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Washington Standards

Washington Kindergarten ELA Standards

All 21 Washington English language arts standards for kindergarten, each explained in plain English. The official wording is one click away under each one.

21 standards

Reading

5 standards
Students read, comprehend, interpret, analyze, and appreciate multimodal texts from a broad range of genres, cultures, and mediums in the context of grade-level content to understand themselves, others, and the world. Genres include fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and a variety of genres beyond these categories. Standards 2, 3, and 4 are prioritized.
ELA.K.R.1
Tell words from pictures, track print left to right and page by page, find a book's cover and title page, and say how pictures add to the words.
Official wording
Students know and apply the basic features of print and how it is organized.aDistinguish pictures from letters and words in a print-rich environment.bFollow a text from top to bottom, left to right, and page by page.cIdentify front and back covers, titles, and the title page of printed books.dTell how the text/visual features represent and/or add to the written text's meaning.
ELA.K.R.2
Clap, blend, and count syllables, pick out first, middle, and last sounds in short words, make rhymes, and swap sounds to build new spoken words.
Official wording
Students demonstrate how sounds, syllables, words, and pauses function in spoken language (phonological awareness).aRecognize, pronounce, separate, blend, and count the syllables in spoken words.bRecognize, isolate, and/or blend initial, medial, and final sounds in CVC words.cBlend and segment onsets and rimes of single syllable spoken words.dRecognize and produce rhyming words.eRecognize and produce words with the same initial sound (alliteration).fAdd and/or substitute individual spoken sounds (phonemes) in simple words to form new words.gIdentify and separate individual words within spoken phrases and sentences.
ELA.K.R.3
Name every letter, match consonants and short vowels to their sounds, sound out words like sit and hop, and read common sight words and simple sentences.
Official wording
Students decode words accurately by applying grade-level phonics and word analysis skills.aRecognize and name all lower- and upper-case letters.bProduce the corresponding sound for each consonant and each short vowel.cProduce the short vowel sounds with common CVC spellings in closed syllables.dDecode simple CVC words using letter sound correspondence (e.g., “bat,” “log”).eRecognize and read common high frequency words (e.g., “me,” “the,” “go,” “is”).fRead simple decodable sentences with emerging fluency.
ELA.K.R.4
Preview a book's title, author, and pictures, guess what will happen, ask and answer questions about characters and events, and retell the story afterward.
Official wording
Students comprehend and interpret texts during shared reading, read aloud, and independent reading, using knowledge of print, language, and text features to make meaning.aPreview the text by noting author, illustrator, title, and images.bUse personal connections to make meaning of the text.cMake and revise predictions before and during a read aloud.dAsk and answer questions about a text’s topic, characters, setting, and/ or major events.eTell how pictures and words help readers understand emotions, characters, actions, places, or information.fRetell familiar stories in their own words and/or say what they learned from a text.
ELA.K.R.5
Share how a book makes them feel or wonder, say what it is about, link it to their own life, and compare characters or settings across two books.
Official wording
Students analyze texts by making connections between texts, authors, readers, and the world.aTell what pictures or words in a text make them think, feel, or wonder.bTell what a story is mostly about and make a personal connection to it.cCompare and/or contrast characters, settings, or key ideas in two or more texts.

Writing

5 standards
Students compose multimodal texts through drawing, visually representing, dictating, and writing in a variety of genres for a range of communicative situations in the context of grade level content. Standards 1 and 3 are prioritized.
ELA.K.W.1
Use drawing, telling, and writing to describe experiences, share what they notice about the world, give an opinion, and tell about one event or a few.
Official wording
Students compose multimodal texts through shared and independent writing activities in a variety of genres for a variety of purposes.aCompose in order to describe experiences, ideas, and imaginings.bCompose in order to inform others about their observations and explanations of the world.cCompose in order to express their opinions and/or preferences.dCompose in order to tell the story of a single event or several loosely connected events.
ELA.K.W.2
Plan a writing project with the class or alone by linking it to their own interests, keeping a reader in mind, and naming the steps to finish.
Official wording
Students plan and complete shared and independent writing projects.aConnect the task to their interests or experiences.bRecognize that writing shares ideas with a reader or listener.cIdentify steps to complete the project or task.
ELA.K.W.3
Pick a topic and ideas, then draft facts about it, an opinion with feelings and reasons, or story events in order, labeling drawings and diagrams.
Official wording
Students draft content, using tools effectively.aIdentify topics and generate ideas.bTell information about a single topic.cTell an opinion and/or preference.dUse language to persuade others with feelings and reasons.eTell story events in order.fAdd labels to drawings and diagrams.
ELA.K.W.5
Talk about their own drawings and writing with classmates or adults, like explaining what a picture shows.
Official wording
Students discuss their writings or drawings with others.
ELA.K.W.6
Share finished drawings and writing with people they know and trust, like reading a story to the class or family.
Official wording
Students share and publish compositions for known and trusted audiences.

