning, sprouting plants and busy fairs. Credited in the book to Jayant Shukla.Story: ઋતુરાણી
The Queen of Seasons sees Summer running – too hot, he’s off to call Monsoon. Monsoon soon runs too, tired of mud, to call Winter. Then Winter, too cold, goes to call Summer. The queen finally understands: their coming and going is what brings change and variety to life, and the seasons bless her.What the child learns
Four consonants (પ, ડ, ત, ણ), the vowels ઇ and ઈ, and the matras િ and ી. Season words and clothes for each season.How to help at home
- Sing the sky song pointing up – moon, sun, clouds, lightning.
- Do Exercise 1: match bonfire–sweater, umbrella–rain, ice cream–sun.
- Act the seasons story: fan yourself for summer, splash for monsoon, shiver for winter.
- Teach પ, ડ, ત, ણ; then show િ and ી on letters already known: ગિ, ગી.
- Fill picture words like the book: નિસર(ણી), (પ)તંગ, સા(ડી).
Questions from the textbook (વાતચીત)
- તમને ઉનાળામાં શું ગમે છે?What do you like in summer?
- વીજળીના ચમકારા કઈ ઋતુમાં થાય છે?In which season does lightning flash?
- તમને સૌથી વધુ કઈ ઋતુ ગમે છે?Which season do you like most?
Tricky pair: િ is written before the letter but read after it – “the hat goes on first”.
એકમ 5: મને ઊગવું ગમે !
New letters
- લ
- ટ
- ચ
- ખ
- ઐ
Words your child will read
- ટપાલી
- ટેબલ
- લપસણી
- પૈસા
- ખેતર
- વટાણા
The poem
A paper-boat song for a rainy day – streams running, boats made from old newspapers, sailing off to fairyland.Story: મને ઊગવું ગમે !
A seed lies buried in the soil at the edge of a village, crying every day. A little cloud hears it and tells the others; together they come down as rain. The wet seed is overjoyed – roots come out, a shoot sprouts, and slowly it grows into a trunk with branches and tiny leaves.What the child learns
Four consonants (લ, ટ, ચ, ખ), the vowel ઐ and the matra ૈ. Reading first sentences: “આ ચકલી છે.”How to help at home
- Make a paper boat and sing the boat song while floating it in a bucket.
- Tell the seed story, then plant a seed together and watch it for a week.
- Put the story pictures in order (Exercise 6): cloud → rain → seed → sprout → plant.
- Teach લ, ટ, ચ, ખ, ઐ; show ૈ on known letters: ગૈ, મૈ, નૈ.
- Read the five picture sentences in Exercise 13 and match each to its picture.
Questions from the textbook (વાતચીત)
- બીજ કેમ રડતું હશે?Why might the seed have been crying?
- તમારા ઘરે કયા કયા છોડ છે?Which plants are at your home?
- જો વરસાદ ન આવે તો?What if it didn’t rain?
Hands-on: the clay-toy activity (Exercise 16) is a great weekend project – name each thing in Gujarati as you make it.
એકમ 6: જગ્ગુ બન્યો જોરાવર
New letters
- ઝ
- હ
- ઘ
- ળ
- ઉ
- ઊ
Words your child will read
- ઝાડ
- વાઘ
- હરણ
- ઘડિયાળ
- ઊન
- સૂરજ
The poem
“અલી શાકવાળી” – a lively vegetable-seller song listing a whole market of vegetables, from cluster beans and fenugreek to carrots, tomatoes and brinjals.Story: જગ્ગુ બન્યો જોરાવર
Jaggu is weak and gets tired within minutes of playing tag with the village boys. He comes home crying. His mother explains that he skips milk and vegetables and eats junk food all day, so his body lacks nourishment. Jaggu starts eating home-cooked food and drinking milk – and soon he is running with everyone. His friends call him જોરાવર જગ્ગુ, strong Jaggu.What the child learns
The last letters of the book – ઝ, હ, ઘ, ળ, ઉ, ઊ – and the matras ુ and ૂ. Healthy food vs junk food.How to help at home
- Sing the vegetable song holding up real vegetables from the kitchen.
- Do Exercise 3 at the dinner table: milk, moong, sheero, lassi are પોષક; pizza, burger, cold drinks are જંકફૂડ.
- Tell Jaggu’s story; ask what the child ate today.
- Teach ઝ, હ, ઘ, ળ and the vowels ઉ, ઊ; show ુ and ૂ on known letters.
