Std 1 Gujarati Textbook – Chapter-wise Guide for Parents
Every unit of the GSEB Std 1 Gujarati textbook explained in plain words: which letters your child learns, what the poem and story are about, the questions to ask, and a simple way to teach each એકમ at home.
- 8એકમ (units)
- 31consonants
- 10vowels
- 8poems + 8 stories
- 141pages
About the Std 1 Gujarati textbook
The Std 1 Gujarati (Pratham Bhasha) textbook is published by the Gujarat State School Textbook Board, Gandhinagar, and follows the National Education Policy 2020. The current book (first edition 2025, reviewed 2026) has 8 units. Each unit opens with a poem, has a story to listen to and retell, and then introduces 4 to 6 new letters through tracing, writing, reading and picture games.
Unlike older books, it does not teach the alphabet in dictionary order (ક, ખ, ગ…). It starts with letters that quickly make real words, such as ગ, મ, ન, જ, so a child can read ગામ, મગર and નગર within the first two weeks. This page follows the same order, so you can sit with the book open and use it unit by unit.
ગુજરાતી: આ પાનું ધોરણ 1 ના ગુજરાતી પાઠ્યપુસ્તકના આઠેય એકમ વાલીઓ માટે સરળ ભાષામાં સમજાવે છે – કયા અક્ષરો શીખવાના છે, કવિતા અને વાર્તા શું છે, અને ઘરે કેવી રીતે શીખવવું.
All 8 units at a glance
Page numbers are the printed numbers in the textbook.
| # | એકમ (Unit) | Pages | New letters | Story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | નાનાઅમથા વાંદરાભાઈ | 1–13 | ગ મ ન જ | વાંદરો અને મગર |
| 2 | વાદળ ગરજે | 14–30 | દ ર સ વ | ટીપાં ટપકે ટપ ટપ ટપ |
| 3 | બિલ્લીને આવ્યાં ચક્કર ! | 31–43 | ક બ અ છ એ આ | લપલપિયો કાચબો |
| 4 | ચાલો જોવા જઈએ મેળો | 44–58 | પ ડ ત ણ ઇ ઈ | અપ્પુ પહોંચ્યો મેળે |
| 5 | રીંગણાં લઉં બે-ચાર ! | 59–76 | લ ટ ચ ખ ઐ | રીંગણાં લઉં બે-ચાર ! |
| 6 | ઉંદરનો ડર | 77–95 | ઝ હ ઘ ળ ઉ ઊ | ઉંદરનો ડર |
| 7 | ફીરકી ફરરર… | 96–117 | ભ ય ધ ફ ઓ ઔ | ઊડ્યા રે ઊડ્યા ! |
| 8 | નાનકડી ઢીંગલી | 118–141 | ઢ ઠ શ થ ં | ઢગલો આપીશ મીઠી રેવડી |
How every unit is built
Once you recognise these activity headings, you can open any page and know what the child is expected to do.
Listen and sing
સાંભળો અને ગાઓA short poem opens the unit. Sing it together first; reading comes later.Conversation
વાતચીતOral questions about the poem, story or the child’s own life. No writing needed.Listen and retell the story
વાર્તા સાંભળો અને કહોYou read aloud; the child retells in their own words.Join the dots
ટપકાં જોડી પૂર્ણ કરોTracing letters and pictures to build pencil control.Identify and circle
ઓળખો, ⭕ કરોFind and circle a given letter among many.Read and write
વાંચો અને લખોShort words made only from letters already learnt.Practice
મહાવરો કરોRevision grids of every letter learnt so far, with matras.Letter hunt strip
‘ગ’ શોધો / ⭕ કરોThe strip at the bottom of each page is a mini search game. Do one a day.એકમ 1: નાનાઅમથા વાંદરાભાઈ
New letters
- ગ
- મ
- ન
- જ
Words your child will read
- ગામ
- મગર
- નગર
- જગ
- નમન
- જમ
Story: વાંદરો અને મગર
The classic tale of the clever monkey and the crocodile. The crocodile tries to trick the monkey, but the monkey keeps calm and outsmarts him. Good for talking about thinking before you act.What the child learns
Sings a rhyme, answers simple questions, recognises and writes four letters, adds the first matra ા (ગા, મા, ના, જા), and reads words like ગામ and મગર.How to teach it at home
- Sing the monkey poem 3–4 times over two days, with actions. Let the child jump like a monkey on each line.
