Kindergarten Readers and Writers

In Kindergarten, students transition from oral to written literacy. They demonstrate their understanding of the features of print as they learn to track print and develop a sense of letters, words, and sentences. Students develop their phonological awareness skills through activities such as rhyming, counting syllables, and isolating beginning sounds. Students connect letters with their corresponding sounds as well as develop other grade level phonics skills. They develop comprehension strategies that enable them to read grade-level texts, including both story books and informational texts, with purpose and understanding. Students identify characters, setting, and major events in stories as well as retell details in informational books. Students write sentences and stories using their letter sound knowledge to spell phonetically. As writers, they focus their writing on one specific topic, use descriptive words and create illustrations rich with details. Students write stories in which they describe experiences and events or form an opinion as they choose between two topics. They use grade appropriate conventions in their writing such as capital letters and end punctuation. Kindergarten students participate in collaborative conversations with peers and adults in small and larger groups, sharing stories, familiar experiences, and interests. Students ask and answer questions in order to seek help, gain information, or clarify something that is not understood.