Academic Standards for
Kindergarten Language Arts

Reading

• Finding the front cover, back cover, and title page of books.
• Following words from left to right and top to bottom.
• Knowing letters from words.
• Finding and matching a word in a text.
• Identifying names and sounds of letters of the alphabet.
• Knowing the difference between upper and lower case letters and writing them correctly.
• Recognizing rhyming words.
• Counting the number of syllables in a word.

• Identifying and sorting common words/pictures/objects in basic categories.
• Retelling familiar stories.
• Knowing the beginning, middle and end of a story.
• Identifying where the story takes place and who the characters are in a story.

Writing

I can show how to write by:

• Writing from left to right, top to bottom.
• Writing my own name in upper and lower case letters
• Writing thank you notes and letters.
• Using legible handwriting.

• Writing poetry.
• Creating a picture book that tells a story.

Speaking, Listening, Viewing

• Retelling stories and events.
• Asking for clarification.
• Displaying appropriate turn-taking behavior.

• In one-to-one conferences, group meetings and individual presentations.
• Giving oral directions.
• Using good eye contact, volume, intonation and posture.
• Making brief presentations that describe and event with details and insight into the importance of that event.
• Planning and presenting dramatic interpretations of experiences, stories, poems and/or plays.

Helping At Home

• Read to your child and have him/her retell you the story.
   
• Have your child practice writing; just moving a pencil across the page will build skills.
   
• Use postcards as prompts for oral storytelling.