- Tell the monkey–crocodile story. Pause and ask, “હવે વાંદરો શું કરશે?” (What will the monkey do now?)
- Introduce one letter a day. Say its sound, draw it big in the air, then trace the dotted letter in the book.
- Combine letters into words: point to ગ + ા + મ and say ગામ. Only use words from these four letters.
- Finish with the picture activity: match નગારું, ગાજર, જલેબી, નાક to their first letter.
Questions to ask
- વાંદરો ક્યાં રહે છે?Where does the monkey live?
- મગરને શું જોઈતું હતું?What did the crocodile want?
- તમારા ઘરમાં ‘ગ’ થી શરૂ થતી કઈ વસ્તુ છે?What in your home starts with ‘ગ’?
Common mix-up: ગ and ન look alike to beginners. Point out the loop at the bottom-left of ન.
એકમ 2: વાદળ ગરજે
New letters
- દ
- ર
- સ
- વ
Words your child will read
- વરસાદ
- સરસ
- દવા
- સાવજ
- સેવા
- મેવા
Story: ટીપાં ટપકે ટપ ટપ ટપ
Siblings Bakul and Chhaya go out to play when it starts raining. The raindrops talk to them and join in the fun. They float a paper boat that drifts away, and Bakul promises to build a big ship one day.What the child learns
Sound words (ટપ ટપ, ગડગડાટ), rain vocabulary, and the first long words like વરસાદ built from eight known letters.How to teach it at home
- Sing “વાદળ ગરજે” and make the thunder sound with a steel plate or by clapping.
- Read the story and ask the child to say “ટપક ટીપું ટપટપ” every time the drops speak.
- Teach દ, ર, સ, વ one per day. ર is small and simple, so do it first if the child is struggling.
- Build words with letter cards: વ + ર + સ + ા + દ = વરસાદ. Mix old and new letters (મગર, નગર, સવાર).
- Make a real paper boat together and write સરસ on it.
Questions from the textbook (વાતચીત)
- તમને વરસાદમાં રમવું ગમે? કેમ?Do you like playing in the rain? Why?
- વરસાદનાં ફોરાં પડવાનો અવાજ કેવો હોય? બોલી બતાવો.What sound do raindrops make? Say it.
- વરસાદનું વહેતું પાણી ક્યાં જતું હશે?Where does flowing rainwater go?
Watch for: દ and ઠ get confused later. Now is a good time to say “દ has a tail that curls in”.
એકમ 3: બિલ્લીને આવ્યાં ચક્કર !
New letters
- ક
- બ
- અ
- છ
- એ
- આ
Words your child will read
- એક
- આગબોટ
- છત્રી
- કાબર
- બરણી
- અનનાસ
Story: લપલપિયો કાચબો
A turtle who cannot stop talking wants to fly with two swan friends. They carry him by a stick held in his mouth, warning him not to speak. He opens his mouth mid-air and falls. A gentle lesson about listening.What the child learns
The first vowel letters (અ, આ, એ). The child already knows their matra forms ા and ે from Units 1 and 2, so this unit links each vowel letter to its sign.How to teach it at home
- Sing the cat poem and spin around slowly on “ચક્કર” (then sit down before anyone really gets dizzy).
- Tell the turtle story. At the moment he opens his mouth, stop and ask what will happen.
- Teach ક, બ, છ first, then the vowels અ, આ, એ.
- Link the new vowel letters to the signs the child already knows: આ is the ા in કા, એ is the ે in કે.
- Play the textbook game on p. 43: sit back to back, draw ક, બ, અ or છ on each other’s back with a finger and guess.
Questions to ask
- કાચબો કેમ પડી ગયો?Why did the turtle fall?
- હંસ ક્યાં જતા હતા?Where were the swans going?
