PreK
Grade-Level Guide
First nine weeks
Core curriculum
Language Arts
What should my child be working on?
Reading
- Retells or acts out a story after it is read aloud. (III.D.1)
- Recognizes that text has meaning. (III.A.3)
- Asks and answers questions about a text read aloud (III.D.3)
- Using pictures is able to put together a word with three sounds (/c/-/a/-/t/). (III.B.9)
Writing
- Discusses and offers ideas for different writing products that are created in whole/small group writing activities. (IV.B.1)
- Participates and give suggestions to revise (adding, deleting, or changing previously written ideas) and edit (spacing, using capital letters, using punctuation) class-made writings. (IV.B.2)
- Shares and celebrates both class-made and individual written products. (IV.B.3)
Vocabulary
- Understands what is spoken by teachers and peers. (II.A.3)
- Participates in conversations in appropriate ways (listens to others, responds to questions/comments). (II.B.2)
- Attempts to use new vocabulary and grammar when speaking. (II.E.8)
What questions should I ask my child (Reading and Writing)?
- What happened in the story we read?
- Can you show me the picture/words? Do we read the pictures or the words?
- Can you tell me what word has the sounds /c/-/a/-/t/?
- Can you tell me about the picture/story you made?
- What did you talk about with your friends today?
- What was the best center you played today? What did you like about it?
How can I help my child learn at home?
- Read to your child every day.
- Ask your child questions about the stories that you read.
- Encourage your child to make books at home.
- Have conversations with your child about their experiences in school and in social activities
- Encourage your child to read the environmental print they encounter in day-to-day activities
Math
What should my child be working on?
Number
- Counts up to 3 items and, when asked how many, is able to say the total number counted (without recounting). (V.A.5)
- Names one-digit numerals 0-3. (V.A.9)
Operations and Algebraic Reasoning
- Uses words to rote count from 1-5. (V.A.2)
Geometry/Measurement
- Names common shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle, oval). (V.C.1)
- Demonstrates the use of location words (such as: over, under, above, on, beside, next to, between, in front of, near, far, etc.). (V.C.3)
Data Analysis
- Sorts objects that are the same and different into groups and uses language to describe how the groups are similar and different. (V.E.1)
What questions should I ask my child?
- Can you count the potatoes for me? How many are there?
- Let’s see how high you can count.
- What shapes can we find at the park?
- Can you put the (broom in the closet, tomatoes on the table, etc.)?
- Can you give me all of the (red socks, blue socks, etc.)?
How can I help my child learn at home?
- Have your child count for you for different reasons (counting nails to hang a picture or ingredients for a recipe).
- Encourage your child to touch each object he/she counts only once.
- Give your child chores that encourage the use of spatial terms (putting the pillows on the bed or basket under the table).
- 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
What should my child be working on?
Reading
- Produces at least 8 letter sounds in the language of instruction. (III.C.3.)
- Uses information learned from books to describe, relate, categorize, and compare/contrast subject matter within the book. (III.D.2.)
- Names at least 8 upper and at least 8 lower case letters in the language of instruction (III.C.1.)
- Demonstrates understanding of how print is read, such as left to right and top to bottom (III.E.2.)
- Is able to recognize rhyming words (III.B.6)
Writing
- Intentionally uses marks, letters, or symbols to record thoughts and verbally shares the meaning (IV.A.1.)
- Shares and celebrates class-made and individual written products (IV.B.3.)
- Writes independently to communicate his/her ideas for different purposes (IV.A.2)
- Moves from scribble to some letter-sound correspondence using beginning and ending sounds when writing (IV.C.2)
Vocabulary
- Participates in conversations in appropriate ways (listens to others, responds to questions/comments). (II.B.2)
- Uses a variety of different vocabulary words, adding several new words daily. (II.D.4.)
- Demonstrates knowledge of the verbal rules when speaking (II.B.4.)
- Combines sentences that have many details, sticks to the topic, and in which the meaning is clear. (II.E.5.)
What questions should I ask my child (Reading and Writing)?