Speaking, Listening, and Digital Forums

5 standards
Students engage in and learn from collaborative discussions, presentations, and public speaking for a range of communicative situations in the context of grade-level content. Standard 1 is prioritized.
ELA.K.SLDF.1
Take part in class talks by following discussion rules, answering questions with details, building on what others say, and asking when something is unclear.
Official wording
Students listen, respond respectfully, and contribute during discussions.aIdentify expectations for engaging with and including other participants.bUse words and phrases that describe the people, places, things, events, information, and emotions they are referring to with details.cDraw on experience, observation, and prior learning to answer questions.dConnect statements to others' contributions to propel conversation.eIdentify when clarification is needed for something they did not understand and/or restate what they heard others say.fAnswer questions to clarify something others did not understand.
ELA.K.SLDF.2
Work with a group on a project by knowing the group's rules, doing their part toward the shared goal, and speaking up to help or raise a worry.
Official wording
Students collaborate on projects and tasks.aIdentify expectations, changing them when needed.bContribute towards the shared goal.cCommunicate to support the group and/or deal with concerns.
ELA.K.SLDF.3
Share experiences, ideas, and creative work with others, choosing a topic, deciding what to say, and using pictures or media to make it clearer.
Official wording
Students express experiences, positions, ideas, findings, and creative work.aIdentify topics from the situation, experience, imagination, reading, group research, media, conversations, and/or products from ELA.K.W.1.bDevelop content by considering what they want to communicate within the situation.cUse images and/or multimedia artifacts in presentations to clarify content.
ELA.K.SLDF.4
Show who they are when sharing thoughts and feelings through words or actions, and choose what to tell others and their reason for telling it.
Official wording
Students determine how to present themselves and their ideas in different contexts.aShare their thoughts, feelings, and ideas using words, actions, or other communication that reflects who they are.bDetermine what they want to share and why.
ELA.K.SLDF.5
Speak loud enough to be heard and use gestures and a steady pace so listeners can follow along, like during show and tell.
Official wording
Students use an audible voice, gesture, and pacing to illuminate the content.

Language

5 standards
Students develop command of the English language to speak and write clearly, and to comprehend more fully when reading, listening, or viewing. Standards 2, 3, and 5 are prioritized.
ELA.K.L.1
Notice that people talk differently at school, at home, and with friends, and name words that belong to each place.
Official wording
Students notice when and why language is used differently at school, at home, and with peers.aNotice that people may use different words or ways of speaking in different settings.bIdentify words or phrases used at school, at home, or with peers.
ELA.K.L.2
Speak and write simple complete sentences about their experiences and stretch them with added details, like where or when something happened.
Official wording
Students produce and expand sentences in conversations and writing about experiences, events, and ideas.aProduce simple complete sentences.bExpand sentences by adding details or information.
ELA.K.L.3
Work out new words from pictures, context, and questions, use everyday nouns, verbs, position words, and question words, and say plurals like cats and cups.
Official wording
Students determine the meaning of and use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading, and being read to.aUse context, conversation, visuals, and questions to clarify the meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases.bUnderstand and use high-frequency nouns, verbs, prepositions, and question words.cForm regular plural nouns orally.
ELA.K.L.4
Sort objects into groups to see how words connect, pair common verbs and adjectives with their opposites, and act out small differences like walk and march.
Official wording
Students explore relationships among words and meaning in the context of conversations, reading, and writing about experiences, events, and ideas.aSort common objects into categories to identify connections between words and their meanings.bDemonstrate understanding of frequently occurring verbs and adjectives by relating them to their opposites.cDistinguish and express shades of meaning among verbs with descriptions or movements.
ELA.K.L.5
Print letters neatly with spaces between words, spell words by their sounds, capitalize I and the first word, and end sentences with a period or question mark.
Official wording
Students develop foundational writing skills to record their ideas using letters, words, and sentences.aForm lower- and upper-case letters legibly and write with appropriate spacing.bSpell words using sound-letter correspondences.cCapitalize sentence beginnings and the pronoun I.dUse a period or question mark to end simple sentences.eDevelop automaticity in spelling and handwriting and/or other modalities to support written expression.

Research and Media Literacy

1 standard
Students ask questions, seek answers from a variety of sources, and use or share their learning. Standard 1 is prioritized.
ELA.K.RML.1
Ask questions about a topic, think of where to find answers, including asking people, explore sources the teacher provides, and share what they learn.
Official wording
Students engage in research and inquiry by asking questions and seeking answers from provided information sources, independently and collaboratively.aAsk questions about a provided topic or things that make them curious.bGenerate ideas for where they might find answers to their questions, including talking to people about the topic.cExplore a variety of information sources on a single topic.dIdentify information that answers their questions.eUse and/or share new learning.

The official Washington documents

Washington State Learning Standards for English Language Arts by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction are available under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0).

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.