- તમે બહુ બોલો ત્યારે શું થાય?What happens when you talk too much?
Key moment: this is where vowel letters and matras connect. If the child sees that આ and ા are the same sound, the rest of the book becomes much easier.
એકમ 4: ચાલો જોવા જઈએ મેળો
New letters
- પ
- ડ
- ત
- ણ
- ઇ
- ઈ
Words your child will read
- પતંગ
- ડમરુ
- તપેલી
- ઇયળ
- ઈસ
- તોરણ
Story: અપ્પુ પહોંચ્યો મેળે
Appu, a baby elephant, wanders into the village fair. The rides, the band, the pani-puri and the children all react to him. A lively story full of fair-ground words.What the child learns
Short and long ઇ/ઈ and their matras િ and ી, plus the retroflex ણ, which children often confuse with ન.How to teach it at home
- Sing the fair poem and list everything you would see at a mela: ચકડોળ, ફુગ્ગા, રમકડાં.
- Read the Appu story. Ask the child to act as the elephant, waving a “trunk”.
- Teach પ, ડ, ત, ણ. For ણ, compare with ન side by side.
- Teach ઇ (short) and ઈ (long) by stretching the sound: “ઇ” short clap, “ઈ…” long clap. Then show િ and ી on ગ, મ, ન.
- Do the colouring page (p. 50): colour every પ yellow, every ડ red.
Questions from the textbook (વાતચીત)
- તમને મેળામાં જવું ગમે? કેમ?Do you like going to fairs? Why?
- મેળામાં શું શું હોય?What all is there at a fair?
- તમે હાથીના બચ્ચાનું શું નામ પાડો?What would you name the baby elephant?
Common mix-up: િ goes before the letter when written but is spoken after it. Say “the hat is put on first”.
એકમ 5: રીંગણાં લઉં બે-ચાર !
New letters
- લ
- ટ
- ચ
- ખ
- ઐ
Words your child will read
- લપસણી
- ટપાલી
- ચકલી
- ખજાનચી
- ઐરાવત
- દૈનિક
Story: રીંગણાં લઉં બે-ચાર ! (Gijubhai Badheka)
Dalo keeps “asking” the vegetable garden itself for brinjals and answers on its behalf, so he takes them every day. The owner catches him and plays the same trick back at the well. A funny classic about honesty.What the child learns
Four common consonants, the vowel ઐ and its matra ૈ, and reading short sentences for the first time (ગીત સરસ ગીત ગા).How to teach it at home
- Sing the vegetable poem while sorting real vegetables in the kitchen.
- Tell Gijubhai’s story with voices for Dalo and the garden. Children love repeating “લઉં બે-ચાર?”
- Teach લ, ટ, ચ, ખ. Use household words: લાડુ, ટમેટું, ચમચી, ખુરશી.
- Teach ઐ and ૈ: ગ → ગૈ, દ → દૈ. Read દૈનિક and વૈદિક from the book.
- Read the short paragraph “મેળાની મજા” on p. 74 slowly, one finger under each word.
Questions to ask
- દલો રોજ શું કરતો?What did Dalo do every day?
- વાડીના માલિકે શું કર્યું?What did the owner do?
- કોઈની વસ્તુ પૂછ્યા વગર લેવાય?Can we take things without asking?
Milestone: by the end of this unit most children can read three-word sentences. Celebrate the first one they read alone.
એકમ 6: ઉંદરનો ડર
New letters
- ઝ
- હ
- ઘ
- ળ
- ઉ
- ઊ
Words your child will read
- ઝરણું
- હરણ
- ઘર
- ઘડિયાળ
- ઊન
- ઉંદર
Story: ઉંદરનો ડર
A mouse lives in a hole under a banyan tree in a busy garden. One morning he smells the cat waiting outside. His food runs out and he must decide what to do. A story about fear and finding a way out.What the child learns
The tricky letters ઝ and ળ, short and long ઉ/ઊ with the matras ુ and ૂ.How to teach it at home
- Sing the mouse poem and play hide-and-seek: the child is the mouse, you are Billi-masi.
- Tell the story and stop at “બાપ રે!” Ask what the mouse should do.
