Kindergarten Academics

The Kindergarten Curriculum Guide is designed to provide a view of the 
developmental skills targeted for student achievement in Kindergarten.  This 
guide will serve as a tool to support your involvement in your child’s 
educational achievement.  Use it during your parent conference session(s) to 
determine those areas of strength and/or weakness that you may assist your 
child with at home during the school year.  Parent involvement is a key 
ingredient for student success in school.


BY THE END OF KINDERGARTEN, STUDENTS WHO ARE MAKING ADEQUATE PROGRESS IN 
READING ARE ABLE TO:

•	Retelling stories
•	Identifying sequences in texts
•	Making predictions
•	Making connections with characters, setting and events
•	Using pictures to solve unknown text
•	Using meaning to solve unknown text
•	Engaging in independent reading
•	Answering simple questions in response to text
•	Using self-correcting to check meaning
•	Reading first name
•	Reading last name
•	Emerging as a reader
•	Recognizing color words
•	Recognizing number words
•	Identifying familiar sight words
•	Using resources such as picture dictionaries
•	Using resources such as word walls
•	Recognizing and naming all upper case letters
•	Recognizing and naming all lower case letters
•	Recognizing letter-sound correspondence
•	Identifying rhyming words
•	Isolating beginning sounds
•	Isolating ending sounds
•	Blending sounds to make words
•	Recognizing the number of syllables in words
•	Sounding out words
•	Tracking print from left to right
•	Distinguishing between print and pictures
•	Identifying parts of a book
•	Distinguishing between letters and words


BY THE END OF KINDERGARTEN, STUDENTS WHO ARE MAKING ADEQUATE PROGRESS IN 
SPEAKING/LISTENING ARE ABLE TO:

•	Using age appropriate vocabulary
•	Responding respectfully when spoken to
•	Speaking in complete sentences when required
•	Staying on topic
•	Taking turns when speaking in a group
•	Establishing eye contact while speaking
•	Speaking audibly
•	Listening actively and responsively
•	Listening to an activity to an extended period of time
•	Listening without interrupting
•	Responding appropriately to what is heard

BY THE END OF KINDERGARTEN, STUDENTS WHO ARE MAKING ADEQUATE PROGRESS IN 
WRITING ARE ABLE TO:

•	Printing first name correctly
•	Printing last name correctly
•	Spacing letters and words correctly
•	Forming letters correctly
•	Writing from left to right
•	Writing multiple words or word parts to express a thought
•	Using capitalization at the beginning of a sentence
•	Using appropriate punctuation at the end of a sentence
•	Writing letters to represent sounds in words
•	Spelling frequently used words correctly

BY THE END OF KINDERGARTEN, STUDENTS WHO ARE MAKING ADEQUATE PROGRESS IN 
MATHEMATICS ARE ABLE TO:

•	Using manipulatives appropriately
•	Solving problems with manipulatives
•	Estimating with a variety of objects
•	Drawing to model the action in problems
•	Explaining to others how a problem is solved
•	Recognizing and naming numerals 0-10
•	Writing numerals 0-10
•	Recognizing, extending and creating patterns
•	Adding numbers up to ten
•	Subtracting numerals up to 10
•	Counting from 0 to 30
•	Counting backwards from 10 to 0
•	Sorting and classifying quantities
•	Graphing 
•	Using and understanding ordinal numbers
•	Building number sets
•	Recognizing +, -, and = in mathematical equations
•	Understanding and using ideas such as over, under, above, below, on, 
beside, next to
•	Sorting, classifying and comparing objects
•	Identifying shapes
•	Drawing basic shapes
•	Recognizing specific times of the day
•	Knowing days of the week in sequence
•	Knowing months of the year in sequence
•	Using quantitative words to describe objects
•	Collecting and recording data
•	Displaying data in pictographs and bar graphs
•	Make predictions using information from the graph
•	Interpret data using from information from the graph

BY THE END OF KINDERGARTEN, STUDENTS WHO ARE MAKING ADEQUATE PROGRESS IN 
SOCIAL STUDIES ARE ABLE TO:

•	Understanding concepts presented
•	Understanding roles of self, family, school and community
•	Understanding rules of school and community

BY THE END OF KINDERGARTEN, STUDENTS WHO ARE MAKING ADEQUATE PROGRESS IN 
SCIENCE ARE ABLE TO:

•	Working in a group
•	Understanding concepts presented
•	Making and describing observations
•	Making predictions
•	Using science tools or equipment
•	Respecting living things