PreK
Grade-Level Guide
First nine weeks
Core curriculum
Language Arts
Reading
โ Retells or re-enacts a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. (III.D.1)
โ Recognizes that all print carries meaning and serves as a means for communication. (III.A.3)
โ Asks and responds to questions relevant to the text read aloud. (III.D.3)
Writing
โ Intentionally uses marks, letters, or symbols to record language and verbally shares meaning. (IV. A.1)
โ Discusses and contributes ideas for drafts composed in whole/small group writing activities. (IV.B.1)
โ Shares and celebrates class-made and individual written products. (IV.B.3)
Vocabulary
โ Shows understanding by responding appropriately to what has been communicated by adults and peers. (II.A.1)
โ Matches language to social contexts. (II.B.4)
Questions to ask your child at home?
โ What happened in the story we read?
โ Can you show me the picture/words? Do we read the pictures or the words?
โ Can you tell me what word has the sounds /c/-/a/-/t/?
โ Can you tell me about the picture/story you made?
โ What did you talk about with your friends today?
โ What was the best center you played today? What did you like about it?
How can I help my child learn at home?
โ Read to your child every day.
โ Ask your child questions about the stories that you read.
โ Encourage your child to make books at home.
โ Have conversations with your child about their experiences in school and in social activities
โ Encourage your child to read the environmental print they encounter in day-to-day activities
Math
Number
โ Child recognizes numerals 0-3. (V.A.5)
Operations and Algebraic Reasoning
Geometry/Measurement
โ Demonstrates use of position words. (V.C.3)
Data Analysis
Questions to ask your child at home?
โ Let’s see how high you can count.
โ What shapes can we find at the park?
โ Can you put the (broom in the closet, tomatoes on the table, etc.)?
โ Can you give me all of the (red socks, blue socks, etc.)?
How can my child learn at home?
โ Encourage your child to touch each object he/she counts only once.
โ Give your child chores that encourage the use of spatial terms (putting the pillows on the bed or basket under the table).
โ Encourage your child to find and name shapes in the environment (the clock is a circle, the door is a rectangle, etc.).
Second nine weeks
Core curriculum
Language Arts
Reading
โ Uses information learned from books by describing, relating, categorizing, or comparing and contrasting. (III.D.2.)
โ Recognizes and names at least 8 letters (upper-or lower-case letters). (III.C.1.)
โ Holds books right side up and demonstrates understanding of print directionality (e.g., knows where a book starts and ends, turns pages, points to words left to right, top to bottom, with correct sweeping).(III.E.2.)
โ Identifies rhyming words. (III.B.6)
Writing
โ Shares and celebrates class-made and individual written products (IV.B.3)
โ Writes independently to communicate his/her ideas for different purposes (IV.A.2)
โ Progresses from using scribbles and mock letters to forming letters and letter strings as a way to communicate. (IV.C.2)
Vocabulary
โ Engages in conversations in appropriate ways , demonstrating knowledge of verbal and nonverbal conversational rules. II.B.2
โ Begins to write familiar words using letter-sound correspondences, often using letters associated with beginning and/or ending sounds to write words. (IV.C.3)
โ Uses sentences that provide many details, remains on topic, and clearly communicates intended meaning. (II.E.4)
Questions to ask your child at home?
โ Where should we start reading this book? Can you help me point to the words?
โ Can you help me write my grocery list? What should I write for ‘apples’?
โ Can you tell me about the picture/story you wrote?
โ What did you talk about with your teacher today?
โ What was your favorite part of the book?
โ What was the best center you played today? What did you like about it?
How can I help my child learn at home?
โ Ask your child questions about the stories that you read.
โ Encourage your child to make books at home.
โ Have conversations with your child about their experiences in school and in social activities
โ Encourage your child to read the environmental print they encounter in day-to-day activities
Math
Number
โ Counts up 5 items and demonstrates cardinality by communicating that the last number indicates how many items are in the set. (V.A.3)
โ Recognizes numerals 4 - 5(V.A.5)
Operations and Algebraic Reasoning
โ Recognizes patterns (V.E.3)
Geometry/Measurement
โ Recognizes and compares capacity based on how much space exists within an object. (V.D.2)
Data Analysis
Questions to ask your child at home?
โ Can you count for me?
โ What shapes can you use to make a house/ice cream cone/etc.?
โ What patterns can you find?
โ I have two grapes and I’m going to give you one. How many grapes do I have now?
How can my child learn at home?
โ Encourage your child to touch each object he/she counts only once.
โ Provide opportunities for your child to find patterns in nature.
โ Encourage your child to find and name shapes in the environment (the clock is a circle, the door is a rectangle, etc.)
โ Provide playdough for your child to form various numbers.
Third nine weeks
Core curriculum
Language Arts
Reading
โ Produces at least 16 letter sounds in the language of instruction. (III.C.3)
โ Makes inferences and predictions about text. (III.D.4)
โ Recognizes at least 20 distinct letter-sound correspondences, (III.C.2)
โ Makes inferences and predictions about a text. (III.D.4)
โ Can identify some conventional features of print that communicate meaning including end punctuation and case (III.E.3)
โ Identifies alliterative words with pictorial support. (III.B.7)
Writing
โ Writes first name (or nickname) using legible letters in proper sequence. (IV.C.1)
Vocabulary
โ Uses language for multiple purposes (II.B.1)
โ Consistently understands (receptive) and uses (expressive) new vocabulary acquired through books, conversations, and play. (II.D.3)
โ Child uses sentences that combine multiple phrases or ideas. (II.E.3)
Questions to ask your child at home?
