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Tennessee Standards

Tennessee Kindergarten ELA Standards

All 43 Tennessee English language arts standards for kindergarten, each explained in plain English. The official wording is one click away under each one.

43 standards

Foundational Literacy: Print Concepts

1 standard
Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.
K.FL.PC.1
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.
Official wording
Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.aFollow words from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page.bRecognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters.cUnderstand that words are separated by spaces in print; demonstrate one-to-one correspondence between voice and print.dRecognize and name all upper and lowercase letters of the alphabet in isolation and in connected text.eDistinguish between pictures and words.
Common Core RF.K.1

Foundational Literacy: Phonological Awareness

1 standard
Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
K.FL.PA.2
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.
Official wording
Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).aRecognize and begin to produce rhyming words.bCount, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words.cBlend and segment onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words.dIsolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in two- and three-phoneme (VC or CVC) words, excluding CVC words ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/.eAdd or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in simple, one-syllable words to make new words.
Common Core RF.K.2

Foundational Literacy: Phonics and Word Recognition

1 standard
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when decoding isolated words and in connected text.
K.FL.PWR.3
Say the main sound for each consonant, link vowels to their long and short sounds, read sight words, and sound out words like cat, spotting letters that differ.
Official wording
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when decoding isolated words and in connected text.aDemonstrate knowledge of one-to-one letter sound correspondence by producing the most frequent sound for each consonant.bAssociate the long and short phonemes with common spellings for the five major vowels.cRead common high-frequency words by sight.dDecode regularly spelled CVC words.eDistinguish between similarly spelled words by identifying the letters that differ.

Foundational Literacy: Word Composition

1 standard
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when encoding words; write legibly.
K.FL.WC.4
Print upper and lowercase letters from memory and spell simple words by their sounds, like rop for rope, cat, or go, plus a few common words like the and and.
Official wording
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when encoding words; write legibly.aWrite uppercase and lowercase manuscript letters from memory.bWrite a letter/letters for most consonant and short vowel sounds (phonemes).cRepresent phonemes first to last in simple words using letters (graphemes) such as rop for rope.dSpell VC (at, in) and CVC (pet, mud) words with short vowels; spell V (a, I) and CV (be, go) words with long vowels.eIdentify the letters used to represent vowel phonemes and those used to represent consonants; know that every syllable has a vowel.fWrite some common, frequently used words (am, and, like, the).gPrint many upper and lowercase letters.

Foundational Literacy: Fluency

1 standard
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
K.FL.F.5
Read 1st-grade books aloud smoothly and accurately with expression, understand them, and reread when a word or sentence does not make sense.
Official wording
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.aRead emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding.
Common Core RF.1.4

Foundational Literacy: Sentence Composition

1 standard
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when speaking and conventions of standard English grammar and usage, including capitalization and punctuation, when writing.
K.FL.SC.6
Speak in complete sentences with plurals, question words, and prepositions, and with adult help write a sentence that starts with a capital and ends with a mark.
Official wording
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when speaking and conventions of standard English grammar and usage, including capitalization and punctuation, when writing with adult support.aWith modeling or verbal prompts, orally produce complete sentences.bFollow one-to-one correspondence between voice and print when writing a sentence.cUse frequently occurring nouns and verbs when speaking and in shared language activities.dForm regular plural nouns when speaking and in shared language activities.eUnderstand and use question words (interrogatives) when speaking and in shared language activities.fUse the most frequently occurring prepositions when speaking and in shared language activities.gProduce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.hCapitalize the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I.iRecognize and name end punctuation.

Foundational Literacy: Vocabulary Acquisition

3 standards
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
K.FL.VA.7a
Figure out unfamiliar words and new meanings of known words, like a bat that flies, using endings such as -s and -ing as clues.
Official wording
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on Kindergarten conversations, reading, and content.iIdentify new meanings for familiar words and apply them accurately.iiUse the most frequently occurring inflections and affixes as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word.
K.FL.VA.7b
With an adult's help, sort objects into groups, pair words with their opposites, link words to real life, and act out the difference between walk, march and strut.
Official wording
With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings.iSort common objects into categories to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.iiDemonstrate understanding of frequently occurring verbs and adjectives by relating them to their opposites.iiiMake real-life connections between words and their use.ivDistinguish shades of meaning among verbs describing the same general action.
Common Core L.K.5
K.FL.VA.7c
Use new words picked up from conversations, from books and from being read to when talking and responding to stories.
Official wording
Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.
Common Core L.K.6

Reading: Key Ideas and Details

6 standards
Read closely to determine what a text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
K.RL.KID.1
With help, ask and answer questions about the important parts of a story, like who is in it and what happens.
Official wording
With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Common Core RL.K.1
K.RI.KID.1
With help, ask and answer questions about the important parts of a story, like who is in it and what happens.
Official wording
With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Common Core RL.K.1
Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
K.RL.KID.2
Retell a familiar story out loud with help, including its important details, like what each of the three pigs built.
Official wording
With prompting and support, orally retell familiar stories, including key details.
K.RI.KID.2
With help, tell out loud what a text is mostly about and retell its important facts.
Official wording
With prompting and support, orally identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
K.RL.KID.3
With help, name the characters, the setting, and the big events of a story out loud.
Official wording
With prompting and support, orally identify characters, setting, and major events in a story.
K.RI.KID.3
With help, tell out loud how two people, events, or ideas in a text are linked, like how rain helps plants grow.
Official wording
With prompting and support, orally identify the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.

