Pennsylvania Standards
Pennsylvania Kindergarten ELA Standards
All 54 Pennsylvania English language arts standards for kindergarten, each explained in plain English. The official wording is in Pennsylvania Department of Education's document, linked at the end of this page.
54 standards
Foundational Skills
5 standardsCC.1.1.K.A
Handle a book the right way, like holding it upright, opening it from the front and turning the pages one at a time.
CC.1.1.K.B
Follow print left to right and top to bottom, know that letters in order make a word with spaces between words, and name every upper and lowercase letter.
CC.1.1.K.C
Hear and make rhymes, clap syllables, say the first, middle and last sounds in a short word like cat, and swap a sound to make a new word, like cat to hat.
CC.1.1.K.D
Say the main sound of each consonant, know the long and short sounds of a, e, i, o and u, and read common sight words like the, of and you.
CC.1.1.K.E
Read simple beginning-reader books with a reason in mind and make sense of what the words say, like a short patterned book about colors.
Reading Informational Text
11 standardsCC.1.2.K.A
With an adult’s help, tell what a nonfiction text is mostly about and retell the important details from it.
CC.1.2.K.B
With help, answer questions about the important facts in a nonfiction book, like what a baby turtle eats.
CC.1.2.K.C
With help, tell how two people, events, ideas or facts in a nonfiction text are linked, like how rain helps a seed sprout.
CC.1.2.K.E
Point out a book’s title and author, and find where a text begins, where it ends and the details in between.
CC.1.2.K.F
With help, ask what an unfamiliar word in an informational book means and answer questions about words in it.
CC.1.2.K.G
Answer questions about how the pictures in a nonfiction book match the words on the page, like which photo shows the part being read.
CC.1.2.K.H
With help, find the reasons an author gives for a point, like why a book says dogs make good pets.
CC.1.2.K.I
With help, tell a few ways two books on the same topic, like two about frogs, are alike and different, whether they read them or hear them read aloud.
CC.1.2.K.J
Use new words picked up from conversations, from books and from being read to when talking and responding to stories.
CC.1.2.K.K
Figure out new words and words with more than one meaning, like bat, in kindergarten nonfiction books and lessons.
CC.1.2.K.L
Join in when the class reads a story together, listening, answering and following along.
Reading Literature
11 standardsCC.1.3.K.A
With help, retell a familiar story, like The Three Little Pigs, keeping the important parts in.
CC.1.3.K.B
Answer questions about the important details in a story, like who the characters are and what happened to them.
CC.1.3.K.C
With help, say who is in a story, where it takes place and the big things that happen in it.
CC.1.3.K.D
Name who wrote a story and who drew its pictures, and explain the job each person did to tell it.
CC.1.3.K.E
Recognize familiar kinds of texts, like storybooks, poems and nursery rhymes.
CC.1.3.K.F
Notice a new word in a story and ask what it means, or answer when someone asks about one.
CC.1.3.K.G
Link a story’s pictures to its words, whether reading it or hearing it read aloud, like spotting the scene a page describes.
CC.1.3.K.H
Tell how the adventures of characters in familiar tales are alike and different, like what happens to Goldilocks and to Little Red Riding Hood.
CC.1.3.K.I
Work out what unfamiliar words in kindergarten stories mean, including words with two meanings, like a dog’s bark and a tree’s bark.
CC.1.3.K.J
Use new words picked up from conversations, from books and from being read to when talking and responding to stories.
CC.1.3.K.K
Join in when the class reads a story together, listening, answering and following along.
Writing
21 standardsCC.1.4.K.A
Draw, tell an adult what to write, and write to share facts about a topic, like a page explaining what a pet needs.
CC.1.4.K.B
Stick to one topic in an informative piece made by drawing, dictating and writing, like a page only about fire trucks.
CC.1.4.K.C
With help, think of ideas and details that share facts about their topic, like what bees eat and where they live.
CC.1.4.K.D
Make the picture and the words of an informative piece match, so the drawing shows what the sentence tells.
CC.1.4.K.E
With help, add details to drawings and use describing words when dictating or writing, like a tall red barn.
CC.1.4.K.F
In informative writing, capitalize the first word of a sentence and the word I, use end marks like periods, and spell simple words by sound.
CC.1.4.K.G
Draw, dictate and write to tell what they think about something familiar, like their favorite snack or game.
CC.1.4.K.H
Pick one of two choices offered, like cats or dogs, and state which one they like better.
CC.1.4.K.I
Give reasons for their opinion, like saying dogs are best because they play fetch.
CC.1.4.K.J
Make the drawing in an opinion piece match the words, so the picture backs up what they think.
CC.1.4.K.L
In opinion writing, capitalize sentence starts and the word I, put a period or other end mark after each sentence, and sound out simple spellings.
CC.1.4.K.M
Draw, dictate and write to tell a story about something that really happened or something made up, like a trip to the park.
CC.1.4.K.N
Make clear who a story is about and what happens in it, like my brother and the day he lost his tooth.
CC.1.4.K.O
Describe the things that happen in a story they tell, like what they saw and did at the beach.
CC.1.4.K.P
Tell about one event or a few related ones in the order they happened, and say how they felt about it, like I was so happy.
CC.1.4.K.R
When writing a story, capitalize the first word of each sentence and the word I, add end punctuation, and spell simple words the way they sound.
CC.1.4.K.T
With help from adults and classmates, answer classmates’ questions and ideas about their writing and add details to make it stronger.
CC.1.4.K.U
With help, try out different digital tools, like a tablet drawing app, to create and share writing on their own or with classmates.
CC.1.4.K.V
Take part in research on a topic they care about, alone or with the class, like finding out what penguins eat.
CC.1.4.K.W
With help, remember what they have seen or done, or find facts in books the teacher gives, to answer a question.
CC.1.4.K.X
Write often in short sessions, like a quick journal page with a drawing and a sentence each day.
Speaking and Listening
6 standardsCC.1.5.K.A
Take part in group talks with classmates and adults, both in small groups and with the whole class, like a morning meeting.
CC.1.5.K.B
Ask and answer questions about the key details of a read-aloud, a talk or a video, like what the main character wanted.
CC.1.5.K.C
Ask a question to get help, find something out or clear up something confusing, and answer questions from others.
CC.1.5.K.D
Tell stories and talk about things they know and like, speaking clearly and loudly enough for everyone listening to understand.
CC.1.5.K.E
Speak loudly enough to be heard and say thoughts, feelings and ideas so that others understand.
CC.1.5.K.G
Use correct kindergarten grammar when speaking, like saying two dogs, not two dog, and forming clear questions.
The official Pennsylvania documents
- Pennsylvania Core Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics · adopted February 2014 · since March 2014
The plain-English lines on this page are EMStudio's own explanations of Pennsylvania's standards, not the official wording, which Pennsylvania Department of Education publishes in the documents above. Codes and strand names identify each standard.