โ What letter would I write first to write the word ‘dog’?
โ Why do you think the boy is feeling sad in the story? What do you think will happen in the story when...?
โ (Pointing to period or question mark when reading) What is this? What does it mean?
โ Can you tell me about the picture/story you wrote?
โ Tell me the steps you need to do to get ready for bed?
โ That’s a great picture. Can you sign your name to it?
How can I help my child learn at home?
โ Read to your child every day.
โ Ask your child questions about the stories that you read.
โ Encourage your child to write for different purposes at home (helping you make a grocery list or writing a thank you letter or card to someone.
โ Have conversations with your child about their experiences in school and in social activities
โ Encourage your child to read to you (either by reading the words he/she knows or by telling the story using the pictures)
Math
Number
โ Counts up to 8 items and demonstrates cardinality by communicating that the last number indicates how many items are in the set. (V.A.3)
โ Recognizes numerals 0-8. (V.A.5)
Operations and Algebraic Reasoning
โ Uses objects, pictorial models, and/or a verbal word problem to represent adding up to 5 objects and subtracting objects from a set of 5. (V.B.1, V.B.2)
โ Recognizes, duplicates, extends, and creates patterns. (V.E.3)
Geometry/Measurement
โ Recognizes and compares heights and lengths of people and objects (V.D.1)
Data Analysis
Questions to ask your child at home?
โ How high can you count?
โ Can you make a pattern?
โ Which one is the first one?
โ Who is taller?
How can my child learn at home?
โ Encourage your child to touch each object he/she counts only once.
โ Provide opportunities for your child to create patterns.
โ Encourage your child to identify the first (second, third, fourth, and fifth) of different objects lined up.
โ Have your child create numbers in shaving cream on a paper plate.
Fourth nine weeks
Core curriculum
Language Arts
Reading
โ Produce at least 20 distinct letter-sound correspondences. (III.C.3)
โ Blends and segments one-syllable words by phonemes with visual or gestural support. (III.B.9)
Writing
โ Writes (first name or frequent nickname) using legible letters in the proper sequence. (IV.C.1)
โ Begins to write familiar words using letter-sound correspondences, often using letters associated with beginning and/or ending sounds to write words. (IV.C.3)
โ Shares and celebrates class-made and individual written products (IV.B.3.)
Vocabulary
โ Understands (receptive) and uses (expressive) a wide variety of words to label, describe and make connections among objects, people, places, actions, and events. (II.D.1)
โ Correctly uses regular and irregular plurals, regular past tense, personal and possessive pronouns, and subject-verb agreement (II.E.2)
โ Uses sentences that provide many details, remains on topic, and clearly communicates intended meaning. (II.E.4)
Questions to ask your child?
โ Why do you think the boy is feeling sad in the story? What do you think will happen in the story when...?
โ (Pointing to period or question mark when reading) What is this? What does it mean?
โ Can you tell me about the picture/story you wrote? Can you sign your name on it?
โ What can you tell me about the animals you saw at the zoo?
How can I help my child learn at home?
โ Ask your child questions about the stories that you read.
โ Encourage your child to write for different purposes at home (helping you make a grocery list or writing a thank you letter or card to someone.
โ Have conversations with your child about their experiences in school and in social activities
โ Encourage your child to read to you (either by reading the words he/she knows or by telling the story using the pictures)
Math
Number
โ Instantly recognizes the quantity of up to 6 objects without counting (subitizes). (V.A.4)
โ Counts up to 10 items and demonstrates cardinality by communicating that the last number indicates how many items are in the set. (V.A.3)
โ Recognizes numerals 0 - 10. (V.A.5)
Operations and Algebraic Reasoning
โ Rote counts from 1-30. (V.A.1)
โ Uses objects, pictorial models, and/or a verbal word problem to represent adding up to 5 objects and subtracting objects from a set of 5. (V.B.1, V.B.2)
Geometry/Measurement
โ Creates shapes using materials and/or manipulatives. (V.C.2)
โ Recognizes and compares weights of objects. (V.D.3)
โ Uses language to describe concepts associated with the passing of time within a day. (V.D.4)
Data Analysis
โ Child collects data and organizes it in graphing representation. (V.E.2)
Questions to ask your child?
โ How much do the apples cost? What numbers are there?
โ Can you count and wash the strawberries for me?
โ How high can you count?
โ What did you do this morning? What will you do after dinner?
โ Can you give me some strawberries so that we have the same number?
โ Does an elephant or a dog weigh more?
How can I help my child learn at home?
โ Encourage your child to count different objects in his/her environment.
โ Ask your child about his/her day, focusing on what happened before, after, in the morning, after lunch, etc.
โ Give your child opportunities to share items evenly between multiple people (cookies, toys, etc.)
โ Tell your child a simple addition/subtraction story. Allow them to use beans or marshmallows to solve the problem (I bought 4 apples from the store, but Daddy ate 2. How many apples do I have left?)