- What sound does this letter make?
- Where should we start reading this book? Can you help me point to the words?
- Can you help me write my grocery list? What should I write for ‘apples’?
- Can you tell me about the picture/story you wrote?
- What did you talk about with your teacher today?
- What was your favorite part of the book?
- What was the best center you played today? What did you like about it?
How can I help my child learn at home?
- Read to your child every day.
- Ask your child questions about the stories that you read.
- Encourage your child to make books at home.
- Have conversations with your child about their experiences in school and in social activities
- Encourage your child to read the environmental print they encounter in day-to-day activities
Math
What should my child be working on?
Number
- Verbally identifies, without counting, the number of objects from 1 to 3 (V.A.8)
- Counts up to 3 items and demonstrates that the last count indicates how many items were counted. (V.A.5)
- Recognizes one-digit numerals 0-3 (V.A.9)
Operations and Algebraic Reasoning
- Uses words to rote count from 1-10 (V.A.2)
- Uses concrete objects, creates picture representations, and shares a verbal word problem for adding up to 5 objects (V.B.1)
- Recognizes patterns (V.E.3)
Geometry/Measurement
- Names common shapes (V.C.1)
- Recognizes how much of something can be placed within an object (V.D.2)
Data Analysis
- Collects data and organizes it in a graphic representation (graphs, diagrams, charts, etc (V.E.2)
What questions should I ask my child?
- Let’s climb the stairs and see how many there are.
- Can you count for me?
- What shapes can you use to make a house/ice cream cone/etc.?
- What patterns can you find?
- I have two grapes and I’m going to give you one. How many grapes do I have now?
How can I help my child learn at home?
- Have your child count for you for different reasons (counting nails to hang a picture or ingredients for a recipe).
- Encourage your child to touch each object he/she counts only once.
- Provide opportunities for your child to find patterns in nature.
- Encourage your child to find and name shapes in the environment (the clock is a circle, the door is a rectangle, etc.)
- Provide playdough for your child to form various numbers.
Third nine weeks
Core curriculum
Language Arts
What should my child be working on?
Reading
- Produces at least 16 letter sounds in the language of instruction. (III.C.3)
- Makes inferences and predictions about text. (III.D.4)
- Names at least 16 upper and at least 16 lower case letters in the language of instruction (III.C.1.)
- Identifies some conventional features of print that communicate meaning (such as period, question mark, capital, and lowercase letters) (III.E.3)
- Produce a word that begins with the same sound as a given pair of words (III.B.7)
Writing
- Writes to communicate his/her ideas for a variety of purposes (writing a letter, making a list, telling a story, etc). (IV.A.2)
- Writes own name (first name or frequent nickname) using legible letters in proper sequence. (IV.C.1)
- Independently uses letters to make words or parts of words. (IV.C.3)
Vocabulary
- Uses language for different purposes (II.B.1)
- Uses a variety of different vocabulary words, adding several new words daily. (II.D.4.)
- Combines more than one idea using complex sentences (II.E.4)
- Combines sentences that have many details, sticks to the topic, and in which the meaning is clear. (II.E.5.)
What questions should I ask my child (Reading and Writing)?
- What letter would I write first to write the word ‘dog’?
- Why do you think the boy is feeling sad in the story? What do you think will happen in the story when...?
- (Pointing to period or question mark when reading) What is this? What does it mean?
- Can you tell me about the picture/story you wrote?
- Tell me the steps you need to do to get ready for bed?
- That’s a great picture. Can you sign your name to it?
How can I help my child learn at home?
- Read to your child every day.
- Ask your child questions about the stories that you read.
- 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.
- Have conversations with your child about their experiences in school and in social activities
- Encourage your child to read to you (either by reading the words he/she knows or by telling the story using the pictures)
Math
What should my child be working on?