- Read the five sentences in Exercise 12, e.g. “સૂરજ ગરમી આપે છે.”
Questions from the textbook (વાતચીત)
- તમને જમવામાં શું ભાવે છે?What do you like to eat?
- શરીરને પોષક ખોરાક ન મળે તો શું થાય?What happens if the body doesn’t get nourishing food?
- જગ્ગુ જેવા જોરાવર બનવા તમે શું કરશો?What will you do to become strong like Jaggu?
By the end: the child knows 23 consonants, 8 vowels and 7 matras – enough to read short sentences independently.
How letters and matras build up
For extra matra practice, see our Std 1 બારાખડી lessons.
What your child should be able to do by year-end
The textbook’s learning outcomes (અધ્યયન નિષ્પત્તિ) for Gujarati as a second language, in simple words:
- Recognise rhyming words in songs
- Hear the first and last sound of a word
- Join two or three letters to make simple words
- Link sounds they hear to Gujarati letters
- Read familiar two-letter words
- Recognise labels and words for things around them
- Write short words from dictation
A 15-minute daily routine for non-Gujarati homes
Play or sing the unit song with actions. Use the QR code on the unit’s first page for audio.
Ask one વાતચીત question and point at real things while answering.
One tracing row or one colour-the-letter picture.
- Label five things at home in Gujarati: ઘર, બારી, નળ, ઘડિયાળ, ટેબલ
- Watch or listen to a short Gujarati rhyme together
- Celebrate every Gujarati word the child uses on their own
- Ask a Gujarati-speaking neighbour or grandparent to tell a story
- Accept mixed sentences – they are a normal first step
- Keep it playful; stop before the child gets bored
Std 1 Gujarati Second Language textbook PDF
Keep the textbook open while you use this guide. It is published by the Gujarat State School Textbook Board and distributed free under the state scheme.
Download Std 1 Gujarati (દ્વિતીય ભાષા) PDFAbout this guide
This page is part of Bal Gujarati’s free Std 1 resources. It is written for parents whose children study Gujarati as a second language – families who moved to Gujarat, English-medium parents, and NRI families who want their child to follow the Gujarat syllabus.
આ માર્ગદર્શિકા વિશે
આ પાનું બાલ ગુજરાતીની મફત ધોરણ 1 સામગ્રીનો ભાગ છે. અંગ્રેજી કે હિન્દી માધ્યમમાં ભણતાં બાળકોના વાલીઓ ઘરે સહેલાઈથી ગુજરાતી શીખવી શકે તે માટે તે તૈયાર કરવામાં આવ્યું છે.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Std 1 Gujarati Second Language textbook?
It is the GSEB textbook ગુજરાતી (દ્વિતીય ભાષા) ધોરણ 1, used in schools where Gujarati is not the medium of instruction – for example English-medium and Hindi-medium schools in Gujarat. Gujarati is compulsory in Std 1 to 8 in all schools in the state.
What is the difference between Gujarati First Language and Second Language in Std 1?
The First Language book (પ્રથમ ભાષા) is for Gujarati-medium students and has 8 units. The Second Language book (દ્વિતીય ભાષા) has 6 units, focuses first on listening and speaking, and asks teachers not to teach grammar or translate. Both teach letters in the same order, starting with ગ, મ, ન, જ.
How many units are in the Std 1 Gujarati Second Language book?
Six units: આ અમારું ઘર, અજબ જેવી વાત, આ કામ તો મારું !, મને આભલે…, મને ઊગવું ગમે ! and જગ્ગુ બન્યો જોરાવર – 74 pages in all.
Which letters are taught in Std 1 Gujarati Second Language?
31 letters: the consonants ગ મ ન જ વ ર સ દ ક બ છ પ ડ ત ણ લ ટ ચ ખ ઝ હ ઘ ળ and the vowels અ આ એ ઇ ઈ ઐ ઉ ઊ, with the matras ા ે િ ી ૈ ુ ૂ.
My family doesn’t speak Gujarati. Can I still help my child?
Yes. The book is designed for children who don’t speak Gujarati at home. Sing the songs with actions, point at real objects, and use the questions on this page. The textbook itself advises showing and acting rather than translating.
Should I correct my child’s Gujarati pronunciation?
Not in the early months. The textbook notes that pointing out spelling and pronunciation mistakes in the first two or three years makes children stop speaking. Mixing in a few words from their own language, like “આ લીમડાનું tree છે”, is normal and acceptable.