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

Reading starts with knowing how a book works. Students learn that print moves left to right, that spaces separate words, and that letters form words on a page.

Students point to a single word on a page, learning that words are separate chunks of print with space on both sides.

Reading letters in order spells out a word, and that word matches a sound students already say out loud. Students learn that every spoken word has a written version built from letters in a specific order.

Reading means following the words on the page, not the pictures. Students learn that the printed letters and words carry the story or message.

Students learn to read across a page from left to right, then jump back to the start of the next line. It's the same path their eyes follow every time they read a book.

Students learn that English text starts at the top left of the page and moves right, line by line, then continues on the next page. It is the basic path their eyes follow every time they read.

Words on a page have spaces between them. Students learn to point to each word as they read, recognizing that the white space tells them where one word ends and the next begins.

A sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a period, question mark, or exclamation point. Students learn to spot where a sentence begins and ends on the page.

Students name every letter of the alphabet, both the capital and the lowercase version of each one.

Students listen to spoken words and learn how they break apart into smaller pieces, like syllables and individual sounds. This is the ear-training that makes reading and spelling possible.

Students listen to pairs of words and decide whether they rhyme, then come up with their own rhyming words. Think "cat and hat" or "dog and log."

Students clap out the parts of spoken words, then put those parts back together or take them apart. This is the first step toward connecting sounds to letters.

Students break a spoken word into its starting sound and the rest of the word, then blend those two parts back together. For example, they hear "c" and "at" and put them together to say "cat."

Students pick out the first sound, middle vowel, and last sound in short three-letter words like "cat" or "sit," then say the whole word back.

Students swap, add, or drop a single sound in a short word to build a new one. Change the first sound in "cat" and it becomes "bat." Change the last and it becomes "can."

Students use letter sounds they know to sound out and read unfamiliar words. This is the building block of learning to read.

Students learn that each consonant letter makes a specific sound, then practice saying that sound out loud. This is the foundation of reading: knowing that "b" says /b/, "m" says /m/, and so on.

Students learn that each vowel (a, e, i, o, u) makes two sounds: a short sound like the "a" in "cat" and a long sound like the "a" in "cake." Knowing both sounds helps students figure out how to read new words.

Students recognize short everyday words like "the," "she," and "are" on sight, without sounding them out. These words show up so often in books that reading them quickly helps everything else click into place.

Students look at two short words that are almost identical, like "cat" and "cut," and pinpoint which letter sounds different. This builds the habit of reading each letter carefully instead of guessing from shape alone.

Students are not yet tested on reading complexity at this grade. In kindergarten, the focus is on learning letters, sounds, and simple words.

Students listen to several books or passages on the same topic, building up what they know and the words they can use to talk about it.

Students listen to a story or passage read aloud, then answer questions about what happened and who was in it. They also ask their own questions when something is unclear.

Students read simple books, rhymes, and songs out loud, working toward reading the words smoothly and understanding what they mean.

Students listen to a story read aloud and point to or talk about specific parts that show they understood it. A teacher or adult helps them find their evidence.

Students listen to a story, poem, or nursery rhyme and then tell back what happened in their own words.

Students listen to a story and explain how the characters, the place, and what happens are connected. For example, they might describe why a character had to do something because of where they were or what happened first.

Students learn which part of a book is the front cover, which is the back cover, and where to find the title page inside.

Authors write the words in a book; illustrators draw the pictures. Students learn what each person's job is and how both work together to tell the story.

Students listen to two stories and talk about how the characters' adventures are alike and how they are different. It's the same skill adults use when saying "that reminds me of another story."

Students listen to a nonfiction book read aloud and point to or talk about details from the text that support what they think. A teacher or adult helps them find the right part of the book.

Students listen to a nonfiction book read aloud, then say back the most important details in their own words.

Students listen to a nonfiction book read aloud and explain how two people, events, or ideas are connected. For example, they might explain how rain leads to puddles or how one person taught another.

Students learn which part of a book is the front cover, which is the back cover, and where to find the title page inside a nonfiction book.

Students listen to a nonfiction book read aloud and point out the reasons the author gives to back up a main idea. It's an early look at why writers don't just state facts but explain why those facts matter.

Students listen to two books or passages on the same topic and say what is the same and what is different between them.

Students figure out what unfamiliar words mean using the words and pictures around them. This skill covers words that show up in stories, classroom conversations, and everyday topics.

Students stop at words they don't know and ask what they mean. Reading a story together, students learn to figure out unfamiliar words by asking questions about them.

Students learn that one word can do more than one job. "Roll" can be something you do and something you eat.

Students learn that words can be related to each other and that small differences in meaning matter. A teacher helps them notice, for example, how "big," "huge," and "gigantic" all mean large but not in the same way.

Students sort everyday objects or pictures into groups, like putting fruits together or separating big things from small ones. Sorting builds the idea that words belong to categories.

Students learn pairs of words that mean the same thing (like "big" and "large") and pairs that mean the opposite (like "fast" and "slow"). This builds a stronger word bank for reading and writing.

Students learn that words like walk, march, strut, and prance all describe moving on foot but feel different. Choosing the right word helps a sentence say exactly what is happening.

Students connect a word to something real in their life. If they learn the word "cozy," they think of a spot at home where that word fits.

Students practice using new words they pick up from books, conversations, and read-alouds. A teacher or adult helps them find the right word when they need it.

This standard is not taught in kindergarten. Formal research skills start in first grade.

Students listen to several books or passages that circle around the same big idea, like weather, animals, or community helpers. Hearing ideas across multiple texts helps them build real knowledge about how the world works.

Students practice writing or speaking their ideas often, covering many different topics and reasons to write, from sharing an opinion to telling what they know.

Students write every letter of the alphabet, both capital and lowercase, moving left to right across the page with spaces between letters.

Formal keyboarding practice starts in third grade. In kindergarten, students focus on holding a pencil and forming letters by hand.

Kindergartners take turns talking and listening in a group conversation, following simple rules like raising a hand or waiting to speak. Each student listens to what others say before adding their own thoughts.

Students listen to a story or lesson read aloud, then ask or answer questions about what they heard. A teacher or adult helps them do it.

Students learn to raise their hand and ask a question when they need help or don't understand something, then listen to the answer. It's one of the first habits that makes classroom learning work.

Students describe a person, place, or thing they know using words a listener can picture. A teacher or adult helps them find the right details.

Digital communications are not part of the kindergarten curriculum. This standard is introduced in third grade.

Students learn to use correct words and sentences when they write or talk. This includes basics like naming things, describing actions, and putting words in the right order.

Students practice saying the plural form of everyday words out loud: one cat, two cats; one box, two boxes. They learn that adding an "s" or "es" sound usually turns one thing into many.

Students practice asking questions in full sentences using words like who, what, where, when, why, and how. "Where is my backpack?" counts. "When" does too.

Students practice small connecting words like "in," "on," "by," and "with" that show where things are or how they relate. These words show up in almost every sentence.

Students practice building complete sentences out loud with the class, then stretch those sentences by adding more detail.

Students learn that sentences end with a period, question mark, or exclamation point. They practice spotting these marks in books and naming which one they see.

Students write words by matching letters to the sounds they hear. If "cat" sounds like k-a-t, they write those letters down.