- Teach હ and ઘ first (easier), then ઝ and ળ. ળ has no English equivalent, so say it many times: નળ, ટોળું.
- Short ઉ vs long ઊ: same clap trick as ઇ/ઈ. Show ુ and ૂ under ગ, મ, ન.
- Do the word search on p. 93 together. Use a highlighter for each found word.
Questions to ask
- ઉંદર દરની બહાર કેમ ન નીકળ્યો?Why didn’t the mouse come out?
- તમને શાનાથી ડર લાગે?What are you scared of?
- ડર લાગે ત્યારે શું કરવું જોઈએ?What should we do when we feel scared?
Common mix-up: ઘ and ધ look very similar. ધ comes in Unit 7, so make sure ઘ is solid first.
એકમ 7: ફીરકી ફરરર…
New letters
- ભ
- ય
- ધ
- ફ
- ઓ
- ઔ
Words your child will read
- ભમરડો
- યતિ
- ધજા
- ફીરકી
- ઓજાર
- ઔષધ
Story: ઊડ્યા રે ઊડ્યા !
It is Uttarayan and the sky is full of kites. A proud red kite boasts it will fly highest, the yellow kite argues back and soon every kite joins the quarrel – until the calm white kite reminds them the sky has room for everyone. A festival story every Gujarati child connects with.What the child learns
The last of the vowel pairs, ઓ/ઔ with matras ો and ૌ, and the look-alike pair ઘ/ધ.How to teach it at home
- Sing the kite poem while winding a real or pretend ફીરકી. Say “ફરરર” together.
- Read the kite story. Ask which kite the child liked more and why.
- Teach ભ, ય, ધ, ફ. Put ઘ and ધ side by side and let the child spot the difference.
- Teach ઓ and ઔ with ો and ૌ: ગ → ગો → ગૌ.
- Do the crossword on p. 116 and the matra wheels on p. 110.
Questions to ask
- ઉત્તરાયણમાં આપણે શું કરીએ?What do we do on Uttarayan?
- લાલ પતંગને કેમ અભિમાન હતું?Why was the red kite proud?
- તમારો મનગમતો રંગ કયો?What is your favourite colour?
By now: all 10 vowels and all main matras except anusvar are done. Review the full બારાખડી grid once a week.
એકમ 8: નાનકડી ઢીંગલી
New letters
- ઢ
- ઠ
- શ
- થ
- ં
Words your child will read
- ઢગલો
- ઠળિયો
- શંખ
- થાળી
- કંકુ
- અંજીર
Story: ઢગલો આપીશ મીઠી રેવડી
Shaili is playing with her doll when a red fairy appears. The fairy, the doll and Shaili share a small adventure. A warm, imaginative closing story.What the child learns
The remaining common consonants and the anusvar (ં), plus revision of every letter and matra from the year.How to teach it at home
- Sing the doll poem with the child’s own doll or toy.
- Read the fairy story. Let the child continue it: “પછી શું થયું?”
- Teach ઢ and ઠ together (both are “heavy” sounds), then શ and થ.
- Teach the anusvar dot: ક → કં, સ → સં. Read શંખ, કંકુ, અંજીર with a slight nasal sound.
- Use the full matra tables (pp. 127–132 and 140) as a year-end check. Mark letters that still need work.
Questions to ask
- શૈલી શું રમતી હતી?What was Shaili playing with?
- પરી કેવી હતી?What did the fairy look like?
- તમારી પાસે પરી આવે તો શું માગો?If a fairy came to you, what would you ask for?
End of year: your child should be able to read short sentences on their own and write 3–4 letter words from dictation.
How matras build up through the year
Each unit adds one or two vowel signs, starting with ા in the very first unit, so words like ગામ can be read from week one.
For daily matra drills, use our Std 1 બારાખડી lessons.