Reading: Craft and Structure

6 standards
Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
K.RL.CS.4
With help, ask and answer questions about words in a story that they do not know yet.
Official wording
With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in text.
K.RI.CS.4
With help, figure out what words and phrases mean in a kindergarten science or social studies text.
Official wording
With prompting and support, determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a Kindergarten topic or subject area.
Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of a text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
K.RL.CS.5
Tell common kinds of text apart, like storybooks, poems, and books of facts.
Official wording
Recognize common types of texts.
K.RI.CS.5
Know the common parts of a nonfiction book, like the title, photos, labels, and table of contents.
Official wording
Know various text features.
Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
K.RL.CS.6
With help, explain what an author does and what an illustrator does to tell a story.
Official wording
With prompting and support, define the role of authors and illustrators in the telling of a story.
K.RI.CS.6
With help, explain how the author's words and the illustrator's pictures each share information in a nonfiction book.
Official wording
With prompting and support, define the role of an author and illustrator in presenting the ideas or information in a text.

Reading: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

5 standards
Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
K.RL.IKI.7
With help, tell out loud how the pictures in a story connect to what is happening, like a picture showing how a character feels.
Official wording
With prompting and support, orally describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear.
K.RI.IKI.7
With help, tell out loud how pictures in a nonfiction text connect to its words, like a photo of a frog beside facts about frogs.
Official wording
With prompting and support, orally describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear.
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
K.RI.IKI.8
With help, find the reasons an author gives to back up a point in a text.
Official wording
With prompting and support, identify the reasons an author provides to support points in a text.
Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches an author takes.
K.RL.IKI.9
With help, talk about how the adventures of characters in familiar stories are alike and different.
Official wording
With prompting and support, orally compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.
K.RI.IKI.9
With help, tell out loud the basic ways two texts about the same topic are alike and different.
Official wording
With prompting and support, orally identify basic similarities and differences between two texts on the same topic.

Reading: Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

2 standards
Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
K.RL.RRTC.10
Read kindergarten-level stories and poems with help from an adult.
Official wording
With prompting and support, read stories and poems of appropriate complexity for Kindergarten.
K.RI.RRTC.10
Read kindergarten-level nonfiction with help from an adult, like simple books about animals.
Official wording
With prompting and support, read informational texts of appropriate complexity for Kindergarten.

Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration

3 standards
Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with varied partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing one’s own ideas clearly and persuasively.
K.SL.CC.1
Join in conversations about kindergarten topics with classmates and adults, in small groups or with the whole class.
Official wording
Participate with varied peers and adults in collaborative conversations in small or large groups about appropriate Kindergarten topics.
Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media formats, such as visual, quantitative, and oral formats.
K.SL.CC.2
Show understanding of a read-aloud, a talk or a video by asking and answering questions about it and asking when something is confusing.
Official wording
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.
Common Core SL.K.2
Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
K.SL.CC.3
Ask a question to get help, find something out or clear up something confusing, and answer questions from others.
Official wording
Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood.
Common Core SL.K.3

Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

3 standards
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning; the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
K.SL.PKI.4
Describe a familiar person, place, thing or event, like a pet or a birthday, and add more detail when prompted.
Official wording
Describe familiar people, places, things, and events, and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.
Common Core SL.K.4
Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
K.SL.PKI.5
Add drawings or other pictures to a description when they want to show more detail.
Official wording
Add drawings or other visual displays of descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.
Adapt speech to a variety of contents and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
K.SL.PKI.6
With help, share thoughts, feelings, and ideas out loud.
Official wording
With guidance and support, express thoughts, feelings, and ideas through speaking.

Writing: Text Types and Protocol

3 standards
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
K.W.TTP.1
With help, draw, dictate, or write to give an opinion about a topic or book, like a favorite animal.
Official wording
With prompting and support, use a combination of drawing, dictating, and/or writing to compose opinion pieces.
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
K.W.TTP.2
With help, draw, dictate, or write to name a topic and share some facts about it.
Official wording
With prompting and support, use a combination of drawing, dictating, and/or writing to compose informative/explanatory texts.
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
K.W.TTP.3
With help, draw, dictate, or write to tell about one event, like a trip to the park.
Official wording
With prompting and support, use a combination of drawing, dictating, and/or writing to narrate a single event.

Writing: Production and Distribution of Writing

3 standards
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
K.W.PDW.4
With adult help, write clearly so the ideas and their order fit the task, the reason for writing, and the reader.
Official wording
With guidance and support, produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
K.W.PDW.5
With adult help, listen to questions and ideas from others about a piece of writing and add details that make it better.
Official wording
With guidance and support from adults, respond to questions and suggestions from others and add details to strengthen writing as needed.
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
K.W.PDW.6
With adult help and alongside classmates, try out different digital tools to create and share writing.
Official wording
With guidance and support from adults, and in collaboration with peers, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and share writing.

Writing: Research to Build and Present Knowledge

2 standards
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focus questions, demonstrating new understanding of the subject under investigation.
K.W.RBPK.7
Join in group research and writing projects, like exploring several books by one author and saying which they liked best.
Official wording
Participate in shared research and writing projects, such as reading a number of books by a favorite author and expressing opinions about them.
Integrate relevant and credible information from multiple print and digital sources while avoiding plagiarism.
K.W.RBPK.8
With an adult's help, answer a question by remembering something that happened or by looking in books the teacher provides.
Official wording
With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
Common Core W.K.8

Writing: Range of Writing

1 standard
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
K.W.RW.10
With adult help, write often to build writing fluency and the stamina to keep going longer.
Official wording
With guidance and support from adults, engage routinely in writing activities to promote writing fluency and build writing stamina.

The official Tennessee documents

Tennessee Academic Standards for English Language Arts, Tennessee Department of Education, tn.gov/education.

Common Core State Standards © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

The plain-English lines are EMStudio's own explanations, shown beside the official wording. They are not part of the standards.