Kindergarten

Students in kindergarten develop skills in communication, reading, and writing that lay the foundation for success in future years. Explicit, systematic instruction in phonological awareness and phonics provides students with practice in distinguishing the sounds that make words and builds the association between sounds and the letters that represent them. As students learn consonant and short vowel sounds with the corresponding letter spelling, they practice blending sounds together smoothly to read words. Students also develop writing skills, learning to print letters of the alphabet and segment sounds in words to spell them. Students expand listening and speaking vocabularies through read-alouds of fiction and nonfiction texts centered around themes that build student knowledge of the world around them.

The kindergarten standards place emphasis on developing the concept of number by counting; combining, sorting, and comparing sets of objects; recognizing, describing, and creating simple repeating patterns; and recognizing shapes and sizes of figures and objects. Students will investigate measurement through direct comparisons, explore the concept of fractions with sharing, collect data, and create graphs. Students will also begin to develop skills in communicating mathematical ideas, representing their understanding with objects and pictures, and thinking critically about given situations. These processes are critical to future mathematical development.

Using My Senses to Understand My World

In science, kindergarten students use their senses to make observations of the characteristics and interactions of objects in their world. Students study the characteristics of water and the basic needs of living things. They also study the relationship between the sun and Earth through shadows and weather. They determine how their actions can change the motion of objects and learn how they can make a difference in their world. Throughout the elementary years, students will develop scientific skills, supported by mathematics and computational thinking, as they learn science content. In kindergarten, students will develop skills in posing simple questions, conducting simple investigations, observing, classifying, and communicating information about the natural world.

Focus on the Community

The standards for kindergarten students focus on the local community and include an introduction to basic history and social science skills. During the course of their first year in school, students learn about their community, including basic concepts related to history, patriotism, national symbols, good citizenship, geographic location, economics, and the importance of following rules and respecting the rights and property of other people.