English and Language Arts

By the end of Kindergarten, your child will be able to: 

  • Demonstrate knowledge of the basic concepts of print.
  • Locate a printed word on a page.
  • Distinguish letters from words within sentences.
  • Match print to speech to demonstrate that language is represented by print.
  • Identify parts of a book (front cover, back cover, title page).
  • Move top to bottom and left to right on the printed page; returning to the beginning of the next line.
  • Identify all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
  • Recognize that print conveys specific meaning and pictures may support meaning.
  • Demonstrate phonological awareness.
  • Blend and segment syllables in spoken words.
  • Identify and produce alliterative and rhyming words.
  • Blend and segment onset and rimes of single-syllable words.
  • Identify the initial, medial, and final sounds of spoken words.
  • Add or delete phonemes at the beginning or end of a spoken word and say the resulting word.
  • Segment and blend phonemes in single-syllable spoken words.
  • Use knowledge of grade-appropriate phonics and word-analysis skills to decode words accurately.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the most frequent sound for each consonant.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the short and long sounds for the five major vowels.
  • Decode consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words.
  • Encode consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words.
  • Recognize and read with automaticity grade-level high-frequency words.
  • Describe the main character(s), setting, and important events in a story.
  • Explain the roles of the author and illustrator of a story.
  • Identify rhyme in a poem.
  • Use titles, headings, and illustrations to predict and confirm the topic of texts.
  • Identify the topic of multiple details in a text.
  • Explain the difference between opinions and facts about a topic.
  • Identify and explain descriptive words in a text(s).
  • Retell a text orally to enhance comprehension: Use the main character(s), setting, and important events for a story. Use topic and details for an informational text.
  • Compare and contrast characters' experiences in stories.
  • Print many upper and lowercase letters.
  • Using a combination of drawing, dictating, and/or writing, create narratives with the events in chronological order.
  • Using a combination of drawing, dictating, and/or writing, express opinions about a topic or text with at least one supporting reason.
  • Using a combination of drawing, dictating, and/or writing, provide factual information about a topic.
  • With guidance and support from adults, improve drawing and writing, as needed, by planning, revising, and editing.
  • Present information orally using complete sentences.
  • Follow the rules of standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling appropriate to grade level.
  • Recall information to answer a question about a single topic.
  • Use a multimedia element to enhance oral or written tasks.
  • Use grade-level academic vocabulary appropriately in speaking and writing.
  • Ask and answer questions about unfamiliar words in grade-level content.
  • Identify and sort common words into basic categories, relating vocabulary to background knowledge.