What your child should be able to do by year-end
The textbook lists its learning outcomes (અધ્યયન નિષ્પત્તિ) under two curricular goals. In simple words:
- Listen to, sing and recite short poems and rhymes
- Retell a story in their own words and talk about its characters
- Follow spoken instructions of 8–10 steps and give simple instructions
- Recognise all taught letters and match them to their sounds
- Read short sentences with correct pauses, and recognise the full stop and question mark
- Write 3–4 letter words correctly from dictation (શ્રુતલેખન)
- Arrange pictures in order and write a short line about each
- Show interest in picking up and reading small storybooks
A 20-minute daily routine that works
Short, daily practice beats a long weekend session. Here is a simple split you can follow with any unit.
The unit poem, or yesterday’s story told by the child.
Sound, air-writing, then tracing in the book.
Only words built from letters already learnt.
The letter-hunt strip at the page bottom, or a picture game.
- Speak Gujarati at home during practice, even if the rest of the day is in English
- Let the child hold the pencil loosely; tracing is about control, not speed
- Never skip the story. Listening and retelling are half of this textbook
- Correct gently: say the right word back rather than “wrong”
- Revisit a unit if the letters are shaky. There is no rush to finish
- Label things at home with small cards: ઘડિયાળ, બારી, ખુરશી
Std 1 Gujarati textbook PDF
Keep the textbook open while you use this guide. The PDF is published by the Gujarat State School Textbook Board and is free for students.
Download Std 1 Gujarati textbook (PDF)About this guide
This page is part of Bal Gujarati’s free Std 1 resources. It is written for parents who studied in English-medium schools, grandparents who want to help, and NRI families teaching Gujarati at home. It follows the GSEB textbook exactly, unit by unit, so what your child does at home matches what happens in class.
આ માર્ગદર્શિકા વિશે
આ પાનું બાલ ગુજરાતીની ધોરણ 1 ની મફત સામગ્રીનો ભાગ છે. અંગ્રેજી માધ્યમમાં ભણેલા વાલીઓ, દાદા-દાદી અને વિદેશમાં રહેતા ગુજરાતી પરિવારો ઘરે બાળકને ગુજરાતી શીખવી શકે તે માટે તે તૈયાર કરવામાં આવ્યું છે. તે પાઠ્યપુસ્તકના ક્રમને જ અનુસરે છે.
Why parents use Bal Gujarati
Same order as the textbook
No confusion between what school teaches and what you practise at home.Free, always
Every lesson, worksheet and guide on the site is free to use.Written for parents
Explained in English with Gujarati examples, so you don’t need to be fluent to help.Std 1 to 5
One site that grows with your child, all aligned with GSEB.Frequently asked questions
How many units are in the Std 1 Gujarati textbook?
There are 8 units (એકમ): નાનાઅમથા વાંદરાભાઈ, વાદળ ગરજે, બિલ્લીને આવ્યાં ચક્કર !, ચાલો જોવા જઈએ મેળો, રીંગણાં લઉં બે-ચાર !, ઉંદરનો ડર, ફીરકી ફરરર… and નાનકડી ઢીંગલી.
Why doesn’t the Std 1 book teach letters in ક, ખ, ગ order?
The book starts with letters that quickly form real words (ગ, મ, ન, જ), so children read meaningful words like ગામ and મગર from the first unit. This keeps them motivated. The full alphabet order is learnt later.
Which letters are taught in Std 1 Gujarati?
31 consonants and 10 vowels (અ, આ, ઇ, ઈ, ઉ, ઊ, એ, ઐ, ઓ, ઔ), along with the anusvar. Letters like ઙ, ઞ, ષ, ક્ષ and જ્ઞ come in later standards.
How much time should a Std 1 child spend on Gujarati at home?
About 20 minutes a day is enough: a few minutes each for a song or story, one new letter, word reading and a small game. Daily short practice works better than long weekend sessions.
Can I teach this book if I can’t read Gujarati well?
Yes. This guide explains each unit in English, and the early units use only a handful of letters. Many parents learn alongside their child. Our Std 1 audio lessons help with pronunciation.
Where are the answers for the Std 1 Gujarati textbook exercises?
Most Std 1 exercises are oral (વાતચીત), tracing or picture-based, so there is no single written answer. This page gives the key questions to ask for each unit and what a good answer looks like: the child speaking in full sentences about the story.