Number
- Verbally identifies, without counting, the number of objects from 1 to 5 (V.A.8)
- Counts up to 6 items and demonstrates that the last count indicates how many items were counted. (V.A.5)
- Recognizes one-digit numerals 0-6 (V.A.9)
- Uses ordinal numbers (first, second, third, fourth, fifth) to count objects (V.A.7)
Operations and Algebraic Reasoning
- Uses words to rote count from 1-20 (V.A.2)
- Uses concrete objects, creates pictorial models, and shares a verbal word problem for adding and subtracting up to 5 objects. (V.B.1, V.B.2)
- Creates patterns (V.E.3)
Geometry/Measurement
- Child slides, flips, and turns shapes to demonstrate that shapes remain the same. (V.C.4)
- Recognizes and compares heights and lengths of people and objects (V.D.1)
Data Analysis
- Comparing two and three groups of data using picture graphs (V.E.2)
What questions should I ask my child?
- Let’s count the ingredients and see how many there are.
- How high can you count?
- Can you make a pattern?
- Which one is the first one?
- Who is taller?
How can I help my child learn at home?
- Have your child count for you for different reasons (counting nails to hang a picture or ingredients for a recipe).
- Encourage your child to touch each object he/she counts only once.
- Provide opportunities for your child to create patterns.
- Encourage your child to identify the first (second, third, fourth, and fifth) of different objects lined up.
- Have your child create numbers in shaving cream on a paper plate.
Fourth nine weeks
Core curriculum
Language Arts
What should my child be working on?
Reading
- Names at least 20 upper and at least 20 lower case letters in the language of instruction (III.C.1)
- Produces at least 20 letter sounds in the language of instruction. (III.C.3)
- Makes inferences and predictions about the text. (III.D.4)
- Identifies some conventional features of print that communicate meaning (such as period, question mark, capital, and lowercase letters) (III.E.3)
- Recognizes and blends spoken phonemes (/d/-/o/-/g/) into one-syllable words with the support of pictures. (III.B.9)
Writing
- Writes to communicate his/her ideas for a variety of purposes (writing a letter, making a list, telling a story, etc). (IV.A.2)
- Writes own name (first name or frequent nickname) using legible letters in a proper sequence. (IV.C.1)
- Independently uses letters to make words or parts of words. (IV.C.3)
- Shares and celebrates class-made and individual written products (IV.B.3.)
Vocabulary
- Uses language for different purposes (II.B.1)
- Uses a wide variety of words to label and describe people, places, things, and actions (II.D.1)
- Uses a variety of different vocabulary words, adding several new words daily. (II.D.4.)
- Uses regular and irregular plurals, regular past tense, personal and possessive pronouns, and subject-verb agreement (II.E.2)
- Combines sentences that have many details, sticks to the topic, and in which the meaning is clear. (II.E.5.)
What questions should I ask my child (Reading and Writing)?
What are the state standards for what my child should know and be able to do in this subject and grade level?
Math
What should my child be working on?
Number
- Verbally identifies, without counting, the number of objects from 1 to 5 (V.A.8)
- Counts up to 10 items and demonstrates that the last count indicates how many items were counted. (V.A.5)
- Recognizes one-digit numerals 0-9 (V.A.9)
Operations and Algebraic Reasoning
- Uses words to rote count from 1-30 (V.A.2)
- Uses concrete objects, creates pictorial models, and shares a verbal word problem for adding and subtracting up to 5 objects. (V.B.1, V.B.2)
- Uses informal strategies to separate up to 10 items into equal groups. (V.B.3)
Geometry/Measurement
- Create different shapes. (V.C.2)
- Informally recognizes and compares the weights of different objects (V.D.3)
- Uses language to describe concepts associated with the passing of time. (V.D.4)
Data Analysis
- Comparing two and three groups of data using picture graphs (V.E.2)
What questions should I ask my child?
- How much do the apples cost? What numbers are there?
- Can you count and wash the strawberries for me?
- How high can you count?
- What did you do this morning? What will you do after dinner?
- Can you give me some strawberries so that we have the same number?
- Does an elephant or a dog weigh more?
Resources
Each campus has access to different software that can be used at home. Contact your child’s teacher for the programs their campus utilizes and for their login information.