Kindergarten ELA (California Common Core)

Reading Standards for Literature

• RL.K.5 California expands the text types kindergartners recognize (e.g. picture books and verse as well as storybooks and poems). CA wording differs (to be re-checked)
• RL.K.10a California-only sub-standard: use what you already know to connect with events and facts in a story. CA only (to be re-checked)
• RL.K.10b California-only sub-standard: use pictures and context to predict what happens next in a story. CA only (to be re-checked)

Reading Standards for Informational Text

• RI.K.4 California adds to RI.K.4 (asking and answering questions about unknown words in informational text). CA wording differs (to be re-checked)
• RI.K.10a California-only sub-standard: connect prior knowledge to the content of an informational text. CA only (to be re-checked)
• RI.K.10b California-only sub-standard: use pictures and context to predict what an informational text will say. CA only (to be re-checked)

Reading Standards: Foundational Skills

• RF.K.2f California-only sub-standard: blend two to three spoken sounds to make recognizable words. CA only (to be re-checked)
• RF.K.3 California changes the wording of the RF.K.3 phonics and word analysis heading standard. CA wording differs (to be re-checked)
• RF.K.3b California adds to RF.K.3b (matching long and short vowel sounds to common spellings). CA wording differs (to be re-checked)

Writing Standards

• W.K.4 California note: this writing standard starts in grade 2 in California (the CCSS starts it in grade 3). (to be re-checked)
• W.K.10 California note: the range-of-writing standard starts in grade 2 in California (the CCSS starts it in grade 3). (to be re-checked)

Speaking and Listening Standards

• SL.K.2a California-only sub-standard: understand and follow one- and two-step spoken directions. CA only (to be re-checked)

Reading: Literature (RL) 10 standards

• Key Ideas and Details
  • RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
  • RL.K.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.
  • RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.
• Craft and Structure
  • RL.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.
  • RL.K.5 Recognize common types of texts (e.g., storybooks, poems).
  • RL.K.6 With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.
• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
  • RL.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).
  • RL.K.8 (RL.K.8 not applicable to literature)
  • RL.K.9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.
• Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
  • RL.K.10 Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.

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Reading: Informational Text (RI) 10 standards

• Key Ideas and Details
  • RI.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
  • RI.K.2 With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
  • RI.K.3 With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
• Craft and Structure
  • RI.K.4 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.
  • RI.K.5 Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book.
  • RI.K.6 Name the author and illustrator of a text and define the role of each in presenting the ideas or information in a text.
• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
  • RI.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g., what person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts).
  • RI.K.8 With prompting and support, identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.
  • RI.K.9 With prompting and support, identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).
• Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
  • RI.K.10 Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.

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Reading: Foundational Skills (RF) 4 standards

• Print Concepts
  • RF.K.1 Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.
    • RF.K.1.a Follow words from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page.
    • RF.K.1.b Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters.
    • RF.K.1.c Understand that words are separated by spaces in print.
    • RF.K.1.d Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
• Phonological Awareness
  • RF.K.2 Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
    • RF.K.2.a Recognize and produce rhyming words.
    • RF.K.2.b Count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words.
    • RF.K.2.c Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words.
    • RF.K.2.d Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in three-phoneme (consonant-vowel-consonant, or CVC) words.¹ (This does not include CVCs ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/.)Note: Words, syllables, or phonemes written in /slashes/refer to their pronunciations or phonology. Thus,/CVC/ is a word with three phonemes regardless of the number of letters in the spelling of the word.
    • RF.K.2.e Add or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in simple, one-syllable words to make new words.
• Phonics and Word Recognition
  • RF.K.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
    • RF.K.3.a Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.
    • RF.K.3.b Associate the long and short sounds with the common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
    • RF.K.3.c Read common high-frequency words by sight (e.g., the, of, to, you, she, my, is, are, do, does).
    • RF.K.3.d Distinguish between similarly spelled words by identifying the sounds of the letters that differ.
• Fluency
  • RF.K.4 Read emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding.

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Writing (W) 10 standards

• Text Types and Purposes
  • W.K.1 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is…).
  • W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.
  • W.K.3 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.
• Production and Distribution of Writing
  • W.K.4 (W.K.4 begins in grade 3)
  • W.K.5 With guidance and support from adults, respond to questions and suggestions from peers and add details to strengthen writing as needed.
  • W.K.6 With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
• Research to Build and Present Knowledge
  • W.K.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books by a favorite author and express opinions about them).
  • W.K.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
  • W.K.9 (W.K.9 begins in grade 4)
• Range of Writing
  • W.K.10 (W.K.10 begins in grade 3)

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Speaking & Listening (SL) 6 standards

• Comprehension and Collaboration
  • SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
    • SL.K.1.a Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion).
    • SL.K.1.b Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.
  • SL.K.2 Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood.
  • SL.K.3 Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood.
• Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
  • SL.K.4 Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.
  • SL.K.5 Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.
  • SL.K.6 Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

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Language (L) 6 standards

• Conventions of Standard English
  • L.K.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
    • L.K.1.a Print many upper- and lowercase letters.
    • L.K.1.b Use frequently occurring nouns and verbs.
    • L.K.1.c Form regular plural nouns orally by adding /s/ or /es/ (e.g., dog, dogs; wish, wishes).
    • L.K.1.d Understand and use question words (interrogatives) (e.g., who, what, where, when, why, how).
    • L.K.1.e Use the most frequently occurring prepositions (e.g., to, from, in, out, on, off, for, of, by, with).
    • L.K.1.f Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.
  • L.K.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
    • L.K.2.a Capitalize the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I
    • L.K.2.b Recognize and name end punctuation.
    • L.K.2.c Write a letter or letters for most consonant and short-vowel sounds (phonemes).
    • L.K.2.d Spell simple words phonetically, drawing on knowledge of sound-letter relationships.
• Knowledge of Language
  • L.K.3 (L.K.3 begins in grade 2)
• Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
  • L.K.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on kindergarten reading and content.
    • L.K.4.a Identify new meanings for familiar words and apply them accurately (e.g., knowing duck is a bird and learning the verb to duck).
    • L.K.4.b Use the most frequently occurring inflections and affixes (e.g., -ed, -s, re-, un-, pre-, -ful, -less) as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word.
  • L.K.5 With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
    • L.K.5.a Sort common objects into categories (e.g., shapes, foods) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.
    • L.K.5.b Demonstrate understanding of frequently occurring verbs and adjectives by relating them to their opposites (antonyms).
    • L.K.5.c Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., note places at school that are colorful).
    • L.K.5.d Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs describing the same general action (e.g., walk, march, strut, prance) by acting out the meanings.
  • L.K.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.

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