What does a student learn in StateConnecticut,GradeKindergarten,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students answer questions about a story by pointing to or talking about a specific part of the text that shows the answer.

Students retell what a story is mostly about and name the details that show it. They explain how those details fit together to support the big idea.

Students name a character or event in a story and talk about what happens to it. They notice how one thing leads to another as the story moves forward.

Students learn what unfamiliar words mean by looking at the words and pictures around them in a story. They notice how the words an author picks change the feeling of a sentence.

Students notice how a story is put together: how one sentence leads to the next, and how the beginning, middle, and end work as a whole.

Students figure out who is telling a story and notice how that shapes what happens and what details get included. A narrator who loves adventure tells the same events very differently than one who is scared.

Students look at pictures, listen to stories, and talk about how the words and images go together to tell the same story.

Kindergartners listen to a story or book and decide whether the author's reasons make sense. They point to specific parts of the text that support or weaken what the author is trying to say.

Two books can tell stories about the same idea in different ways. Students listen to two stories on the same topic and talk about what is alike and what is different between them.

Students listen to and talk about stories and books that are a little challenging. Doing this regularly builds the habit of sticking with harder books as they grow.

Students answer questions about a nonfiction book or passage using details they actually read. They point to or say exactly where in the text they found their answer.

Students find the main idea of a short nonfiction book or article and point to the details that back it up.

Students look at a short nonfiction book and explain how one thing (a person, an animal, or an event) connects to another. They say what happened and why it matters.

Students learn what unfamiliar words mean by looking at the words and pictures around them in a nonfiction book. Simple context clues help them figure out meaning without stopping to ask for help.

Students notice how a nonfiction book is put together. They see how one sentence connects to the next and how each part helps explain the whole topic.

Students notice who wrote a book and why. That reason shapes what the author chose to say and how they said it.

Students look at a photo, drawing, or chart in a nonfiction book and explain what it shows. They connect what they see in the picture to what the words on the page say.

Students listen to a simple nonfiction book and decide whether the author's reason for an idea actually makes sense. They ask: does that proof fit the point?

Two books can cover the same topic in different ways. Students look at two books on the same subject and notice what each one teaches, and how the authors chose to explain it.

Kindergartners listen to and talk about nonfiction books on their own, building the habit of reading real-world texts. This standard tracks how well students handle books that get harder over time.

Students learn that words on a page are read left to right and top to bottom, that spaces separate words, and that each group of letters between spaces is a word.

Students learn to hear how spoken words are built from smaller pieces. They practice breaking words into syllables, identifying starting and ending sounds, and recognizing when two words rhyme.

Students use letter-sound patterns they've learned to figure out unfamiliar words. This is the foundation of learning to read.

Students read simple words and short sentences out loud clearly enough to understand what they just read. Accuracy and speed build together so reading starts to feel natural.

Kindergartners share an opinion about a topic or a book and give at least one reason that backs it up. The writing shows what they think and why.

Students pick a topic they know and write sentences that share real facts about it. The goal is to stay on topic and give readers information they can actually use.

Students write short stories about something that happened to them or something they made up. They put the events in order and add details that help readers picture what's going on.

Students write sentences that fit the job: a story sounds like a story, a thank-you note sounds friendly, and a list of facts stays simple and clear.

Students learn that writing isn't finished after the first try. They practice going back to what they wrote, fixing words or ideas, and trying again until it says what they mean.

Students type words or sentences on a computer or tablet and share their writing with the class or another person. This standard introduces keyboards, basic publishing tools, and simple ways to write with others.

Students pick a simple question, like why butterflies change or where rain comes from, and find out the answer. They draw, dictate, or write what they learned.

Students find facts from books and websites, check that the sources seem trustworthy, and put the information into their own words.

Students point to a picture, word, or sentence from a book to back up what they think or noticed. This starts the habit of using what they read as proof.

Students write often, both in quick bursts and over several days, for different reasons and different readers. Practice across many tasks builds the habit of putting ideas on paper.

Kindergartners take turns talking and listening in group conversations. They respond to what a classmate says instead of just waiting to speak, and share their own ideas clearly.

A teacher reads aloud or shows a picture, video, or chart, and students talk about what they learned from it. This standard is about understanding information that comes through eyes and ears, not just from a book.

Students listen to someone speak and decide whether their reasons make sense and whether the evidence they use backs up what they're saying.

Students share ideas out loud in a way that makes sense to whoever is listening. They pick words and details that fit the moment, whether they're telling a story, explaining something, or answering a question.

Students use pictures, drawings, or simple slides to help explain what they are sharing with the class. Visuals make the idea easier for others to follow.

Students practice switching between everyday talk and more formal speech, like using complete sentences with a teacher instead of playground shorthand with friends.

Students learn the basic rules of spoken and written English, like using the right word order in a sentence and choosing words that make sense together.

Students learn when to use a capital letter, where to put a period, and how to spell simple words as they write.

Students learn that the same idea can be said in different ways depending on who's listening. They practice choosing words that fit the moment, whether they're talking, writing, or following along with a story.

When students come across a word they don't know, they look for clues in the surrounding sentence, break the word into parts they recognize, or check a dictionary or glossary.

Words don't always mean exactly what they say. Students learn to notice when language is playful or surprising, like when something is called "icy cold," and start building a feel for how words connect and what makes them different from each other.

Students learn and use everyday words that show up across subjects, like words for describing, comparing, or explaining. Knowing these words helps students read, write, and talk about what they're learning.